ASCALINEHomeScienceMathematicsPascalinetechnology WRITTEN BYPaul A. Freiberger See All ContributorsCoauthor of Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer.See ARTICLE HistoryAlternative Title: Arithmetic MachinePascaline, also called Arithmetic Machine, the first calculator or adding machine to be produced in any quantity and actually used. The Pascaline was designed and built by the French mathematician-philosopher Blaise Pascal between 1642 and 1644. It could only do addition and subtraction, with numbers being entered by manipulating its dials. Pascal invented the machine for his father, a tax collector, so it was the first business machine too (if one does not count the abacus). He built 50 of them over the NEXT 10 years.The PascalineThe Pascaline, or Arithmetic Machine, was a French monetary (nondecimal) calculator designed by Blaise Pascal about 1642. Numbers could be added by turning the wheels (located along the bottom of the machine) clockwise and subtracted by turning the wheels counterclockwise. Each digit in the answer was displayed in a separate window, visible at the top of the photograph.The PascalineThe Pascaline, or Arithmetic Machine, was a French monetary (nondecimal) calculator designed by Blaise Pascal about 1642. Numbers could be added by turning the wheels (located along the bottom of the machine) clockwise and subtracted by turning the wheels counterclockwise. Each digit in the answer was displayed in a separate window, visible at the top of the photograph.Courtesy of the Computer Museum HISTORY CenterPascalineQUICK FACTSKEY PEOPLEBlaise PascalRELATED TOPICSCalculatorPaul A. FreibergerMichael R. SwaineLearn More in these related Britannica articles:computercomputer: Digital CALCULATORS: from the Calculating Clock to the Arithmometer…used was the Pascaline, or Arithmetic Machine, designed and built by the French mathematician-philosopher...…Calculator.calculatorCalculator, machine for automatically performing arithmetical operations and certain mathematical...…adding machineadding machineAdding machine, a type of calculator (q.v.) used for performing simple arithmetical...…newsletter iconHISTORY AT YOUR FINGERTIPSSign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox!Email addressEmail addressBy signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.