Difference between revisions of "Abacus"
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| − | The abacus (plural abaci) was a digital calculator that was used to perform mathematical calculation especially for accountancy in medieval times. It works by having numbers represented by beads sliding on a rod. | + | The abacus (plural abaci) was a digital calculator that was used to perform mathematical calculation especially for [[accounting|accountancy]] in [[medieval]] times. It works by having numbers represented by beads sliding on a rod. With it, the user can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and extract [[square root|square roots]]. Today even though it is obsolete it is still widely used in [[Asia]], particularly in the [[People's Republic of China]] and the [[Republic of China]]. |
Revision as of 20:10, April 12, 2007
The abacus (plural abaci) was a digital calculator that was used to perform mathematical calculation especially for accountancy in medieval times. It works by having numbers represented by beads sliding on a rod. With it, the user can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and extract square roots. Today even though it is obsolete it is still widely used in Asia, particularly in the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China.