App Profile: Napier's Bones Simulation

John Napier's contribution to mathematics was truly significant. Born in Scotland, Napier studied as a mathematician, physicist and astronomer.

He is best known as the inventor of logarithms, but he also invented one of the first computing devices. The device, known as Napier's Bones, is manually operated and can be used to find the products and quotients of numbers.

Napier's device was based on Arab mathematics and used the lattice method of multiplication. Each of the rods are inscribed with the multiplication tables for a specific number. By arranging the rods on the board, the product of two numbers can be found by performing addition operations.

Use the Napier's Bones app to learn how one of the earliest calculating devices worked. More than 400 years ago, people used Napier's Bones to find the product of large numbers. In using this simulation you will discover a new way to multiply. Have fun!