We then combine the value of the two lines, and the total value that we get is 26. The two beads indicate that the value of the second line is at 2, but since it is at the second column, we must add a 0 next to the 2, which means that the correct value is 20. Now, let’s imagine another line to the right of the previous line, then place two beads at the second row up. If we move one bead at the first row down, that means that the value of the rod is at 5, but once we raise one bead in the second row, the value becomes 6. To demonstrate the use of the rods in the suanpan, let us imagine that we have a line that is divided into two rows, with two beads at the first row and five beads in the second row. The rightmost rod in the suanpan indicates the lowest number, while the leftmost rod is designated to the highest number. Each of the five beads on the second deck, called Earth or water beads, shows the value of one, and they have to be raised to signify that their values are in use. The two beads on the upper deck, often called in China as heaven beads, have a value of five per each bead, and people would have to lower the bead to indicate that the value is used.

The suanpan is divided into two compartments the first compartment has two beads that are inserted into each short rod, while the second compartment is longer and has five beads in each rod. Suanpanīefore the discovery of the Salamis Tablet, historians are convinced that China was the country of origin for the first abacus because of their invention of the suanpan. This division of integers is often used for subtracting value in the tablet.

However, once the Salamis Tablet gets a line in the middle of the rows, the right column represents the positive integers while the left side represents the negative integers. Once you place one pebble to the first line and you put another stone to the center of the first and second line, the total value in the table is now 6. If a pebble is placed on the first line, it means that its value is at 1, and if you move the pebble at the space before the second line, the value of the pebble becomes 5. The row of lines in the marble slab usually group numbers by powers of ten, and pebbles are placed in lines or in the space between them to represent a value. Believed to have been using during 300 BC, it is currently considered the oldest counting table on Earth.īefore the invention of the Salamis Tablet, researchers suggested that people only used their fingers and their toes to count, but when the Greeks realized that their hands and feet could be quite inconvenient to use when counting, they have devised a way of counting larger numbers using a slab of marble to form columns and rows to indicate which number they are calculating. One of the most substantial evidence of the Greeks using the first abacus is the discovery of the Salamis Tablet in 1846. Many are arguing that the first abacus was used in China during the 2nd century BC, while others believe that the ancient Greeks were the ones who have invented it. Until now, no one knows exactly where the first abacus came from.

Let’s dive into the rich history of the abacus and learn more about the different types of abacuses in the world. The functions of the abacus in various nations change depending on each country’s tradition and culture, and that is why there have been many kinds of abacuses used throughout the years. The abacus has also been given other names in different countries in China, it is called suanpan, while in Japan, it is called soroban. Its name comes from the Greek word abakon or abax, which means tablet or table, but the word abacus itself is Latin. Seen throughout multiple regions of the world, the abacus has been used not only by the elite and government officials but also by small traders and vendors who want to count their inventory and calculate the changes that they give to their customers.

The abacus was one of the prominent calculating tools used by man before the invention of the electronic calculator.

Who invented abacus first