The Ancestors of the Computer

As traditional calculators and important discoveries in the Ancient China, the abacus is widely used before the invention of Arabic numerals in the world. In English, known as abacus. The use of the word abacus has been started since 1387, borrowed a Latin word abakos derived from the word abax which in Greek means "the calculation table."

Before the invention of the abacus, the ancient people use a small wooden stick. Along with the increased number of calculations, the use of small wooden sticks failed to meet these demands.

Therefore, poeple finds the first calculator, the abacus. The origin of the abacus can be traced back to 600 BC during the period of spring and autumn. Inventors weave beads 10 in one group and put in the trunk and then framed.

Calculations can be done by moving the beads. Rectangular abacus with wooden frames. In this frame, there is a rod beads. Beam in the middle of the frame dividing each bar into two sections. The beads at the top symbolizes the five, and the rest at the bottom symbolizes the one.

In the application of the abacus, people make a lot of tips to help speed up calculations. Types of calculations using the abacus called abacus calculation method. By the Ming Dynasty, abacus calculation is not only applicable to the operation of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but also to measure the land, the shape and size of various objects.

Since the making of a simple abacus, it's cheap, and the calculation is easy to remember and do, the abacus is used widely in China. This makes abacus spread to Japan, Korea, United States, and Southeast Asia, and other countries. Even in the general use of modern electronic calculator, the abacus is still used in addition and subtraction for comfort.

It added that the abacus has been regarded as the ancestor of the computer. In other words calculator, Play Station, PC, laptop, mobile phones would not exist if the abacus was never found. *** [SEPTI | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 30082012]

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