The Difference Engine and Engine by the Analytical Engine Punch Cards Which Represented Data
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ICT Innovators First computer designer First computer programmer Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace Charles Babbage Ada Lovelace 1791 - 1871 1815 - 1852 A mathematician and Born Augusta Ada Byron, prolific inventor, Babbage the daughter of the poet is often considered to be Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace the father of computing was given a mathematical for his work on the first education on the insistence mechanical computer. of her mother. Lovelace Babbage’s machine carried out calculations worked with Charles Babbage translating and using levers and gears rather than the annotating works of an Italian engineer. It was electrical circuits of today. It had many through her extensive notes on the translation that technical components, including a unit that she wrote what is considered to be the first computer allowed for loops and memory leading to program: an algorithm to be used on a machine! the modern computers we have today. At each increase of knowledge, [The Analytical Engine] as well as on the contrivance of might act upon other things every new tool, human labour besides numbers... becomes abridged (shortened). Ada Lovelace “ Charles Babbage “ Fast facts Lovelace was one of the The programming first to suggest a computer language used by Lovelace might act on something was similar to modern other than numbers assembly languages were Babbage built two machines: Data and programs provided to the Analytical The Difference Engine and Engine by The Analytical Engine punch cards which represented data. Encyclopædia Britannica. (2019). Charles Babbage. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/ If The Difference Engine had Charles-Babbage Encyclopædia Britannica. (2019). Ada Lovelace. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/ biography/Ada-Lovelace Images: Charles Babbage, engraving from 1871 [Image] (1871). Retrieved from https:// www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Babbage/media/1/47371/218439 Ada Lovelace, c. 1838 [Image] (1838). been completed, it would Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ada-Lovelace/media/1/349551/218453 Vectors from www.freepik.com have weighed over 15 tonnes 15 CSIROdigitalcareers CSIROdigital CSIROdigitalcareers digitalcareers.csiro.au B&M | 19-00360 ICT Innovators Activity 2 – Broken Difference Engine One of the first ever computers was known as a Difference Engine. This mechanical device would spin wheels with numbers attached. Each wheel would then turn the wheel next to it based on the connection of gears between each wheel. These Difference Engines could be used to do large amounts of mathematical calculations such as trigonometry and quadratic equations. How do Difference Engines Work? Take the equation Y = 2X+2 When the X wheel is at 1 the final wheel gives a Y value of 4. Trace what would happen if the X wheel is turned one turn. 14 X Y 12 0 0 2 3 2 10 2 Y 2X 8 6 1 4 4 1 10 4 2 6 Table of results X 8 4 4 created by this 5 6 +2 0 12 3 8 engine 2 6 7 14 16 Broken Difference Engines The difference engines below are missing one or more of the following wheels. 4 12 36 16 12 6 2 21 5 25 49 22 10 18 6 8 2X 0 32 4X 0 16 X2 0 28 +4 4 24 6X 0 10 14 45 77 9 1 34 46 30 42 12 60 2 40 36 Can you figure out which wheel belongs where? Y= + 5 Y= + X Y X Y 2 0 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 9 11 7 Y Y 1 7 4 X 0 1 5 X 0 13 5 2 9 5 7 +5 2 12 0 6 15 19 5 0 3 11 17 3 21 X Y Algorithmic Thinking 0 4 Can you work backwards from the table to come up X 1 10 with a difference engine for these results? 2 16 3 22 Images: Vectors from www.freepik.com CSIROdigitalcareers CSIROdigital CSIROdigitalcareers digitalcareers.csiro.au.