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A number held in beads.
Also known as: Bead reckoning, Abacus number representation
The representation of a number by the positions of beads on the rods of an abacus.
Represents a number by which beads on each rod are pushed against the reckoning bar.
Contexts: Mathematics, Technical drawing
The number exists only while the beads are held there, so the abacus is a display rather than a record — the calculation leaves no trace and the intermediate steps are destroyed as they are made.
Contexts: Mathematics, Technical drawing
Beads pushed toward or away from a central bar on parallel rods, each rod a decimal place, the beads above the bar counting five and those below counting one.