What is the Chinese calculating method?

Author: Syble Beer  |  Last update: Friday, October 3, 2025

Chinese Zhusuan is a time-honoured traditional method of performing mathematical calculations with an abacus. Practitioners can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponential multiplication, root and more complicated equations by moving beads along the abacus rods according to defined formulas.

What is the Chinese method of calculation?

Steps of the Chinese Multiplication Method

For example, to multiply 21 by 12, use two red sticks to represent the tens place and one black stick for the ones place. Then, lay out sticks diagonally to represent the second number, placing one red stick for the tens and two black sticks for the ones.

What is the Chinese method of math called?

Lattice multiplication, also known as the Italian method, Chinese method, Chinese lattice, gelosia multiplication, sieve multiplication, shabakh, diagonally or Venetian squares, is a method of multiplication that uses a lattice to multiply two multi-digit numbers.

What is the Chinese approach to math?

Throughout the history of mathematical education in China, there are many typical and inspiring teaching examples which fully display the wisdom of heuristic pedagogy, concise explanation of mathematical concepts with abundant practice, the emphasis of “practice makes perfect”, and the idea of alternative solutions to ...

What was the ancient Chinese method of counting?

In about the fourteenth century AD the abacus came into use in China. Certainly this, like the counting board, seems to have been a Chinese invention. In many ways it was similar to the counting board, except instead of using rods to represent numbers, they were represented by beads sliding on a wire.

Impossible Challenge: Memorizing 1,100 numbers in 30 minutes!

What is the Chinese math hand method?

The Chisanbop system. When a finger is touching the table, it contributes its corresponding number to a total. With the chisanbop method it is possible to represent all numbers from 0 to 99 with the hands, rather than the usual 0 to 10, and to perform the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers.

What is the oldest counting method?

In early human prehistory, ancient counting revolved around the use of tally marks, or simple marks made on wood, stone, or even on bones. Archaeological artifacts excavated from human settlements show evidence of tally sticks used to keep track of objects dating to nearly 35,000 years ago.

Why Chinese people are so good at math?

In China, countless children are sent to after-school tutoring classes to learn abacus mental calculation, in which the 6- or 7-years-olds are able to calculate eight-digit numbers by heart. Some studies suggest Chinese syllables are simpler for numbers, thus the language has a natural advantage in math.

What is the Chinese mastery method?

The Asian mastery approach to maths focuses on whole-class teaching, developing a deep understanding of maths. It's a common misconception that South Asian children are simply taught by rote; while there's an element of drilling, the method is also highly interactive.

What is the difference between Western math and Eastern math?

Tradition holds that Western mathematics, developed from that of the ancient Greeks, is dialectic, while Eastern mathematics, developed from that of the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Chinese and Indians, is algorithmic.

Is Chinese math different?

Mathematics emerged independently in China by the 11th century BCE. The Chinese independently developed a real number system that includes significantly large and negative numbers, more than one numeral system (binary and decimal), algebra, geometry, number theory and trigonometry.

What is Shanghai maths method?

In Shanghai, teachers develop and use carefully thought-out mathematical models to develop deep understanding, often involving multiple ways of thinking about the same mathematical concept. Lessons are very interactive, with lots of careful questioning and multiple mini-plenaries in lessons.

What is the Indian math method?

Vedic Maths or Vedic Mathematics is a collection of Methods or Sutras to solve numerical computations quickly and faster. It consists of 16 Sutras called Formulae and 13 sub-sutras called Sub Formulae, which can be applied to the solving of problems in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, conics, etc.

How accurate is the Chinese calculator?

The chart isn't based on science, so it's no more accurate than other low-tech, non-medical gender tests (as far as experts know, anyway!). After all, with only two outcomes — either you're having a boy or a girl — any unscientific method will be right about 50% of the time!

What is the Egyptian method of calculation?

Egyptian calculation was fundamentally additive. The most frequent operations were doubling (that is, adding a number to itself) and halving (that is, finding what number can be added to itself to make the number you started with).

What is the Chinese method to calculate?

Chinese Zhusuan is a time-honoured traditional method of performing mathematical calculations with an abacus. Practitioners can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponential multiplication, root and more complicated equations by moving beads along the abacus rods according to defined formulas.

What is the tai method?

Research design and methods: In Tai's Model, the total area under a curve is computed by dividing the area under the curve between two designated values on the X-axis (abscissas) into small segments (rectangles and triangles) whose areas can be accurately calculated from their respective geometrical formulas.

What is the Chinese Qi technique?

Qigong, pronounced “chi gong,” was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being.

Are Asians genetically better at math?

Even though the “Asians are good at math” narrative is false, it still has a real impact on people's lives. Like the “model minority” myth, it falsely positions non-Asians of color as mathematically inferior.

Is Chinese math hard?

When it comes to school mathematics, China sets notoriously high standards. The format and difficulty of the Chinese Gao Kao (High School Examinations) varies somewhat throughout China. But mathematics is compulsory everywhere. Below are 3 multiple choice questions I have translated from the 2021 Shanghai Gao Kao¹.

Why is 60 a special number?

First, sixty is special because it is the smallest integer that is evenly divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This makes a base-60 system extremely easy to use in calculations.

What is the oldest country in the world?

  • India.
  • Armenia. ...
  • Iraq. ...
  • China. ...
  • Greece. ...
  • Mexico. Present-day Mexico's history can be traced back to 1200 B.C.E. ...
  • Japan. Like San Marino, Japan has a semi-mythical founding date. ...
  • San Marino. This tiny nation on the Italian peninsula holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest existing republic in the world. ...

Who invented the number 1 to 9?

Hindu-Arabic numerals, set of 10 symbols—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0—that represent numbers in the decimal number system. They originated in India in the 6th or 7th century and were introduced to Europe through the writings of Middle Eastern mathematicians, especially al-Khwarizmi and al-Kindi, about the 12th century.

Previous article
Are stretch marks bad for a 15 year old?
Next article
What is a healthy brand of sunscreen?