Everything About ___
Live briefing

Everything about Promptuary

16th-century device to aid multiplication

A promptuary, also known as a card abacus, is a calculating machine invented by the 16th-century Scottish mathematician John Napier and described in his book Rabdologiae in which he also described Napier's bones. Wikipedia →

đź§­ Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: PromptuaryA 5-minute orientation
  2. Pick up a classic book: Tracts of the learned and celebrated antiquarian Sir Thomas Urquhart of CromartyThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  3. Read the landmark paper: The Promptuary PapersCited 1 times
  4. Go sideways: Napier's bonesA closely related topic
  5. Go sideways: Genaille–Lucas rulersA closely related topic

đź“– Definitions

Noun A magazine, repository, or handbook.

Noun A device described in Napier's treatise Rabdologiæ, consisting of a large set of strips used to multiply multi-digit numbers more easily than Napier’s bones.

Adjective Of or relating to preparation.

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

đź”— Related topics