Showing papers in "IEEE Annals of the History of Computing in 1991"
TL;DR: A memorandum dated April 27, 1942, from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, is reproduced, which describes a computing facility at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, in which a team of humans equipped with mechanical calculators was organized to assist in aeronautic research.
Abstract: A memorandum dated April 27, 1942, from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, is reproduced. The memorandum describes a computing facility at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, in which a team of humans equipped with mechanical calculators was organized to assist in aeronautics research. The memorandum reveals much about the state of computing as it existed just before the invention of automatic digital computers, whose introduction would bring this era to a close.
101 citations
TL;DR: The Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories have been important sponsors of, and customers for, supercomputers-high-performance scientific computers, but their more specific influence on the evolution of computer architecture has been limited by the diversity and classified nature of their central computational tasks.
Abstract: The Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories have been important sponsors of, and customers for, supercomputers-high-performance scientific computers. The laboratories played an important part in establishing speed of floating-point arithmetic (rather than, say, at logical operations) as the performance criterion defining supercomputing. But their more specific influence on the evolution of computer architecture has been limited by the diversity and classified nature of their central computational tasks, together with the expansion of supercomputer use elsewhere.
40 citations
TL;DR: This paper reviews the introduction of factory concepts and practices at major software producers, in particular those that explicitly adopted the factory label to describe their software facilities or approach to software development: Hitachi, Toshiba, NEC, and Fujitsu in Japan, as well as System Development Corporation in the United States.
Abstract: This paper reviews the introduction of factory concepts and practices, based on tools and methods from the evolving field of software engineering, at major software producers, in particular those that explicitly adopted the factory label to describe their software facilities or approach to software development: Hitachi, Toshiba, NEC, and Fujitsu in Japan, as well as System Development Corporation in the United States. The other United States firm discussed in detail is International Business Machines, which, without adopting the factory label, introduced numerous measures to organize and control software development, especially basic software. The paper emphasizes that the difficulty of the technology, shortages of skilled engineers, and large-scale projects have encouraged producers to become more systematic or factory-like in managing a series of projects, even though some characteristics of the technology and the industry have made software seem difficult to control and more suitable to a loosely structured project-centered or craft approach to development.
20 citations
TL;DR: A detailed and exemplified account of the development of the Hollerith punched card from the beginning in 1886 until 1928 is given in this paper, where the change of use from counting to value statistics is shown.
Abstract: A detailed and exemplified account is given on the invention and development of the Hollerith Punched Card from the beginning in 1886 until 1928. The change of use from counting to value statistics is shown. The size of the Hollerith Punched Card was standardized very early. The cards were soon used both for data capture and data punching - the dual purpose punched card. The first Hollerith cards were punched with a conductor's punch, soon be replaced by the Pantograph Punch, and, after the decimal columns have appeared, a Mechanical Key Punch, the Type 001, later replaced by the Electrical Key Punch Type 011, was used.
20 citations
TL;DR: A number of general factors and approaches can be used to discuss the history of programming languages, and numerous illustrations of programming language history and chronology are provided.
Abstract: This paper describes some factors in, approaches to, and specific elements of, programming language history. It first lists a number of general factors and approaches which can be used to discuss the history of programming languages. After presenting a life cycle for programming language development, it provides numerous illustrations of programming language history and chronology from many of the viewpoints indicated earlier. There is a brief discussion of relevant literature and a section indicating some of the reasons for the vast proliferation of programming languages. Various charts and lists are included. This paper should be viewed as one approach to considering the history of programming languages, rather than as a history of programming languages per se.
18 citations
TL;DR: The WEIZAC project at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel during 1954-1955 was an early example of successful technology transfer, with the design of the von Neumann machine moving from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey to WeizIsrael Institute in Rehovot, Israel as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The WEIZAC was built for the Applied Mathematics Department at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel during 1954-1955. It is an early example of successful technology transfer, with the design of the von Neumann machine moving from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. WEIZAC's existence, its intense application to physical problems and the cadres trained in digital hardware, software and computational methods opened a market of concepts and practices outside of the United States and Europe. The author, who worked on and directed the WEIZAC project, discusses its history, results, and impact.
17 citations
TL;DR: The development of the Bull machines in the Norwegian period, 1918- 1930 is covered, which covered the development of Powers in the United States and Bull first in Norway and later in France.
Abstract: Punched-card machines were in a number of ways predecessors to computers. The punched-card technique was invented in the United States in the 1880s by Herman Hollerith, who continued development for another two decades. His firm later became the main component of IBM. Only two main competitors to Hollerith emerged, Powers in the United States and Bull first in Norway and later in France. This article covers the development of the Bull machines in the Norwegian period, 1918- 1930.
7 citations
TL;DR: The evolution and history of computer printing technology in the United States is covered from the end of World War II to recent times and the wide variety of printer products introduced over the forty-year period is surveyed.
Abstract: The evolution in history of computing printing technology in the United States is covered from the end of World War II to recent times (1946-1987). The wide variety of printer products introduced over the forty-year period is surveyed and their differentiating characteristics described. The relationship of computer technology to printer technology is discussed, as is the relationship of the computer industry to the printer industry.
5 citations
TL;DR: The Societe de Mathematiques Appliquees (SMA) as mentioned in this paper was founded on January 1, 1958, which was quite an unusual undertaking considering the juxtaposition in the company's name of "applied mathematics" on the one hand, and "corporation (societe)" on the other.
Abstract: On January 1, 1958, the Societe de Mathematiques Appliquees (SMA) was founded. It was quite an unusual undertaking considering the juxtaposition in the company's name of "applied mathematics" on the one hand, and "corporation (societe)" on the other. Although it did not happen in a vacuum, it was nevertheless an original concept. This paper examines the steps that led to the founding of the company and leads the reader through the first decade of its incorporation.
4 citations
4 citations
TL;DR: This set of questions, primarily targeted toward those who were involved in the very history which they are recording and reporting on, has been revised and expanded by the program committee of the proposed second History of Programming Languages Conference, scheduled for 1993.
Abstract: Requirement specifications for the guidance of researchers in collecting and recording the history of computing have been sought by many persons during our 12 year history as a journal. While there does not exist a definitive outline which covers all aspects of the field, the set of guidelines created for the first History of Programming Languages Conference in 1976 have been used by many researchers, authors, and editors. This set of questions, primarily targeted toward those who were involved in the very history which they are recording and reporting on, has been revised and expanded by the program committee of the proposed second History of Programming Languages Conference, scheduled for 1993.
TL;DR: This play provides the opportunity to step back toabbage's day and to see the man separate (as far as he would allow) from his machines.
Abstract: Babbage is noted for his technical, belatedly recognized, triumphs of computational technology; his personality has been the subject of scrutiny by several authors. Towards his end of life he is said to have wished that he could exchange the remainder of his life for three days in the future. This play provides us with the opportunity to step back to his day and to see the man separate (as far as he would allow) from his machines. That we could grant his wish...
TL;DR: Babbage's expectations for his Difference Engine were those of a young enthusiast, and although he failed to complete his version of the engine, an independent implementation of his ideas was carried through by Georg and Edvard Scheutz.
Abstract: Babbage's expectations for his Difference Engine were those of a young enthusiast. Although he failed to complete his version of the engine, an independent implementation of his ideas was carried through by Georg and Edvard Scheutz. Two Scheutz engines were built and put to work, one at the Registrar-General's Office in London and one at the Dudley Observatory in Albany, N. Y. They performed as intended, but failed to revolutionize the making of mathematical tables as Babbage had hoped they would. When Babbage was 45years old. he wrote, but did not publish, a description of the Analytical Engine. Here he showed vision verging on genius. His judgment on the design and utility of the Analytical Engine was as sound as his judgment on matters concerned with the Difference Engine was weak. Studies by A. G. Bromley, based on an examination of his notebooks, have brought out his remarkable achievements at what we would now call the microprogram level and also the insights that eluded him at the user level. His failure to publish may have been because he never arrived at what he regarded as a satisfactory system for programming at the user level.
TL;DR: The major portion of this tribute is a transcript of a 23 page letter (certainly one of the longest Babbage ever wrote) which, although it could be classified as a semi-formal document, is very illuminating as to the feelings and thought processes of Babbage.
Abstract: This birthday tribute to Charles Babbage incorporates a few extracts from his, and his friends', private letters in the hope of illuminating something of Babbage the man, rather than Babbage the scientist. The major portion of this tribute is a transcript of a 23 page letter (certainly one of the longest Babbage ever wrote) which, although it could be classified as a semi-formal document, is very illuminating as to the feelings and thought processes of Babbage in his later years.
TL;DR: During the years between the World Wars aviation became established as a credible form of transport, while aircraft for observation, transport, and combat roles were adopted by military and naval forces.
Abstract: During the years between the World Wars aviation became established as a credible form of transport. Airmail delivery and passenger service gained acceptance with the civilian population, while aircraft for observation, transport, and combat roles were adopted by military and naval forces. A pre-requisite to routine air travel was the development of reliable methods of aerial navigation. In addition to new navigational techniques and instruments, numerous computational aids were developed to simplify the aerial navigator's work. Highly specialized computational aids were also developed to assist military aviators in performing aerial gunnery and bombardment. The following article describes a few of these devices, with special attention given to the mechanical analog computers used in military aircraft during World War II.
TL;DR: This department attempts to help people think about the history of computing in new ways, through the mechanism of questions, with answers on a separate page - thus permitting the reader to do self-testing.
Abstract: This department attempts to help people think about the history of computing in new ways, through the mechanism of questions, with answers on a separate page - thus permitting the reader to do self-testing. The answers list source material for further self-study on topics relating to the questions. Occasionally some questions will be used that have either no answers or controversial answers.