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Ada Lovelace (1815–1852): Inventor of Computer Algorithms
Ist Teil von
Women of Genius in Science, 2023, p.71-82
Ort / Verlag
Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG
Erscheinungsjahr
2023
Link zum Volltext
Quelle
Alma/SFX Local Collection
Beschreibungen/Notizen
Since ancient times, people have been striving to simplify and speed up arithmetical calculation. As shown by the cargo of a Roman shipwreck discovered off the Aegean coast in 1900, far more elaborate machines were used alongside counting boards and abacuses. Besides the spectacular art treasures recovered, a corroded metal lump remained unnoticed for a long time. It was not until the middle of the twentieth century that it became apparent that it was an 82-piece machine made of gears, axles, and other mechanical components. Through certain presettings and the turning of a hand crank, the machine, built around the year 120 BC, was able to perform the most complicated astronomical calculations.