Understanding the Abacus
Before the Hindu-Arabic number system was invented in India in the 6th or 7th century and introduced to Europe in the 12th century, people counted with their fingers, and even their toes in tropical cultures. Then, as even larger quantities (greater than ten fingers and toes could represent) were counted, people picked up small, easy-to-carry items such as pebbles, sea shells, and twigs to add up sums.
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However, merchants who traded goods needed a more comprehensive way to keep count of the many goods they bought and sold. The abacus is one of many counting devices invented in ancient times to help count large numbers, but it is believed that the abacus was first used by the Babylonians as early as 2,400 B.C.1
The abacus was in use in Europe, China, and Russia, centuries before the adoption of the written Hindu-Arabic numeral system. When the Hindu-Arabic number system was widely accepted, abaci were adapted to use place-value counting, a system in which the position of a digit in a number determines its value. In the standard system, base ten, each place represents ten times the value of the place to its right. Since the first abacus, the physical structure of abaci has changed, but the concept has survived almost five millennia and is still in use today.
Evolution of Counting Devices
Counting devices continued to evolve over time due to technological advancements. For example, in 1622, the modern slide-rule was invented and was widely used until 1972 when the Hewlett Packard HP-35 scientific calculator made the slide-rule obsolete.23 These days people rely on calculators on their computers and cell phones. Nevertheless, the abacus is still a trusted tool used by shopkeepers in Asia, and Chinatowns in North America, as well as by merchants, traders, and clerks in parts of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Africa.
Modern Applications
Another popular use of abaci around the world is to teach arithmetic to children, especially multiplication. The abacus can be a substitute for rote memorization of multiplication tables.
In addition, people who can't use a calculator due to visual impairment may use an abacus. Blind children are often taught to use the abacus to learn math and perform calculations as a substitute for paper and pencil.
In austere field environments, rudimentary abaci have been commonly used by infantry soldiers among many of the world’s armed forces up to the present day. Commonly referred to as “pace counters” they are used to estimate a distance traveled on foot for navigational purposes by sliding a series of beads along a fixed piece of cordage; usually one bead every 100 paces
Where Is the Abacus Used Today
Although largely replaced by electronic devices, abaci are still used for low-tech computations in settings where electricity may not be available. In addition, they are widely used as teaching tools, especially in Asia, and by the visually impaired, who may have difficulty reading the screen of an electrical calculator.
Is an Abacus Faster Than a Calculator?
Experienced abacists can perform some calculations faster than an electronic calculator, but it takes a great deal of practice and expertise to reach that level. For most people, the ease and simplicity of using calculators and other devices overshadow the potential gains of learning to make calculations on an abacus.
How Long Does It Take to Learn to Use an Abacus?
You can master basic calculations, such as addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division, within two or three months. For more complex operations, like powers and cube roots, it may take up to two years to learn to perform the calculations efficiently
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