- Soroban
The
Also, when the suanpan was imported to Japan, it came along with it its division table. The method using the table was called [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=93950015 Free digital copy] available at Questia.] , and therefore had to compete with the division table during the latter's heyday.
oroban vs. calculator
On November 12, 1946, a contest was held in Tokyo between the Japanese soroban, used by Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, and an electric calculator, operated by US Army Private Thomas Nathan Wood. The bases for scoring in the contest were speed and accuracy of results in all four basic arithmetic operations and a problem which combines all four. The soroban won 4 to 1, with the electric calculator prevailing in multiplication.
About the event, the "Nippon Times" newspaper reported that "Civilization ... tottered" that day, while the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper described the soroban's "decisive" victory as an event in which "the
machine age took a step backward...."The breakdown of results is as follows:
*Five additions problems for each heat, each problem consisting of 50 three- to six-digit numbers. The soroban won in two succeeding heats.
*Five subtraction problems for each heat, each problem having six- to eight-digit minuends and subtrahends. The soroban won in the first and third heads; the second heat was a no contest.
*Five multiplication problems, each problem having five- to 12-digit factors. The calculator won in the first and third heats; the soroban won on the second.
*Five division problems, each problem having five- to 12-digit dividends and divisors. The soroban won in the first and third heats; the calculator won on the second.
*A composite problem which the soroban answered correctly and won on this round. It consisted of:
**An addition problem involving 30 six-digit numbers
**Three subtraction problems, each with two six-digit numbers
**Three multiplication problems, each with two figures containing a total of five to twelve digits
**Three division problems, each with two figures containing a total of five to twelve digitsEven with the improvement oftechnology involving calculators, this event has yet to be replicated officially.ee also
*
Abacus
*Suanpan
*Chisanbop References
*cite book
last = Kojima
first = Takashi
year = 1954
title = The Japanese Abacus: its Use and Theory
publisher = Charles E. Tuttle
location = Tokyo
isbn=0-8048-0278-5
*cite book
last = Kojima
first = Takashi
year = 1963
title = Advanced Abacus: Japanese Theory and Practice
publisher = Charles E. Tuttle
location = Tokyo
*
*
* Citation
last = Knott
first = Cargill Gilston
author-link = Cargill Gilston Knott
title = The Abacus, in Its Historic and Scientific Aspects
journal = The Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan
volume = xiv
pages =18-72
date =December 16 1885
year = 1886
url = http://webhome.idirect.com/~totton/soroban/Knott1885-Retyped.pdfExternal links
*pt icon [http://www.sorobanbrasil.com.br/ Soroban Brasil]
*ja [http://www.japanmatrix.com/anzan/ Flash Anzan] (requiresMacromedia Flash Player )
*es [http://es.geocities.com/abacosoroban/ Ábaco Japonés Soroban]
* [http://webhome.idirect.com/~totton/soroban/ Advanced Abacus Techniques]
*fr [http://www.ffcalculmental.fr/ffsoroban.htm A.F.S.A] Association Française de Soroban et autres Abaques.
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