Origins and Foundations of Computing (eBook)

In Cooperation with Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum

Friedrich L. Bauer (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2009 | 2010
VIII, 142 Seiten
Springer Berlin (Verlag)
978-3-642-02992-9 (ISBN)

Infos

The Heinz Nixdorf Museum Forum (HNF) is the world's largest c- puter museum and is dedicated to portraying the past, present and future of information technology. In the 'Year of Informatics 2006' the HNF was particularly keen to examine the history of this still quite young discipline. The short-lived nature of information technologies means that individuals, inventions, devices, institutes and companies'age' more rapidly than in many other specialties. And in the nature of things the group of computer pioneers from the early days is growing smaller all the time. To supplement a planned new exhibit on 'Software and Inform- ics' at the HNF, the idea arose of recording the history of informatics in an accompanying publication. Mysearchforsuitablesourcesandauthorsveryquickly cameupwith the right answer, the very rst name in Germany: Friedrich L. Bauer, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the TU in Munich, one of the - thers of informatics in Germany and for decades the indefatigable author of the'Historical Notes' column of the journal Informatik Spektrum. Friedrich L. Bauer was already the author of two works on the history of informatics, published in different decades and in different books. Both of them are notable for their knowledgeable, extremely comp- hensive and yet compact style. My obvious course was to motivate this author to amalgamate, supplement and illustrate his previous work.

The author was among the pioneers in computing science, and he was deeply engaged in some of the developments outlined in the book.

Inhalt

Foreword 5
Contents 7
Preamble 9
The Roots of Informatics 11
Informatics and Mathematics 11
Numerical Calculations 15
Arithmetic Computation and Its Mechanization 15
Computation in the Binary Number System 22
Floating-Point Arithmetic 26
Calculations Using Symbols 30
Cryptology 30
Logical Calculation 34
Codes Used in Data Transmission Technology 37
The Principle of Binary Coding 42
Mathematical Roots of the Burgeoning Science of Informatics 43
After 1890: In Thrall to Mechanical and Electromechanical Devices 48
Mechanization and Automation of Digital Calculations 48
Mechanical and Electrical Cryptological Instruments 53
Message Coding Technology and Information Theory 60
Instruments and Machines for Propositional Calculus, Signaling and Safety Technology 62
Digression into Analog Computers 64
Musical Boxes and Other Precursors of Automata 69
Automata, the Principle of Automatic Machines 70
Process Control as a Precursor of Program Control 71
Universal Program Control 74
Feedback and Regulation 77
After 1935: Formal Languages and Algorithms, `Universal Machines' and Electronic Solutions 79
Basic Data Structures 82
Binary Arithmetic 83
Floating-Point Arithmetic 86
Unlimited Integer Arithmetic 87
The Binary Principle 89
Recursive Data Structures and Syntax Diagrams 90
Basic Operative Structures 92
Algorithms 92
Algorithmic Languages 94
Recursion 96
The von Neumann Machine 97
Sequential Formula Translation and Pushdown Mechanisms 99
High-Level Programming Languages and Algorithms 101
Machine-Oriented Programming 104
The End of Analog Computers 106
Systems 106
Recognition Systems 107
Cryptanalysis 110
Effects of Cryptanalysis 112
Networked Systems 113
Digression into Electronic Circuits, Devices and Machines 117
After 1960: Informatics Begins to Take Shape 119
Applications 120
Constructive Logic - `Proofs as Programs', `CIP' 121
Programming Languages 122
Software Engineering 124
The Transition to Minicomputers and Highest-Performance Computers 125
Conclusion: Informatics and Microelectronics Are Mutually Dependent 128
Index 133
Index of Figures 140
Selected Readings 143

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 5.11.2009
• Zusatzinfo: VIII, 142 p.
• Verlagsort: Berlin
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte
• Themenwelt: Mathematik / Informatik ► Informatik ► Programmiersprachen / -werkzeuge
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Elektrotechnik / Energietechnik
• Schlagworte: algorithm • algorithms • business • Computer • Computers • Cryptology • Electronic Engineering • Electronics • formal language • Heinz Nixdorf • History • History of Computer Science • Informatics • Logic • Mathematics • Pioneers • Technology
• ISBN-10: 3-642-02992-2 / 3642029922
• ISBN-13: 978-3-642-02992-9 / 9783642029929