Even before numbers were invented, people needed a way to keep track of the cost of goods they were selling. Today, experts say that it is almost impossible to imagine mathematics without something as seemingly simple as a calculator. According to School Mart, the calculators we know today were not invented until the 1970s. But that doesn’t mean that mathematical tools were not available before the 20th Century—there were many different computing machines created long before digital calculators. Initially, the first tool created specifically for use in mathematical computations was the abacus, according to the History of Computers. The abacus was a table of successive columns with beads or stones representing a single unit, which could be used for addition or subtraction. At the time, different parts of the world redefined the abacus, for instance, the Chinese put beads on wire within a bamboo frame to enhance ease of use. Unfortunately, the method was not very useful for exercises such as multiplication, or division, necessitating the invention of a new and more sophisticated device. Fast forward, in 1642, the first true “calculator” was invented: one that performed calculations through a clockwork-type of mechanism. The Pascal calculator, invented by French inventor and mathematician Blaise Pascal, was lauded for attempting arithmetic calculations previously thought impossible. But unfortunately, they were difficult to produce and very few were ever made. The mechanical calculator then invented by Thomas de Colmar in the mid-19th Century, and subsequent others, were easier to produce, but extremely large and bulky–hardly the pocket-size calculators we know today. With the invention of the first smartphone in 1995, individuals began to replace expensive digital calculators with the multi-purpose device. This required even the most sophisticated calculator designs to be upgraded in order to remain relevant in the market. Currently, calculators have not only greatly enhanced people’s ability to perform the regular computations that are involved in everyday life, but also provided humans with the ability to understand mathematics on a greater scale than ever imagined. Formulas which were previously cumbersome and time-consuming can now be done in minutes or even seconds, all at the push of a few buttons. According to University World News, an online publication that reports on higher education news and developments from a global perspective, advanced math courses, such as calculus, would require much longer class-times and reformatted lesson plans. Calculators, when used alongside a comprehensive mathematics curriculum, increase the quality and quantity of student learning.
