The abacus is a valuable cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. The question of its origin has sparked debate for over a hundred years, yet there is still no unified conclusion. Since the Qing Dynasty, many mathematicians have researched this issue, and Japanese scholars have also devoted considerable effort to this topic, leading to three main viewpoints:
The first opinion posits that the abacus appeared during the mid-Yuan Dynasty.
 |
Modern Abacus (Photo: Gallery) |
By the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming, the abacus was widely used. Cảnh Chu, in the 29th volume of the book “Nam thôn chuyết canh hụ” by Song Nghĩa from the Yuan era, references a proverb describing a servant, comparing a long-serving servant to an abacus, which automatically performs tasks, proving that the abacus was already quite popular at that time. At the end of the Song and the beginning of the Yuan, in the book “Tịnh Mộc Tiên sinh văn tập” by Lưu Nhân, there are four lines of poetry themed around the abacus:
“Not making the old merchant rain
Hưu Bàng reciting poetry
Grasping the abacus yet feeling pain
Body suffering as if how”
This also serves as evidence for the existence of the abacus during the Yuan Dynasty. By the Ming Dynasty, the book “Lỗ ban mộc kinh”, written in the Yongle era, had specifications and measurements for making an abacus. Additionally, we see the emergence of manuals for using the abacus, such as “Toán chân toán pháp” by Từ Tân Lỗ and “Trực chỉ toán pháp thống tổng” by Trình Đại Vệ. Thus, the abacus was widely applied during the Ming Dynasty.
The second opinion, presented by Mai Khả Chiến, a mathematician from the Qing Dynasty, suggests that the abacus appeared during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Eastern Han. This view is based on the work of the Eastern Han mathematician Từ Nhạc, who wrote the book “Số thuật ký dị”, which describes 14 methods of calculation referred to as “Cách tính bàn tính”. Later, a mathematician from the Northern Zhou Dynasty annotated this text, stating: “The carved board has three parts, two parts above and below for the beads to slide, and the middle part for positioning calculations. The position of 5 beads, with the top bead of a different color from the 4 beads below, where each bead represents 1 unit, and the 4 beads below are called ‘Không đối tứ thời’. The bead running across three places is called ‘Vĩ tam tài’.” However, some scholars argue that the calculation methods described in this book merely represent a tool for counting or a table for simple addition and subtraction calculations. Compared to the abacus as we know it today, it cannot be considered the same.
 |
The beads on the abacus (Photo: Tuaw) |
From the discovery of the latest historical materials, a third opinion has emerged, suggesting that the origin of the abacus dates back to the Tang Dynasty and became popular during the Song Dynasty. Notably, in the famous painting “Thanh minh thượng hà đồ” from the Song era, a pharmacy is depicted, with an abacus placed prominently in the middle of the counter. Experts from China and Japan have photographed and enlarged this painting, confirming that the object depicted is a modern-day abacus. In 1921, archaeologists in Hebei unearthed a wooden abacus from the Song era at a site of habitation. Although buried in sand for 800 years, it still retains a hollow center with a hole, resembling the bead abacus of today. Furthermore, Lưu Nhân, a poet from the late Song and early Yuan, has a poem titled “Bàn tính” that also describes the object during the Yuan era (or more accurately reflects the object from the Song era).
Moreover, in the book “Tâm biên tương đối tứ ngôn”, a primer from the Yuan era, the abacus was already a subject of elementary teaching, suggesting that it may have become a common item by the Song Dynasty. Additionally, the design of the Song era abacus appears relatively complete, lacking the appearance of a new or crude object. Additionally, during the chaotic wars and the fragmentation of power in the period before the Song, the development of cultural and technological advancements was stunted, making the emergence of the abacus during that time rather unlikely. The Tang Dynasty was a prosperous period in Chinese history, with advancements in both economy and culture, necessitating new calculation tools. The counting rods used for over two thousand years during this period likely evolved into the abacus. Therefore, mathematicians believe that the abacus may have originated in the Tang Dynasty.
China is the birthplace of the abacus. In today’s era of widespread computer use, the ancient abacus has not been discarded; rather, its flexibility and accuracy continue to make it popular in many places. Thus, the world recognizes the invention of the abacus as one of the four greatest inventions of ancient China. This is also a great contribution of the Chinese nation to humanity.
