Mental abacus

The mental abacus system is a way to calculate math in your head, by imagining an abacus.^[1] People can calculate math very fast this way. For example, using this method, Takeo Sasano was able to add fifteen three-digit numbers in just 1.7 seconds.^[2]

This system is being used in China,^[3] Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.

The abacus can be used to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It can also be used to get square and cube^[4] roots.

Related pages

• Abacus

References

1. "Research on the benefits of mental abacus for development". Retrieved March 12, 2012.
2. Alex Bellos (2012), "World's fastest number game wows spectators and scientists", The Guardian
3. "(Chinese)Teaching Kids Visit to use abacus for mental calculation". Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
4. Feynman, Richard (1985). "Lucky Numbers". Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-31604-1. OCLC 10925248.

Other websites

• Mental abacus does away with words, New Scientist, August 9, 2011
• Ku Y, Hong B, Zhou W, Bodner M, Zhou YD (2012). "Sequential neural processes in abacus mental addition: an EEG and FMRI case study". PLOS ONE. 7 (5): e36410. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...736410K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036410. PMC 3344852. PMID 22574155.