Counting sticks are probably one of the first devices for computing. Counting sticks are single or multi-colored elongated sticks, usually made of wood or plastic. They are used today for teaching counting , including in schools . Counting sticks are also used in the Montessori method, Zaitsev's method and other methods of early development, for teaching preschoolers and as a developmental toy. They can be used in some games (for example, mahjong ).
| Indo-Arab | |
|---|---|
| Arab Tamil Burmese | Khmer Lao Mongolian Thai |
| East Asian | |
| Chinese Japanese Suzhou Korean | Vietnamese Counting sticks |
| Alphabetic | |
| Abjadiya Armenian Ariabhata Cyrillic Greek | Georgian Ethiopian Jewish Akshara Sankhya |
| Other | |
| Babylonian Egyptian Etruscan Roman Danube | Attic Kipu Mayan Aegean KPPU Symbols |
| 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 10 , 12 , 16 , 20 , 60 | |
| Negative Position | |
| Symmetrical | |
| Fibonacci | |
| Single (unary) | |
History
Counting sticks from ancient times were used in China, including for writing characters and hieroglyphs , but were then banned there. In Japan, they have been used continuously for a long time and even become a symbol of algebra. They were also popular in Korea and Vietnam .
Initially, counting sticks could be used for simple calculations, expressing numbers from 1 to 9, but then their development led to the appearance of the notation of zero and a whole symbolic language of mathematics. Using counting sticks and a counting board, complex calculations were carried out with fractions, fractals and negative numbers (to reflect the latter, either sticks of a different color or special writing forms were used).
Views
Today on the market there are many different types (different completeness of the set, shape, length, color, material) and types of counting sticks. The most popular are the Kuisener sticks.