Dear Calculators,

Before we had electronic calculators and computers, human beings created ingenious methods for calculating large numbers. Only recently have electronic calculators become cheap enough that anyone can have one. Before that, humans used mechanical calculators or simple devices to help them calculate. The abacus is one example that you’ve all seen. Today, we’ll create another calculating device called Napier’s Bones. You will notice that Napier’s Bones look a lot like the lattice method of multiplication. That’s because Napier borrowed that algorithm from people in the Middle East who had been using it for hundreds of years.

If you’re patient in the construction and use of Napier’s Bones, they will not only help you calculate multiplication problems, but they will also help you better understand what exactly multiplication is and what it does.

Sincerely,

Mr. H