Abacus History

• The first calculation instrument, which nature put at human being disposal was his own hand/ fingers.
• If not enough: shells, twigs, pebbles, stones and so forth.
• Man’s need to quantify, to count and to do mathematic calculations- invented computer.
• Long before the computer, in the Roman Empire, Ancient Asia, and other parts of the World, man was inventing easier and faster ways of counting and calculating.

Abacus or Abaci is an ancient Asian calculating tool that helps modern students as young as age 4 or 5 master essential math skills they will retain and use all their lives. There are many different types of Abacus and different terminologies are used around the world. We will be using the phrase called “Japanese Soroban” in this program.

In late 1946 a Japanese postal official highly skilled in using Japanese abacus engages in a contest with a foreign soldier in +, – and x numbers who used most modern calculator. In four of five contests, the Japanese official with the abacus was faster, being beaten only in the multiplication problems.