Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: Bob Eager Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: The joy of Ada Date: 28 Sep 2024 09:32:23 GMT Lines: 50 Message-ID: References: <5mqdnZuGq4lgwm_7nZ2dnZfqnPSdnZ2d@earthlink.com> <36KdnVlGJu9VLW77nZ2dnZfqn_qdnZ2d@earthlink.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net oroI7zBUxALidtMKLj64xw4oKaxv8IYODLakTzbGjGBHLQ/x/F Cancel-Lock: sha1:vxQOMKMsCYyWZTBfEWgLEzB9b3c= sha256:cXXgF1mUpDOrZpvsgXdSZTKzPS2k6lTpBo717n/dQe8= User-Agent: Pan/0.145 (Duplicitous mercenary valetism; d7e168a git.gnome.org/pan2) Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:58598 alt.folklore.computers:227135 On Fri, 27 Sep 2024 20:54:08 -0400, 186282@ud0s4.net wrote: > On 9/27/24 7:02 AM, Andy Walker wrote: >> On 27/09/2024 07:52, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote: >>> [...] Imagine that Charles Babbage hadn’t completely failed at >>> building his Analytical Engine. (Only it was called the “Difference >>> Engine”, for some inexplicable reason.) >> >>     The Difference Engine was a completely different project.  It >>     was >> called the Difference Engine because it was meant to calculate >> differences*, >> which were the principal tools in numerical mathematics for the >> calculation of values of functions [sine, cosine, sqrt, log, ...].  In >> the days before computers, tables of such values were an essential part >> of the engineer's [or physicist's or statistician's] toolkit and was >> what mathematicians often spent their entire careers providing and >> checking.  It was tedious work, >> so was ripe for automation. >> >>     Babbage is remembered today for little more than these >>     projects, but >> he did much more than that.  His Wiki article is worth reading, if only >> to learn the breadth of his interests and contributions. > > > Babbage really was a gifted engineer and maths guy, he had enough rep > to get the govt to front him rather a lot of money to build the > difference engine. > > Apparently costs-analysis was NOT one of his best skills alas. The > machine is devilishly complicated and was at the cutting edge of > mechanical techniques and precision at that time. > > I think some MIT people finally *built* one, or a substantial part of > one. I've seen a vid, all the brass clockwork is hypnotic to watch. See also: https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co62748/babbages- difference-engine-no-2-2002 -- Using UNIX since v6 (1975)... Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org