1. History of abacus The abacus' history started ca. 2600 years ago in Madagaskar. There to count the amount of soldiers, every soldier had to pass a narrow passage. For each passing soldier a little stone was put into a groove. When ten stones were in that groove they were removed and one stone was put into the next groove.

2. Counting soldiers

3. Mutation of grooves and stones

4. Development of soroban In 607 the japanese regent Shotoku Taishi made a cultural approach to China. The chinese suan-pan comes to Japan and became optimized by Taishi by removing one of the upper balls. Since 1940 the new soroban with only four lower balls is used.

5. Roman abacus

6. Calculating on tables This structure was found on tables, boards and on kerchiefs.

7. Gelosia procedure of writing calculation 123 0 8 5 6 4 4 01 2 1 05 01 5 1 26 01 8 088 5 6 0 56008123 · 456 =

8. Napier Bones 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 1 0 1 2 1 4 1 6 1 8 1 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 0 2 5 1 8 1 1 2 4 2 7 2 3 0 6 0 9 0 2 1 3 5 4 4 5 3 6 2 7 1 8 9 0 8 1 7 2 6 3 9

9. Calculating with Napier Bones 0 1 2 1 4 1 6 1 8 1 2 0 4 0 6 0 8 0 2 5 1 8 1 1 2 4 2 7 2 3 0 6 0 9 0 2 1 3 5 4 4 5 3 6 2 7 1 8 9 0 8 1 7 2 6 3 9 239 · 8 =2191