Elementary arithmetic

Elementary arithmetic is the most basic kind of mathematics: it concerns the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Most people learn elementary arithmetic in elementary school.

Related Topics:
Arithmetic - Mathematics - Addition - Subtraction - Multiplication - Division - Elementary school

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Elementary arithmetic starts with the natural numbers and the Arabic numerals used to represent them. It requires the memorization of addition tables and multiplication tables for adding and multiplying pairs of digits. Knowing these tables, a person can perform certain well-known procedures for adding and multiplying natural numbers. Other algorithms are used for subtraction and division.

Related Topics:
Natural numbers - Arabic numerals - Multiplication table - Algorithm

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Though starting out with natural numbers, elementary arithmetic then moves on to fractions, then decimals and negative numbers, which can be represented on a number line.

Related Topics:
Fractions - Decimals - Negative numbers

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Nowadays people routinely use electronic calculators, cash registers, and computers to perform their elementary arithmetic for them. Before that, people used slide rules, tables of logarithms, nomographs, mechanical calculators, or they employed calculating prodigies. Otherwise, they just performed calculations by hand on paper, following the well-known rules of arithmetic.

Related Topics:
Calculator - Cash register - Computer - Slide rule - Logarithm - Nomographs - Calculating prodigies

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In ancient times, the instrument to perform arithmetical calculations was the abacus. In the 14th century Arabic numerals were introduced to Europe by Leonardo Pisano. These numerals were more efficient for performing calculations than Roman numerals, because of the positional system, which also made multiplication by hand more efficient than the use of the abacus.

Related Topics:
Abacus - Leonardo Pisano - Roman numeral

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