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<H1>CHARLES BABBAGE</H1>
by Kate Richmond<ri>
October 22, 1995
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<H2>Biographical Information:</h2>

<p>
Charles Babbage, is the grandfather of Computer Science and Computer
technology. During the nineteenth century, Babbage brought Balise Pascal's
mechanical adder one step further with his Difference Engine, and Analytical
Engine. Through the creation (on paper) of these two machines, the idea for a
mechanical computer was initially developed. The Analytical Engine was
developed to use both input and output, and in theory would be able to
complete more than one function. Thus the Analytical Engine is concidered to
be the prototype for the modern computers we use in our homes today.

<p>
Charles Babbage was born in 1792 in Walworth, Surry just outside London. In
1810, Babbage began his University career at Trinity College in Cambridge
England. Babbage quickly transfered to Peterhouse, where he recieved his B.A
in 1814. He went on to graduate with an M.A in 1817. With this education,
Babbage became an extreamly influential mathematician, transforming the
study and understanding of mathematics at Cambridge and thus throughout
Britain. Together with J.F.W Herschel, and George Peacock, Babbage founded
the Analytical Society, through which both Herschel and Babbage published
works on their analysis. Babbage then went on to become a leading advocate
of the systematic application of science to industry and commerce.

<p>
In 1820 Babbage founded the Royal Astronomical Society. He became
dissatisfied in 1830 and went on to found the British Association in 1831
where he acted as a trustee. At this same time, Babbage also founded the
Statistical Society where he became chairman in 1835. During this period
Babbage began developing ideas for his computing machines. In 1821, Babbage
began to work on his Difference Engine, which was a mechanical calculator.
Then after the death fo his father, wife and two children in 1827, Babbage
devoted the rest of his life to his work.

<p>
In his autobiography "Passages from the Life of a Philosopher" 1864, Babbage
writes of his initial ideas about performing calculations through the use of
a machine. In 1822, Babbae demonstrated a model of the Difference Engine to
an extreamly impressed Royal Astronomical Society. Babbage immediatly set
up a workshop and went to work on his invention. He spent eleven years and
thousands of pounds of government money but never completed his invention.
The reasons for this lay in the problems of bringing the model of the
Difference Engine up to scale. At the smaller size, the mistakes were
undetectable, and at the full scale size, the mistakes were still extreamly
difficult to find and track. Finally, Babbage was unable to pay for his
workers, due to the fact that the Astronomical Society had stopped advancing
Babbage money from the treasury. Thus, the Difference Engine project was
over.

<p>
The Difference Engine was a simple machine that worked when a skilled
mathematician moved the wheels and cogs correctly to perform mechanical
calculations. There was no element of memory in this machine. To use this
machine one had to move the pieces to an exact position in order to recieve
the correct answer, and then begin the process again when they needed the
next calculation. The development and failure of this machine, however,
paved the way to the development of the Analytical Engine. 

<p>
During Babbage's period of failure and lack of funding, he had begun to
think on more general terms about a machine that could perform any series of
arithmetic operations and was much more advanced than the Difference Engine.
To create this machine, however, great changes had to be reached in the
technological world. Owing to the financial difficulties encountered in the
Difference Engine project, Babbage took the advice of his mother, who told
him,

<quote>
"You have advanced far in the accomplishment of a great object, which is
worthy of your ambition. You are capable of completing it. My advice is -
pursue it, even if it should oblige you to live in bread and cheese."
(p.195, Dubbey)
</quote>

<p>
The Analytical Engine contained these parts, the store, the mill, the
control, an input and an output. The math operations would take place in the
mill, and the store where the numbers used in the calculations would be
brought with the new numbers that had arisen in the course of the
computation. The control would manipulate the sequence of operations by
means of a Jaquard Loom, which used cards with punch holes in them to
control the project. These punched cards would be the input of the
Analytical Engine. The input would work using two sets of cards, one for
determining the operation and another for finding the number needed. These
cards were developed further by <a href="burgess.html">Herman
Hollerith</a>,who used the punched cards to create a sorting and tabulating
machine in the 1890's. The output was intended to be presented on printing 
press paper which could be copied, or presented on metal plates.

<p>
In conclusion, Charles Babbage created the initial prototype of the modern
computer during the nineteenth century. Babbage was aided in the development
of his calculating machines by<a href="sidell.html">Ada, Countess of Lovelace</a>. Ada worked as his chronicler, and helped Babbage in publishing 
his ideas and designs for computing machines. These basic ideas were put to 
actual use in the early twentieth century during World War II, when 
<a href="grizzell.html">Mauchley and Eckert</a> created the first working electronic computer called ENIAC. Also 
influenced by Babbage was <a href="shrock.html">Alan Turing</a>, who developed 
the idea for a universal computer. Thus, Babbage is concidered to be the 
grandfather of modern computers.

<p>
Decker and Hirshfield, "The Analytical Engine: An Introduction to Computer
Science Using Hyper Card," 2nd Edition, PSW Publishing Co. 1994.

<p>
Dubbey, J.M. "The Mathematical Work of Charles Babbage," Cambridge
University Press, London. 1978.

<p>
Hyman, Anthony, "Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer," Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 1983.

<p>
Sanders, Donald, H. "Computers In Society," 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York. 1977.

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Copyright 1996 Kate Richmond

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