The oldest known tables using a base of 10 are the Chinese decimal multiplication table on bamboo strips dating to about 305 BC, during China's Warring States period. The oldest known multiplication tables were used by the Babylonians about 4000 years ago.

History Pre-modern times The Tsinghua Bamboo Slips, Chinese Warring States era decimal multiplication table of 305 BC Many educators believe it is necessary to memorize the table up to 9 × 9. The decimal multiplication table was traditionally taught as an essential part of elementary arithmetic around the world, as it lays the foundation for arithmetic operations with base-ten numbers. In mathematics, a multiplication table (sometimes, less formally, a times table) is a mathematical table used to define a multiplication operation for an algebraic system. Multiplication table from 1 to 10 drawn to scale with the upper-right half labeled with prime factorisations For a table of departure and arrival times, see Timetable (disambiguation).