1600 AD |
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| In the early 1600s, a Scottish mathematician called John Napier
invented a tool called Napier's Bones, which were multiplication tables inscribed on
strips of wood or bone. Napier, who was the Laird of Merchiston, also invented logarithms, which greatly assisted in arithmetic calculations. |
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In 1621, an English mathematician and clergyman called William Oughtred used Napier's logarithms as the basis for the slide rule (Oughtred invented both the standard rectilinear slide rule and the less commonly used circular slide rule). However, although the slide rule was an exceptionally effective tool that remained in common use for over three hundred years, like the abacus it also does not qualify as a mechanical calculator. |
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| See also: | |
Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical calculator Wilhelm Schickard's mechanical calculator |
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| These notes are abstracted from the book Bebop BYTES Back (An Unconventional Guide to Computers) Copyright Information |
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