How Ancient Egyptians Did Math
Michael S. Schneider explains how the ancient egyptians (and chinese) and modern computers multiply and divide.
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26 
2. Break-a-leg 1 year ago
It really sounds extremely easy, but I couldn't do it by heart. I'd have to use paper for this.
Besides, what happens when something can't be divided without decimals? How do you count then?
Lets say: 23 / 2
that would be:
1 - 2 = 1
2 - 4 = 1
4 - 8 = 0
8 - 16 = 1
leaving only 1. Which will lead to decimals. Adding 10 to the decimals gives us 1.0 (or 10)
1 - 2 = 1
2 - 4 = 0
4 - 8 = 1
So the answer should be: 11,5
*grabs calculator*
Friggin hell, it works.
*Update*
It doens't really work well to try this with large numbers.. A long division still works better then.
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4. blockedusername 1 year ago
well i will try this on my next IB math test and hope to get a better grade 
hope my teacher will understand...he's indian, dont think he knows this yet 
40
When we were taught in school we were forbidden to use calculators and thus for me it is still much easier to use the decimal system. This system may be useful in dealing with large numbers by hand though.
One of my math teachers said that we use decimal system cause humans have 10 fingers (digits).
41
I would count this by rounding numbers and subtracting the difference. So it would be (in my mind): 10x25x2-(3x25)=425. Is this how everybody does it?
20
ha...machine code. cool. its actualy a real acurate way of how it works and
#3 they do teach these in school, but for computer engeneers
30
I understand the rules as showed in the video but....what about what #2 said. What about decimals. His aproach works but i dont see the rules the obviously of his system. Man this comes in handy. whit this im much faster in calculating. Makes more sense. Realy.
Only the decimals. How should you work with that?
28
Well, computers doesn't have a problem with it. He just didn't show how computers does it. I liked this a lot because it is pretty simple and basic. Of course it probably gets a little more "complicated" when you start using decimals. I'm sure someone here knows how computers does it. Translate that into this and voila, you have the answer.
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14. Slap_chop_ninja 1 year ago
It would appear that imperial measurements are also based on the power of 2.
Inches, pounds, ounces and gallons.
24
Everything he says (except the electricity and no electricity part) is true. Yet, they teach us times tables because its much faster already knowing the answer than having to solve it, so don't try to be a smartass mr.
btw, its low voltage vs high voltage (high being a merely 3-5 volts) in computers logic. If you cut the power to a circuit its not the same as saying 0, its just weird. 0 means low voltage.
39
#2
23 / 2
1=1 2=1
2=1 4=1
4=0 8=0
8=1 16=1
2+4+16= 22 now you know that you miss 1 to get 23 so you 1 / 2 = 0.5
1+2+8= 11 + 0.5= 11.5 
7
The maths used by computers is simpler, because they are, but takes more speed, which they have. Our maths is more complicated, because we are, but takes fewer calculations. The maths we do does take more learning, and more understanding. Hopefully, for a while at least, we are still smarter. We are working on computers that can program themselves, and when they do succeed (next few decades), life is going to get very interesting indeed.
But in the meantime, would you rather be proud about how dumb you are, or how smart you are?
(153 votes)
+30
1. woschman 1 year ago
It actually felt more easy then the way I learned
really liked this method. Good for counting in head