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Chisanbop or chisenbop (from Korean ''chi (ji)'' finger + ''sanpŏp (sanbeop)'' calculation 지산법/指算法), sometimes called Fingermath, is an
Each finger (but not the thumb) of the right hand has a value of one. Holding both hands above the table, press the index finger of the right hand onto the table to indicate "one". Press the index and middle fingers for "two", the three leftmost fingers for "three", and all four fingers of the right hand to indicate "four".
The thumb of the right hand indicates the value "five". For "six", press the right thumb and index finger onto the table. Thumb plus one finger indicates "five plus one", and 5+1=6.
The left hand represents the tens digit. It works like the right hand, but each value is multiplied by ten. Each finger on the left hand represents "ten", and the left thumb represents "fifty". In this way, all values between zero and ninety-nine can be indicated on two hands.
Interactive demonstration of ChisenbopInstructable: How to count higher than 10 on your fingers, step 3: Chisenbop
{{Gestures Abacus Finger-counting
Chisanbop or chisenbop (from Korean ''chi (ji)'' finger + ''sanpŏp (sanbeop)'' calculation 지산법/指算法), sometimes called Fingermath, is an abacus
The abacus (''plural'' abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool which has been used since ancient times. It was used in the ancient Near East, Europe, China, and Russia, centuries before the adoption of the Hin ...
-like finger counting
Finger-counting, also known as dactylonomy, is the act of counting using one's fingers. There are multiple different systems used across time and between cultures, though many of these have seen a decline in use because of the spread of Arabic n ...
method used to perform basic math
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
ematical operations. According to ''The Complete Book of Chisanbop''
by Hang Young Pai, chisanbop was created in the 1940s in Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
by Sung Jin Pai and revised by his son Hang Young Pai, who brought the system to the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in 1977.
With the ''chisanbop'' method it is possible to display all numbers from 0 to 99 on two hands, and to perform the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers. The system has been described as being easier to use than a physical abacus for students with visual impairments.
Basic concepts
Each finger (but not the thumb) of the right hand has a value of one. Holding both hands above the table, press the index finger of the right hand onto the table to indicate "one". Press the index and middle fingers for "two", the three leftmost fingers for "three", and all four fingers of the right hand to indicate "four".
The thumb of the right hand indicates the value "five". For "six", press the right thumb and index finger onto the table. Thumb plus one finger indicates "five plus one", and 5+1=6.
The left hand represents the tens digit. It works like the right hand, but each value is multiplied by ten. Each finger on the left hand represents "ten", and the left thumb represents "fifty". In this way, all values between zero and ninety-nine can be indicated on two hands.
Adoption in the United States
A school inShawnee Mission, Kansas
Shawnee Mission is a region of northern Johnson County, Kansas, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area in the United States. Since August 1, 1960, the United States Postal Service has used the name to denote a large postal coverage area ( Z ...
, ran a pilot program with students in 1979. It was found that although they could add large numbers quickly, they could not add them in their heads. The program was dropped. Grace Burton of the University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
said, "It doesn't teach the basic number facts, only to count faster. Adding and subtracting quickly are only a small part of mathematics."
See also
*Finger binary
Finger binary is a system for counting and displaying binary numbers on the fingers of either or both hands. Each finger represents one binary digit or bit. This allows counting from zero to 31 using the fingers of one hand, or 1023 using both: ...
* bi-quinary coded decimal
Bi-quinary coded decimal is a numeral encoding scheme used in many abacuses and in some early computers, including the Colossus. The term ''bi-quinary'' indicates that the code comprises both a two-state (''bi'') and a five-state (''quin''ary) ...
References
Further reading
*External links
Interactive demonstration of Chisenbop
{{Gestures Abacus Finger-counting