Indian Antiquary Vol 20

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 67

FEBRUARY, 1891.1
THE BURMESE SYSTEM OF ARITHMETIC.
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Now the Burman writes the result of a division exactly as we do; thus, 21 3. He has, however, so far as I could ascertain, no notion of using fractions, except that he can by rule of thumb add and, or subtract from , and work simple problems like these. But as to adding to $, multiplying # by t, or dividing Yo by $, or telling how much greater to are than t, these are problems quite beyond his powers. His expressions for fractions reveal his conception of them: thông bông ta bồng, (of) three parts one part, lễ bổng thông bông, (of) four parts three parts.
So far as relates to concrete matters, such as money calculations, division of property or land, and so on, the Burmans I found could work out simple calculations in proportion, but abstract questions seemed to puzzle them at once. I regret that I have not so far found any leisure to enquire into their processes.
The following pages purport to exhibit by examples the actual arithmetical processes employed by the Burmese by rule of thumb, so far as they can be shewn on paper,
PART II.
A. ADDITION.
Example I. Add 236 to 325. To add 236 to 325, place the sums one under the other; units under anita, tens under tens. and so on : thus, 325.
236 Now commence by adding the first ciphers together in the head ; thus, 2 + 3 = 5: and substitute the sum for the upper cipher of the addition; thus : 525.
36 Now proceed in the same way with the second cipher, because 2 + 3 = 5, thus : 686
Now proceed in the same way with the third cipher, but because 5 +6=11, . e., more than ten, substitute thus : 551.
Now, because 5 + 1 = B, add the remainder and substitute thus : 561. Demonstration by the European method is as follows:
325 236
561. In the Barmese method on the sand, parabaik or glate, the processes actually shewn would be as follows:13 - (a) 325, (b) 525, (c) 555, (d) 551, (c) 561. That is, they are 5 in 236 36
6
1 number. There is no check at all by the Burmese method.
Example 2. Add 465 to 897. Proceeding as before in the case of the sums of any two ciphers which exceed 10, we get 6 processes, as sbewn by the Burmese method; thús :
(a) 897, (6) 1297, (e) 1257, (d) 1857, (6) 1852, () 1362. 465
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1
Demonstration by European method : 897
465 1362.
1 The Hinda processes are identical, except that the ciphers of the upper sam only are rabbed out in the calculation proceeds. In addition and rubtraction, the Hinda Astrologers commence from unita.-B. B. D.