For my historical analysis writing, I have chosen a very common place, yet very important technology: the calculator. I am going to analyze the historical aspect of this tool and focus of how early mathematicians impacted the development of this necessary instrument. Calculators are devices that are now so common place they are built into our phones. They range from solar-powered handheld tools to larger battery-operated scientific and graphing models. The calculator industry expands far and wide, and it all started with Pascal and his mathematical theories.
The calculator is a mysterious object to many. Most don’t know the algorithms within this device that make it work, or what earlier versions looked like comparatively, or, especially, the historical significance that brought it to be what it is today. The modern calculator is a handheld device that computes numbers and math equations. They come in varying forms of complexity, size, color and style. To talk about the origin of the calculator, one must first discuss an early ancestor. The abacus was a hand operated counting mechanism that was first used by the Egyptians and Sumerians around 2000 BC. This instrument allowed for faster counting and sorting, made addition and subtraction much faster and much less prone to error. For the next 3,600 years, technology was more or less static, and there were not any developments. It wasn’t until the 17th century AD in Europe that progress started again. Europe had lots of mathematicians and inventors, so it is not a surprise that this device’s history is prominent on this continent.
I have found a library resource that describes his influence on the modern calculator and all the inventors in between. Lots of people have played a role in the modern technology. This article outlines the inventors, the different models and its influence on culture. Calculators have impacted how students are taught mathematics, and how they use math in day-to-day settings.
“In 1671, German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz improved Pascal’s design, creating a machine that performed multiplication. In 1820, Frenchman Charles X. Thomas devised a machine that added subtraction and division to a Leibniz-type calculator. It was the first mass-produced calculator, and it became a common sight in business offices.‘
This quote summarizes how the technology has changed and developed over time, and how far back this invention goes in history.
The calculator is a mysterious object to many. Most don’t know the algorithms within this device that make it work, or what earlier versions looked like comparatively, or, especially, the historical significance that brought it to be what it is today. The modern calculator is a handheld device that computes numbers and math equations. They come in varying forms of complexity, size, color and style. To talk about the origin of the calculator, one must first discuss an early ancestor. The abacus was a hand operated counting mechanism that was first used by the Egyptians and Sumerians around 2000 BC. This instrument allowed for faster counting and sorting, made addition and subtraction much faster and much less prone to error. For the next 3,600 years, technology was more or less static, and there were not any developments. It wasn’t until the 17th century AD in Europe that progress started again. Europe had lots of mathematicians and inventors, so it is not a surprise that this device’s history is prominent on this continent.
The calculator is a device that most people have built into their mobile phone. They range from solar-powered handheld tools to larger battery-operated scientific and graphing models. The calculator industry expands far and wide, and it all started with Pascal and his mathematical theories. We must think about what technologies are developing now, that will lead to thousands of advancement so that it is unrecognizable in a couple centuries. Read on to learn about and look into all the early models of the calculator: the slide rule, Pascal’s machine, Leibniz wheel, the Arithmometer, the Grant Mechanical Calculating Machine, the P100 Burroughs Adding Machine, the Comptometer, the Curta Calculator, the business calculator, among others.
“Calculator.” UXL Encyclopedia of Science, edited by Rob Nagel, 2nd ed., vol. 2, UXL, 2002, pp. 370-371. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:5464/apps/doc/CX3438100121/GVRL?u=pull21986&sid=GVRL&xid=3551ad63. Accessed 13 Feb. 2018.