Charles Babbage (nonfiction)

Daguerreotype of Charles Babbage (circa 1847-1851).

Charles Babbage FRS (/ˈbæbɪdʒ/; 26 December 1791 –18 October 1871) was an English polymath.

A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage is best remembered for originating the concept of a programmable computer.

Considered by some to be a "father of the computer", Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs.

His varied work in other fields has led him to be described as "pre-eminent" among the many polymaths of his century.

John Tucker, Professor of Computer Science at Swansea University, however, argues that it was the Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde who first laid down the foundations of these concepts.

Parts of Babbage's uncompleted mechanisms are on display in the London Science Museum.

In 1991, a perfectly functioning difference engine was constructed from Babbage's original plans. Built to tolerances achievable in the 19th century, the success of the finished engine indicated that Babbage's machine would have worked.

In the News

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  Ada Lovelace writing unit tests for new Babbage simulator, confirms Babbage.

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  Early version of Analytical Engine happy to know that future versions will be even better.

Fiction cross-reference

• Analytical Engine - any sign, symbol, or glyph used in a scrying engine. It is a mis-translation of the obsolete military-computational term analytical enseign.
• Babbage simulator
• Ada Lovelace
• Mathematician

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Ada Lovelace (nonfiction)
• Polymath (nonfiction)

External links:

• Charles Babbage @ Wikipedia
• The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage @ Wikipedia
• The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage @ sydneypadua.com
• Charles Babbage wrote a "cardboard vaporware" app in 1840 and left it in Turin @ Boing Boing
• Translate between Charles Babbage's computing jargon and modern terminology @ Boing Boing