On the Egyptian knotted rope

Abstract

The Egyptian knotted rope has been historically considered a measuring/geometric tool. A naive change in the way the rope is held to tighten it turns the rope into a primitive calculating tool --- a sort of primitive abacus. The arithmetic skills of the knotted rope have a double interest. From an historical point of view, they fit perfectly with some of the basic ancient Egyptian computing techniques. From an educational point of view, they enhance the potential interest of the knotted rope as a useful manipulative in mathematical education.