Early Computation Flashcards
Napier’s bones was based on __
The Gelosian method of multiplication
When was the abacus first used?
As early as 399 BCE
(T/F) ‘Abacus’ and ‘Arithmetic’ became interchangeable in english around 1200 AD
True
Describe the finger reckoning method of multiplication
- # of fingers raised on each hand = number - 5
- Raised fingers give number of tens
- curled fingers on left x curled fingers on right = number of ones
Different ways to represent numbers on fingers
- Each finger represents a digit(normal way)
- Each finger represents a binary digit
- Chinese finger notation
What is Chinese finger notation
Individual joints of each finger as well as the left, center, and right parts can be used to represent quantities.
What are the uses of the Astrolabe?
- Mapping the position of celestial bodies
- Measure latitude / determine approximate location
- Determine time
- Estimate the height of objects
- Casting of horoscopes
Who invented Gunter’s Quadrant and when?
Edmund Gunter b/w 1581-1626
What was Gunter’s Quadrant based on?
The Astrolabe(Circular); Quadrant(quarter circle) solves the same types of problems
The most widely copied version of the Sector?
Created in Padua by Galileo in 1606. Had been working on it as early as 1590s.
The use of the sector?
Determining angles for firing artillery
Factors that went into the sector’s calculations
- Size of the gun
- Calibre of artillery
- Charge of the propellant
- Type of projectile being sent
Proportional compass
Used by draftsmen to reduce and enlarge drawings
Why did scientists dislike early computational devices?
They felt that the true way of science was to work manually
Origins of Gelosia method
India. later Arab, Persian, and Chinese societies by the Middle Ages
