P5222063
Traquair House
Traquair, Innerleithen, Scotland
Napier’s Bones
John Napier could be said to have invented the forerunner of the computer.
The difficulty of multiplying very large numbers was simplified by John Napier, a Scots mathematician, who published the first table of logarithms in 1614 which was immediately recognised as being a powerful computational tool.
He went on to devise calculating rods to carry out this process and to help introduce beginners to arithmetic. These later became known as Napiers’ Bones, and described by the inventor in his work, Rabdologiae, published in 1617.
Using the rods or “bones” calculations can be made quickly and easily by turning the rods to the correct positions. These early calculators were made of rectangular strips of bone, metal or box wood
P5222063
Traquair House
Traquair, Innerleithen, Scotland
Napier’s Bones
John Napier could be said to have invented the forerunner of the computer.
The difficulty of multiplying very large numbers was simplified by John Napier, a Scots mathematician, who published the first table of logarithms in 1614 which was immediately recognised as being a powerful computational tool.
He went on to devise calculating rods to carry out this process and to help introduce beginners to arithmetic. These later became known as Napiers’ Bones, and described by the inventor in his work, Rabdologiae, published in 1617.
Using the rods or “bones” calculations can be made quickly and easily by turning the rods to the correct positions. These early calculators were made of rectangular strips of bone, metal or box wood