Question

Which of the following is an earliest machine used for computation?
1. Abacus
2. Torquetum
3. Equatorium
4. Turing Machine

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Abacus

The correct answer is Abacus.

• The earliest known calculating device is probably the abacus.
• It dates back at least to 1100 BCE and is still in use today, particularly in Asia.
• Now, as then, it typically consists of a rectangular frame with thin parallel rods strung with beads. 
• It was used for counting large numbers and doing arithmetic calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

• In 1837, Charles Babbage proposed the first general mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine.
• COMPUTER stands for Common Operating Machine Purposely Used for Technological and Educational Research.
• The Pascal's Calculator or Pascaline was invented by Blaise Pascal in 1652 to help his father, a tax collector, in his calculating labor.