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2016.abacus Mentalarithmetic
2016.abacus Mentalarithmetic
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Summary
Abacus is one of the oldest known device for calculation that was used in ancient
civilizations. On it you could run mathematical operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, square root and grading. Work on the abacus was once in the
curricula for mathematics 4th grade elementary school. Students of 4th and 5th grade were
taught addition and subtraction using the abacus. The latest curricula for mathematics is not in
operation over the abacus. There is no direct application of calculation using the abacus
because children and adults use calculators for that. Using the calculator children (and adults)
do not have to think about what they do. Using the abacus they have to use both hands and in
the beginning have a lot to think about, and then the process of computing becomes just
thought, mechanical. Children counting on the abacus activate work brain synapses and so
this work has a direct impact on their intelligence. In some countries (such Serbia, Croatia,
etc.) are organized private schools in which children from 5 to 14 years are being trained to
count on abacus. Results of this work are amazing. Just aim of this paper is to draw attention
to the importance of the results that are achieved by using this old but valuable devices. In this
paper, the author will try to explain in a simple way how to apply basic mathematical
operations on the Japanese (Soroban) and Chinese (Suan Pan) abacus, which could encourage
some people to hold various workshops on this subject with children.
1
nesimovicsanela@hotmail.com
Abacus – mental arithmetic
The abacus (Latin) or abacus (Greek) is one of the oldest known device that was used
multiplication and division) and some complex (grading and root). In some countries of Asia
and Africa abacus is still actively used as an auxiliary device in the calculation. In some shops
we still can found examples of sellers who use the abacus, not a calculator or computer, to
There are various types of abacus. They are known as Chinese (Figure 1), Japanese
(Figure 2), Roman (Figure 3), Russian (Figure 4), school (known as the abacus, used to be an
indispensable part of school equipment first grade students, and today it is a rarity), etc. They
all represent a modification of the same devices and they are similarly used.
2
Available on:
https://www.google.ba/search?q=slike+abakus&rlz=1C2VSNC_enBA583BA583&biw=1024&bih=481&tbm=is
ch&imgil=YYJQzDf0PQQ6vM%253A%253BH9NAtWrLshuGtM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fcro
meteo.net%25252Fphpbb%25252Fviewtopic.php%25253Ff%2525253D8%25252526t%2525253D7933&source
=iu&pf=m&fir=YYJQzDf0PQQ6vM%253A%252CH9NAtWrLshuGtM%252C_&usg=__aOkcCiP0MpJOeAm
wdl9PbfGelFE%3D&ved=0CDIQyjc&ei=JZOEVf-
YOM2O7QbYhbzgCw#imgrc=t4Y37xwFl4kK5M%253A%3BuAjSANnlozQR2M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252
Fwww.wuepro.mathematik.uni-
wuerzburg.de%252Fprojekte%252Frm%252Fimages%252Fabakus_0.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.e-
cigserbia.com%252Fshowthread.php%253Ft%253D10208%3B600%3B374&usg=__aOkcCiP0MpJOeAmwdl9
PbfGelFE%3D
Downloaded: 20.6.2015. at 0.12.
3
Available on:
https://www.google.ba/search?q=japanski+abakus&biw=1024&bih=481&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=E
FiUVcz8JqaAzAP_pqCgBA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgrc=NyfQsvkul0uI8M%3A
Downloaded: 1.7.2015. at 23.17.
4
Available on: https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abakus_(ra%C4%8Dunanje)#/media/File:RomanAbacusRecon.jpg
Downloaded: 19.6.2015. at 23.55.
5
Available on: https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abakus_(ra%C4%8Dunanje)#/media/File:Schoty_abacus.jpg
Downloaded: 19.6.2015. at 23.59.
It is also known as abacus for the blind who have parts covered with a layer of rubber to avoid
In China, Japan and Russia, there are still many schools that are actively using the
abacus first three years as part of the formal primary education, regardless of what they have
more modern and advanced techniques. This kind of work implies that children learn to
manipulate numbers, displayed numbers, create accurate impressions of the size the numbers
which manipulate, thus creating a good foundation for further mathematical education and
education in general.
Neighbouring countries, Croatia and Serbia, have organized private schools in which
children aged from 5 to 14 learn how to use the abacus, and they learn the techniques of
mental arithmetic. In some of these schools they are using a Chinese abacus, called Suan Pan,
and in some Japanese, called Soroban. They work on programs that are very similar to each
other. The work is performed in groups. The first group are children aged 5 to 7, the other 8 to
10, and the third from 11 to 14. It is continuous, several times a week, work. In the first phase
of work, children learn the skills of presenting numbers on a plastic or wooden abacus. Then
they learn how to add and subtract using the abacus. Also they learn visual computing to 100.
Then learn multiply and divide using the abacus. To overcome visual computing, after they
have learned to count using an abacus, then counted using paper that is drawn abacus. So
then, they are calculated using an abacus image. After that, they are counted visually, by
moving fingers in the air, and imagining the abacus in their minds. Through constant
exercises children continually improve the skills of visual computing. Counting they use both
hands, while the usual school abacus used only one. This leads to using both hemispheres of
the brain and strengthening of synapses in the brain that, if they are not strong enough,
crumbling after 14 years of age. The level of intelligence depends on the number of strong
many skills, such as for example attention and concentration, creativity, vision, analytical
skills, photographic memory and so on. Children become able to perform multiple tasks at the
you can watch a video in which children sing a song while are calculated tasks. It's just one of
the many fascinating examples of the incredible abilities of children who have mastered the
The final outcome of the learning techniques of mental arithmetic is that children
perform arithmetic operations entirely thought through, with some help of two fingers of each
hand, but without any additional use of paper and pencil. All children who are psycho -
physical - motoric on the level of his generation could without any major difficulties to
achieve goals of this type of education. The only restriction is the age of the child. We have
already mentioned that it is 14 years. The working memory of children and adults are
different. The child is able, in the course of computing remembers subscores and used them
later, while adults do not have this ability. By the age of 14, children have the visualizing
ability. It is after 14 years lost and the results can no longer be visualized. Adults can
surmount only the first level, and these are technique of calculating on abacus.
general. There was once work on abacus in our curriculum for mathematics in Bosnia and
Herzegovina for the lower grades of elementary school, but more is not included in them.
Considering that many students use textbooks older editions, some of them are still treated
using abacus lessons. So the students to read at least the name and know that there is a device
for computing called abacus and that is all. Unfortunately, many teachers are not trained how
In this paper we will try in the simplest way to show how the Chinese and Japanese
abacus used during the presentation of the natural numbers and zeros, and how to perform
Chinese abacus is called Suan Pan, which means panel for computing. Abakus known
Chinese abacus usually has 13 columns of balls, but can have more and less. Depending
on the size of abacus it will appear certain restrictions in computing, which are related to the
size of the numbers with which we count. (Matić, Ševerdija, Škorvaga, 2009: 75-91)
Each ball has a specific value. Horizontally there is one a barrier that in the columns is
values 5 and below obstacles are balls that have a value 1. In the next column, there are two
balls whose values are 50 and five balls whose values are 10.
First you need to learn while working on abacus is certainly to represent the numbers
on abacus and practice it. How can it be present zero and the first twenty natural numbers
shown in the following table. In an analogous way it could represent the other natural
numbers.
Displaying number begin from the right side. If the number you wish to introduce on
abacus for example. triple digits, then we can count three columns of balls, starting from the
right side and then in the third column on the right present first hundreds, and then in the
second column from the right tens and finally in the first column on the right present units and
we can begin to represent a number of starting from the right side and display first units. The
0 1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19 20
If you look carefully at the table, we can immediately see that it is enough to learn
represent a numbers from 0 to 9, and the other (double-digit) present digit by digit, same as
The number is four digit and this means that we need four columns of balls from the right side
in the which we will present each digit individually. Thus, in the mentioned four columns we
will represent digits 4, 8, 2 and 9, starting from left to right, and so we get a display of the
given number.
4 8 2 9
We'll start by adding. It is important to pay attention to the choice of tasks that we solve
by using abacus and generally watch on methodical approach to this problem. Examples of
without a crossing pass. All these examples have to be methodical arranged because
knowledge necessary for solve one task is an extension of knowledge to solve other tasks.
They are actually arranged in the a single row and in that order tasks can not be skipped.
If we want to add up the number 5 and number 3, we will present the first summand 5, and
then we add in the same column value of the second addend. This is shown in the following
illustration.
5+3 5+3
5 8
This example is not a problem for us because the whole account happening in one column.
However, if we add up the numbers 7 and 4, then will appear the case when adding crossing.
+4=+5-1
7+4
2x5=1x10
1 1
So, here we added the first addend 7 and the second addend 4, so we 4 show like 5-1, or we
add ball value 5 and took a ball value 1. When we do this, we get two balls in the value 5, so
If we want for example add up the numbers 762 and 45, then we will first display the number
762, then we will add 40, then 5. In the tens column will appear 5 balls whose values are 10
and we will replace them with one button whose values are 50. Then we two balls values 50
60+40=100;
100=2x50;
762+45 2+5=7;
7 6 2
2x50=
=1x100;
8 0 7
the difference 11-5, we will first present number 11, and then we a ball whose value is 10
replaced with two balls whose values are 5. Then subtract another ball value 5.
11-5 11-5=2x5+1-5=5+1
1 1
6
While we subtract, we must take care that if we can not conducted taking as we needed, then
we perform calculate in the same value. For example, if we can not subtracted 4, then we can
subtract 5 and add 1 (because -4 = -5 + 1). The important thing is to take care not to deviate
For example, if we calculate the product 21x3, we will given factors displayed starting from
the left, as shown in the illustration. Then we show obtained product starting from the right
side.
21x3
2 1 x 3 6 3
If we calculate the product 11x11, we will again present both factors starting from the
left, and among the factors we will leave one column unchanged, that us symbolically
multiplication, and the resulting intermediate products,, write down "to the right, as can be
seen in the following illustration. When multiplied by tens, then take care of the local value.
The obtained result will be recorded so that it will move up one place to the left compared to
the previous result. Writing we perform by adding the value that we get the already existing,
11x1=11
1 1 x 1 1
11x1(0)=11(0)
Let us explain how we can divide on the Chinese abacus. Calculate for example, quotient
33: 3. Recording quotient 33: 3 we perform like the product, starting from the left. Skipping a
column, on whose site should stand equal sign and then write down the result that we get. We
divide on the same way that we divided in writing. We divid 3 tens by 3. The result is 1 and it
should be written, and then multiply the result that we get (1) with a divider (3) and the
product 3 (1x3 = 3) write down starting from the right. This is shown in the illustration. Since
we have 3 tens already divided, we will reduce them for the last product we received (3-3 =
0). We continue the process of division in the same way. 3 units divided by 3 is 1 and we
write 1 on place where we started to write the result of dividing . Finish the procedure of
33:3
3 3 : 3 = 1
1x3=3
Explain an example in which, when we divided numbers, appears the rest of division.
For example, lets calculate how much is 897: 21. Perform analog recording of dividend and
divisor on abacus and take care of free columns in the way described above. The process
division is completely analogously to that in the previous example. The process is shown in
897:21
8 9 7 : 2 1 = 4 4x21=84
5 7 : 2 1 = 4 2 2x21=42
quotient
rest
57-42=15
Japanese abacus is called Soroban. It is similar to the Chinese, but his balls are not
For better viewing we will give table of the first twenty natural numbers and zero on Soroban,
0 1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19 20
If we would like present for example number 4829, then the display looks like this:
4 8 2 9
abacus.
Now briefly explain through examples how to Soroban used in the calculation.
2.1.Addition on the Japanese abacus
Explain the process of adding on the example 3 + 4. First, we present the first summand.
The second summand we are unable to add immediately, but we have to show otherwise. We
will use balls in the same value. So, summand 4 will add like 5 - 1. This means that we will
first add 5, and then subtract 1. Because 5-1 = 4, we have actually added 4. Look at the
+5
3+4
-1
Considering that we can not add immediately balls value 6, we will do it in a way that we
will add the same value, but we will get that by calculation. So, how is 10-4 = 6, we will first
add 10 and then subtract 4. Also we will not be able to subtract 4, so we will use the fact that
+1
1 3
Subtraction will be explained on the example 6-3. First we show minuend 6. Considering
that we can not subtract balls in the value 3 directly, we will subtract the same value. We
subtract 5 and add 2, which is in the end the same as if we took 3. The described procedure is
-5
6-3
+2
Let's explain the example 13-6. First, we present minuend. Then we will present -6
like -10 + 4 and 4 we will present like 5-1. The above we can see step by step in
-10
13-6
+5-1
multiplication on paper (L and R are abbreviations for left and right, and that actually mean
The first example that we will analyze is 21x7. In a given product are involved three
digits. This information we will need later. We are writing in a way that is done below.
2 1
x 7
1 4
0 7
1 4 7
We have written factors one below the other. Then we draw three columns (3 columns for
those three digits that mentioned previously that we will need). Multiply from left to right, so
the first partial product that we get is 2(0) x7 = 14 and this result should be written starting
with the column that to us first came. The following intermediate product is 1x7 = 7, and as a
result every occasion this multiplication must be written like a two-digit, we will write 07 and
the result will be written in the following order with respect to the previous one, but we will
move one position to the right. How do we calculate all intermediate products, underline and
Next example, which we will also analyze in writing is 357x82. First note that these
3 5 7
x 8 2
2 4
4 0
5 6 x8(0)
0 6
1 0
1 4 x2
2 9 2 7 4
Every time when we multiply, we make sure that the result should have a record like a two-
digit number, so when we get a single-digit number we should add a zero in front. First
multiply 3x8, and 5x8, and 7x8, and the results should be written one below the other, each
time by moving one column to the right. Then multiply analogously with 2, but now the
results begin to write in the second column from the left and we will continue to write
In a totally same way we calculate when we have numbers as factors with more digits
Now apply this to work on the abacus. We'll use the first example 21x7. First we
presente product 21x7 at the beginning of abacus. Then we will conclude that we have 3 digits
in the record of our factors, and we will results that we got, write in the the last three columns
of abacus. The first product is 2x7 = 14, and the other 1x7 = 7, and they are written as was
21x7
2(0)x7=14
1x7=07
1 4
0 7
1.2. Division on the Japanese abacus
Let us explain division by Soroban on the example 135: 7. Recording of results we get
when calculating needed in this task is very similar to what we have already explained for
Suan Pan, so that we will not spend much time in explaining. Balls of other colors could serve
135:7
1 3 5 : 7 =
1 7
13-7=6
65:7=>9, 9x7=63,
9 6 3
65-63=2 (rest),
quotient = 19
2 (rest) 1 9 (quotient)
Conclusion
Work on the abacus used to be an integral part of basic education. Students generally
had no difficulty in mastering prescribed content, because to them they were interesting and
different from other educational content. They did not have available their abacus but they
had drawn the frame abacus and they are drawing balls. Very often even the school itself did
not have school abacus on which the teachers would be able to demonstrate how they are
used. However, teachers have no difficulty to teaching their students these contents. Then it
was decided that the contents related to the abacus does not need to be part of the mandatory
content that is taught in schools. When it is decided, it was considered probably that the
abacus is obsolete device and that children do not have any benefit from learninig how to use
it. Unfortunately, as often happens, from teaching materials are expected to be directly
applicable in everyday life, and ignores the fact that children when learning specific contents
develop logical thinking, as well as many other capabilities. So many contents, and there
belongs the work on abacus, are not directly applicable to everyday life, but their importance
is indisputable.
For the adoption of the concept of number and practicing basic arithmetic operations
in the classrooms they use a variety of teaching aids, which undoubtedly have their value, but
can not lead students to the same degree as thought computation to which it can lead work on
abkusu.
This paper would like to draw attention to opportunities that are real, but they are
deprived to students, by the operation on the abacus left out of the curriculum. Unfortunately,
the future teachers will not be able to try on their own free activities teach students to work on
Soroban, when teachers generally do not know that they are kinds of abacus that differ in the
number of balls, but that used very similar method. In neighboring countries, as already
mentioned, have recognized the importance of mental arithmetic, but they organized that
teaching in private schools, which means it is available only to certain individuals and not to
all students who are old enough to be reach the maximum of going through this type of
training.
In addition to this work, in purpose of return to work on the abacus in our schools, the
author decided to teach his students of final year of Pedagogical Faculty in Sarajevo for work
on abacus. Considering that this is not included in the Curriculum, the only option for now is
that such training is an optional course. Students have already showed great interest in this
course.
References
Matić,I., Ševerdija, D. (2009). Metodički aspekti abakusa 1. Matematika i škola 52, 57-62
<http://www.mathos.unios.hr/images/uploads/62.pdf>
Matić, I., Ševeridija, D. (2010). Metodički aspekti abakusa 2. Matematika i škola 53, 106-111
<http://www.mathos.unios.hr/~imatic/maa2_web.pdf>
Matić, I., Ševerdija, D., Škorvaga, S. (2009). Numerička ograničenja kineskog abakusa.
Osječki matematički list 9, 75-91
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jNPc2pcO9_zQaosRI0FEVGJwQw&bvm=bv.70138588,d.d2k>
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napamet-842
http://www.smartacus.rs/
http://www.svezabebe.ba/beba/novosti/promo/1158-akademija-za-djecu-brainobrain