The Chinese abacus (abaci in plural) is an ancient mathematical tool known as “suanpan,” meaning a calculator. It is used to solve numerical problems and was commonly used in East Asia.
Before the abacus was invented, early man used his fingers and toes to count. Then, as human enlightenment progressed, traders and ancient accountants started to use pebbles and seeds to calculate. From this, the idea of the abacus was born.
Origins of the abacus
The Chinese abacus was invented over 5,000 years ago to keep track of digits that exceeded human fingers and toes. It is mentioned as early as the 2nd century BCE.
However, the abacus is believed to have been perfected between 1368 and 1644 during the Ming Dynasty by Cheng Dawei — a famous mathematician also known as the “Great Master of Zhusuan.” In the early Ming Dynasty, the 1:5 ratio appeared; in the late Ming Dynasty, abacus designs started appearing in the 2:5 ratio (two beads on top and five at the bottom).
The monumental Chinese abaci are used to solve division, multiplication, subtraction, and addition problems, and can even find the square and cubic roots of numbers.
To celebrate this incredible invention that made accounting simple, the Chinese set aside a day to celebrate the abaci annually.
Other sources denote that counting boards were predecessors of the abacus. The counting boards were discovered on the Greek island in 1899 and were used mainly by Babylonians around 300 BC.
Egyptians and Mesopotamians are also thought to have used the counting boards, and they could be the original developers of the abacus. The counting board is believed to have evolved into the Chinese abacus.
There are lots of disagreements about the origin of the abacus. But unfortunately, there is no tangible proof regarding its invention since its use dates back to the 2nd century.
China, however, claims to be the original inventor of the abacus. The debate remains open until new evidence regarding its invention and origin is found.
How to use the Chinese abacus
An ordinary Chinese abacus comprises 13 strands secured by a square frame. The strands are then divided into an upper column, also called “heaven,” and a lower column, referred to as “earth,” by a string, also called a divider.
Each strand on the upper column contains two beads; the lower column strands have five beads each. The two beads in the upper column each represent a value of five, and in the lower column, the five beads have a value of one each.
The 13 strands represent a decimal place. Starting from the right, the first strand represents ones, the second tens, the third hundreds, and can go up to tens of thousands or even higher.
To use an abacus, place it on a flat surface like a table, then move all the beads on the earth deck to the bottom and those on the heaven deck to the top. Now the abacus has no value; it represents zero or is in its inactivated mode.
Addition
To solve an addition equation, for instance 7 + 2, move one bead from the heaven deck, which has a value of five down to touch the divider, and two beads from the earth deck, with a value of one each upward to the divider. Five plus two is seven.
Remember, all calculations start from the right to the left.
Now move another two beads from the earth deck to represent 2 in your equation. Finally, count the total number of beads on the upper and lower deck bearing in mind your one bead on the upper deck has a value of five.
You will have a total value of 9 (7+2=9).
The above equation contains numbers with a place value of ones. To solve equations with two place values, say ones and tens, for example 7+12, reset your abacus by moving all the beads on the upper deck up and those on the bottom deck down.
Move one bead from the upper deck down to touch the divider and two beads from the bottom tier to touch the divider. For example, 12 has two place values, two on ones and one on tens. Move another two beads on the first strand up, totaling four beads. On the tens strand, move two beads down to touch the divider. This will represent 10.
Count all beads that touch the divider, keeping in mind each bead from the heaven deck carries a value of five. So you will have three beads from the heaven deck representing 15 and four beads on the earth deck representing 4, totaling 19 (7+12=19).
Subtraction
Subtraction, or taking off, involves moving back beads to the bottom or even the top deck. To subtract a number, for example 8-6, move up one bead from heaven to touch the divider and three from the earth. To subtract, move the bead in the upper deck (representing 5) back. Then move one bead (representing 1) in the lower deck down.
You’ve removed a total value of 6 and will remain with two beads (8-6=2).
Alternative forms of the Chinese abacus
There exist different variants of the Chinese abacus. For example, those with five horizontal strands to solve more straightforward calculations and those with 7, 13, up to 23 or more strands to solve more complex calculations.
Different countries also have different abaci with different histories and functions. For instance, the Japanese abacus, known as soroban, is used to solve mental math problems in schools.
However, the Chinese abacus with two beads on top and five at the bottom remains the standard calculator. It is used in most parts of the world today to teach elementary pupils about place values, among other concepts.
Abaci are also essential to the blind as they can touch and feel the beads, and it helps them find solutions to math questions.
