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History of Wuhan Abacus Factory
Abacus calculation originated in the () s.

Abacus is a mathematical calculation technology with abacus as a tool. The abacus has a long history in China, and it is a precious cultural heritage of China. It is known as the "first invention" of China.

In ancient times, people carved wood to record and tied ropes to count. Human beings have created tools in labor and production has developed. Especially after the appearance of commodities, counting with knots and fingers can no longer meet the needs. So "the ancients counted it as a plan" and invented a plan (that is, a small bamboo stick). Calculating by the number of plans is called planning. Abacus and abacus are developed and evolved on the basis of ancient calculations and calculations. When did abacus and abacus originate? For many years, Chinese and foreign historians have been discussing this issue. But there are different opinions and no one can agree.

First, the Han Dynasty said. The representatives of this theory are Takeda Seiji and Sawada Takeichi of Japan, and the mathematician Mei of Qing Dynasty in China. Many scholars in the field of abacus calculation in contemporary China and some experts in Britain and the United States also hold this view. One of the bases of this statement: Xu Yue's Notes on Numerology in the Eastern Han Dynasty (168 ~ 189) records: "abacus, four seasons, three talents." This book records 14 algorithms, of which 13 is called "abacus calculation". In the 6th century, Zhen Luan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty commented: "Stereotyped writing is divided into three parts, the upper part is divided into two parts, and the middle part is divided into two parts to determine the orientation. There are five beads in each position, and the upper bead is different from the lower four beads. There are five beads of different colors on the top and one on the bottom. " However, according to some scholars' research, Shu Shu Ji Yi has neither abacus figures nor unclear descriptions and statements. Some people think that although the preface of Xu Yue shows that it was written by Han, it was actually written by Zhen Luan in the Northern Zhou Dynasty under the guise of the name.

The second basis: 1954 The sixth and seventh rubbings of Yinan Ancient Han Tomb unearthed in Shandong Province contain something similar to an abacus: a rectangular plate with three squares on it, and eight beads arranged in each square. It is considered that this is the image proof of "abacus calculation" mentioned in the book Numerology Legacy. But some people have put forward the opposite opinion: it is not an abacus at all, but something similar to divination.

Second, the Tang Dynasty said. The representatives of this statement are Japanese Suzuki Jiu Nan and some abacus experts in contemporary China. If this statement is based on the abacus diagram in the famous painting "The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" in the Northern Song Dynasty, it is inferred that the abacus should have originated in the Tang Dynasty.

One of the bases of this statement: the emergence and establishment of a new thing is by no means a day or a short time. Special abacus has become something written by artists in the Song Dynasty, and it can be inferred that abacus has gradually spread to the market in the Tang Dynasty.

The second reason for this statement is that the Tang Dynasty was a period of stability, economic prosperity and cultural prosperity in China. Especially in the middle and late Tang dynasty, the business was developed and the calculation was complicated. In order to adapt to the development of commercial computing, abacus came into being. In addition, the upsurge of "one-bit algorithm" in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, especially the "seeking" algorithm, is an important symbol of abacus calculation.

Some people have also raised objections to this statement, arguing that it is not reliable to infer that there was an abacus in the Tang Dynasty only by Zhao Taicheng's abacus in the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival in the Song Dynasty.

Third, the song dynasty said. The representatives of this theory are Japanese Kazuno Hiroshi, China mathematician Xu Guilin in Qing Dynasty, and some contemporary abacus experts in China.

One of the bases of this statement is that an abacus bead of the Song Dynasty was unearthed in Julu, Hebei Province in 192 1. Archaeological appraisal shows that this pearl was submerged by water and soil for 800 years because of the diversion of the Yellow River in Daguan two years. Its quality is wood, and its shape is drum-shaped like modern beads with holes in the middle. This is an important material evidence of the Song Dynasty. However, some people think that it is the pearl right, and the unearthed place is not in the same place as the calculation board, so there is no other circumstantial evidence. Therefore, further research is needed.

This statement is based on the second point:

There were abacus books in Yuanfeng in the Northern Song Dynasty, Shaoxing and Xichun in the Southern Song Dynasty. Although the two books have been lost, judging from their titles, they are both books about abacus. It is also recorded in the Song Dynasty's Xie Cha Shu Wei Jing: "In the abacus; Up: above the spine, to the left. Below: below the spine, on the right. Roof: the beam in the board is separated by wood. " Although this book has also been lost, it was mentioned in Cheng Dawei's Arithmetic Unity in the Ming Dynasty. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Qian Yi also had words such as "Drum-pearl" and "The Art of Drum-pearl" in Nan Shu Xin Yu. The so-called "drum beads" are either counting beads or playing word games.

However, some people think that the above books are groundless. Because there is no abacus figure or abacus algorithm in the books of Pan Zhu Ji and Zou Pan Ji in Song Dynasty. As for "drum beads", it can only be understood as "beads are built in the plate and moved inside the beads", which is different from modern abacus and cannot be confused.

The third basis of this statement: there is a "Zhao Taicheng" drugstore at the far left of the Riverside Map in Qingming Festival. On the front desk of the drugstore, there is an item, the size of which is like an abacus, fifteen grades and countable. 198 1 year, Chinese and Japanese abacus experts enlarged the rectangular thing on Zhao Taicheng's drugstore table, and most people thought it was an abacus. However, due to the aging of the picture, the color is blurred, especially the abacus is very small, and there is no Liang Zhu. So some people think it's a money plate, while others think it's a water card. The two sides argued endlessly.

Some scholars also questioned the theory of the Song Dynasty: On Meng Xi by Shen Kuo, a scientist in the Northern Song Dynasty, talked about all the cultural relics in the Song Dynasty. Why not mention the abacus that has swept the world? Why didn't Yang Hui, a mathematician in the Southern Song Dynasty, mention abacus in his calculation book? How does this explain the abacus of the Song Dynasty?

The fourth basis of this statement: Zhu Jing, the twenty-ninth volume of Tao's Record of Dropping Out of Farming in Nancun in Yuan Dynasty, once quoted a proverb: "Anyone who brings a servant will not dial it automatically when he first comes to the dish; Say abacus beads for a while, and move as soon as you say it; For a long time, I said I was a bead, and my words condensed all day. Although it was dialed, it did not move. " Therefore, it is called "three-bead drama language" by later generations. In the Qing Dynasty, the Summary of Four Treasures of the Study's General Catalogue contained: "There was abacus theory in the Song Dynasty, and dharma prevailed in the Song Dynasty." At the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Liu Yin once wrote a five-character quatrain on the topic of abacus: "No dancing in the urn, no crying in the cake." How difficult is financing? "In the Song Dynasty, Zhang Xiaoxiang once wrote a poem" Zhusuan Fu ",in which there is a cloud:" Seal the Linghai, and the custom is like Wujiang. When you go to the mountain to milk, the merchants will count pearls. "Some people think that Liu Yin's" Abacus "poem was written in the early Yuan Dynasty rather than in the Song Dynasty, which is not sufficient. In your poems, "dou" is a verb and "zhe" is a noun. Many people disagree with this explanation. It is believed that the word "dou" should be a noun, belonging to measuring instruments, "bead" is a "gem" and "calculation" is a verb. Both sides hold their own opinions and opinions.

Fourth, the Yuan Dynasty said. The representatives of this theory are Yamada and Kondo Yuanli in Japan, and Qian Dating in China in Qing Dynasty. One of the bases of this statement: Qian Dating, a mathematician in the Qing Dynasty, said in his "Ten Drives and New Records": "Today we use abacus and wooden beads. I don't know who made it and when it was evaluated. Taonan Village's "Falling Field Record" has the metaphor of balls and abacus beads, which has existed in the Yuan Dynasty. "

The second basis of this statement is that the abacus diagram appeared in Kuiben Du Xiang's Four Words published in Hongwu period in the early Ming Dynasty. Quiben's four words are similar to today's children's books. In addition, there are also lyrics of abacus in "Pang Misplaced Future Debt", which shows that abacus has been widely used in Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, the theory of the Yuan Dynasty can be believed, but some people think that this is an inference, but it cannot be formally concluded.

Fifth, the Ming dynasty said. This theory represents some mathematicians in the Qing Dynasty.

One of the bases of this statement: Mei Wending, a mathematician in Qing Dynasty, once said in "Examination of Ancient Calculators": "When was the bead plate used today? It is said that ancient books are scattered and there is no clear evidence. However, stupidity began in the early Ming Dynasty. "

The second basis of this statement is that there are ten abacus diagrams with two beads on the beam and five beads on the lower side in the book Kuiben Relative Four Characters in the early Ming Dynasty. Luban Mu Jing published in 1999 introduced the specifications and dimensions of abacus. Cheng Dawei, a great mathematician in Ming Dynasty, introduced all kinds of abacus completely and systematically, which was once widely circulated at home and abroad and had great influence. However, some people think that this view is too cautious. Since the abacus was popular in the Ming Dynasty, it must have a history of several hundred years.

Therefore, there was no need to discuss it in the Ming Dynasty.

Sixth, the Western Zhou Dynasty said. This is a new saying that has appeared in the past year. The representative of this theory is Liu Liang of Shaanxi Institute of Cultural Management in China.

1978, 90 pieces of pottery were unearthed in the ancient Joo Won? district of Qishan, Shaanxi Province (the official site of the Western Zhou Dynasty). According to the location, shape and different colors of the unearthed Wan Tao, it is considered that this is a calculation tool used by the court in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, that is, the earliest abacus calculation in China. It can be inferred that the origin of abacus calculation should be in the Western Zhou Dynasty, with a history of more than 3,000 years. According to textual research, some people think that this may be a calculation tool, but no conclusion can be drawn. It is generally believed that this kind of pottery pill is not a bead, but a projectile or toy used by Zhou people to shoot birds.

In the past hundred years, the origin of abacus calculation has caused a heated debate among Chinese and foreign experts, and which is right or wrong remains to be further discussed and studied by scholars and experts in the historical field.

The above is related to the origin of abacus calculation in the () era, and it is about the sharing of abacus calculation. Read the brief introduction of the historical development of abacus, I hope this will help everyone!