The ternary calculating machine of Thomas Fowler
home - about - contact
     

Thomas Fowler

Balanced ternary arithmetic

Fowler's binary and ternary tables

DeMorgan's description

The reconstruction

About the machine
Overview
Multiplicand
Multiplier
Product
Carry mechanism
Instructions for use
Video demonstration

Photo gallery

References and links

Acknowledgements

Wanted

Fowler's ternary calculating machine - the multiplicand

The multiplicand consists of a series of sliding rods, one for each digit of the multiplicand. Each rod can be set by the user to one of three positions, representing the three possible values for each digit of a balanced ternary number.

For multiplication problems, the rods are not really an active part of the overall mechanism. They are more of a mnemonic device to guide the user through the rest of the calculation. When used for division, the quotient is read on these rods.

 


previous: Overview