Compsci.210 Why?

Compsci.210 Why?

CompSci.210 History of Computing Assoc. Prof. Ian Watson © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Why? n Computers are essential to modern life n Many of the discoveries and decisions made by the pioneers still underpin modern computers n As a CS professional you should be familiar with CS history n There are a lot of myths and misinformation about CS history © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The need for computation n Prior to the industrial revolution there was little need for computation n Celestial navigation tables n Artillery firing tables n Engineering, architecture, insurance, science, manufacturing… © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 1 A celestial navigation table © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Preparing a table n 2 computers perform the calculations n A comparator checks their results n If they agree the table is given to a printer n The printer typesets the table and prints it n The comparator checks the printed table against the hand made table © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Charles Babbage n Victorian mathematician and inventor n “by God, I wish these tables could be made by steam.” n Decide to build a calculating engine that would use the method of finite differences to solve polynomial equations © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 2 Method of finite differences n Consider the equation (2x + 3x) × x n We can solve for any value of x by simple addition © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Difference Engine #2 n 30,000 mechanical parts n Never completed in Babbage’s life time n Finally built by the British Science Museum © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Analytical Engine n Architecture similar to a modern computer n Could solve any problem, not just polynomials n Could be programmed n Supported branches, conditionals and loops n Never built n www.plan28.org © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 3 Ada Lovelace n Lady Ada Lovelace hypothesised in 1842 that Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine could manipulate symbols other than numbers and hence perhaps could compose music or poems n The programming language ADA is named after her n But she did not believe the Engine could think for itself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_lovelace © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Frankenstein myth n An enduring myth n Brought to life by Mary Shelley in her gothic novella Frankenstein n echoed in 2001, Terminator, etc…. n Interesting relationship to the origins of computing & AI © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Frankenstein myth n Mary Shelley was married to Percy Shelly n Best friend of Lord George Byron n Ada Countess of Lovelace was Byron’s daughter n Ada worked with Charles Babbage n and hypothesized about AI © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 4 The Frankenstein myth n Ada must have read Frankenstein n The idea of creating a conscious entity that may turn upon us was already in popular culture around 150 years ago n At the birth of computing & AI www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/lovelace.html © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Guns to typewriters n After the US Civil War (1865) Remington switched from guns to typewriters n They used the “qwerty” keyboard n Ran training schools n Provided maintenance n And supplies © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The US census n The 1880 US census employed 400 clerks n Took 7 years to report the results n The 1890 census would not report before the 1900 census was held n A competition was held to mechanise the census n Herman Hollerith won © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 5 The US census 1890 n Reported in 6 weeks the US pop. as: 62,622,250. 2½ years for complete report A Hollerith Electric Tabulating System © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Computing Tabulating Recording Company n Hollerith founded a company n Added other business machines to the product range n In 1914 renamed itself the International Business Machine Corporation - IBM © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Universal Machine n Not much happened until WWII n BIG need for computation n Artillery firing tables n Aerospace design n Cyptography n … © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 6 The Universal Machine AAAI Topic http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/History/AMTuring n In 1930s Alan Turing showed that a very simple computer (a Turing machine) could solve any problem that could be described by symbols n During WWII he worked cracking German codes n He worked on the development of the 1st computer that could store a program at Manchester University n Turing convicted & committed suicide in the 50’s n Turing was pardoned in 2013 www.alanturing.net/ © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Early Computers n Babbage’s Analytical Engine (1837) n Never built, decimal, mechanical, programmable via punch cards n Universal Turing Machine (1936) n Theoretical, binary, programmable – the basis of all computers © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Early Computers n Zuse Z3 (1941) n Binary, electro-mechanical, programmable via punched 35mm film (no conditional branching) © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 7 Early Computers n Harvard Mark 1 (early 1940s) n Decimal, electro-mechanical, programable by punched paper tape (no conditional branching) © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Early Computers n Colossus (1943) n Binary, electronic, programmable patch cables and switches © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Early Computers n ENIAC (1946) n Decimal, electronic, programmable patch cables and switches © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 8 Early Computers n Manchester Mark 1 “the Baby” (1948) n binary, electronic, first stored program digital computer n Led to the Ferranti Mark 1 – first commercial general purpose computer 32 bit words 2’s complement © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] Vannevar Bush n Head of the US Office of Scientific Research and Development during WWII n In 1945, Bush published “As We May Think” in which he predicted that: ”…wholly new forms of encyclopedias will appear, ready made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex and there amplified” © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Memex n “a mesh of associative trails” n = hypertext – the web © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 9 LEO – The Lyons Electronic Office n first computer used for commercial business applications (1951) n Maurice Wilkes (Cambridge University) commissioned to design the machine n Multiple I/O methods, punch cards, paper tape and a tabulator n 2K memory (mercury delay lines) 35-bit words n First program was for bakery valuations n Provide computing bureau services to other companies n Still in use by British Telecom in 1981 © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] LEO – The Lyons Electronic Office http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8K-xbx7jBM © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] SABRE – American Airlines n SABRE – Semi-automated Business Research Environment n Rapid growth in passenger numbers causing the manual ticketing system to collapse n 1960 IBM built a ticketing system based on 2 IBM 7090 mainframes n Could handle 80,000+ daily ticketing requests n Sabre GDS – still being used by 350,000 travel agents, 400 airlines, car rental companies, hotel chains, cruise ships – LastMinute.com, Expedia © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] 10 Claude Shannon n engineering and maths graduate n 1938 his MSc “A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits” showed that electrical switches could implement boolean algebra and binary arithmetic n The most influential MSc thesis in history! n He invented digital logic, his method replaced the ad hoc methods used before n Worked on cryptography during WWII n Then pioneered the study of information theory Watch the video: http://go.shr.lc/1oodYtP © University of Auckland www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ian/ [email protected] The Birth of Silicon Valley n … was no accident n Frederick Terman, Dean of Engineering at Stanford University, established a science and technology park for tech companies adjacent to the Uni in 1951 n A small company called Hewlett Packard was one of the first to arrive helped by venture capitol from the Uni “When we set out to create a community of technical scholars in Silicon Valley, there wasn't much here and the rest of the world looked awfully big.

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