The Chinese bamboo rod is the oldest decimal calculator

On April 23, the Guinness Book of Records recognized a set of Chinese bamboo sticks that existed for more than 2,300 years, the world's oldest decimal calculator.

This decimal set of 1 abacus and 21 calculators was crafted from about 305 BC during the Warring States period.

Each rod is 43.5cm long and 1.2cm wide. When put together on the abacus, these rods can represent multiplication and division operations of all numbers with two units, with values ​​less than 100, and numbers with a fraction of 0.5.

Set of bamboo sticks.(Source: News.cgtn.com).

There are engraved numbers and perforated holes on each rod so they can be threaded through. The user of the thread pulls the rope corresponding to the number to calculate and then see the result.

The historian of Rational Theology of the Tsinghua University Archaeological Center stresses that it is important for this tool to calculate the decimal, not the decimal point like in some other countries. . Before the 15th century, decimal fraction did not appear in Europe.

According to Mr. Ly Hoc Can, it is still unclear who is the owner of this calculator. This calculation tool may have been used in business, or used to measure land in the Zhou Dynasty.

Earlier, in July 2008, Thanh Hoa University acquired a rare collection of 2,500 bamboo sticks made from the late Warring States period, including the aforementioned sets of rods.

These bars were smuggled out of China by smuggling groups.