Origins and Foundations of Computing

In Cooperation with Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum
1. Auflage 2009
ISBN: 978-3-642-02992-9
Verlag: Springer
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 142 Seiten

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.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Foreword;5
2;Contents;7
3;Preamble;9
3.1;The Roots of Informatics;11
3.2;Informatics and Mathematics;11
4;Numerical Calculations;15
4.1;Arithmetic Computation and Its Mechanization;15
4.2;Computation in the Binary Number System;22
4.3;Floating-Point Arithmetic;26
5;Calculations Using Symbols;30
5.1;Cryptology;30
5.2;Logical Calculation;34
5.3;Codes Used in Data Transmission Technology;37
5.4;The Principle of Binary Coding;42
5.5;Mathematical Roots of the Burgeoning Science of Informatics;43
6;After 1890: In Thrall to Mechanical and Electromechanical Devices;48
6.1;Mechanization and Automation of Digital Calculations;48
6.2;Mechanical and Electrical Cryptological Instruments;53
6.3;Message Coding Technology and Information Theory;60
6.4;Instruments and Machines for Propositional Calculus, Signaling and Safety Technology ;62
6.5;Digression into Analog Computers;64
6.6;Musical Boxes and Other Precursors of Automata;69
6.7;Automata, the Principle of Automatic Machines;70
6.8;Process Control as a Precursor of Program Control;71
6.9;Universal Program Control;74
6.10;Feedback and Regulation;77
7;After 1935: Formal Languages and Algorithms, `Universal Machines' and Electronic Solutions;79
7.1;Basic Data Structures;82
7.1.1;Binary Arithmetic;83
7.1.2;Floating-Point Arithmetic;86
7.1.3;Unlimited Integer Arithmetic;87
7.1.4;The Binary Principle;89
7.1.5;Recursive Data Structures and Syntax Diagrams;90
7.2;Basic Operative Structures;92
7.2.1;Algorithms;92
7.2.2;Algorithmic Languages;94
7.2.3;Recursion;96
7.2.4;The von Neumann Machine;97
7.2.5;Sequential Formula Translation and Pushdown Mechanisms;99
7.2.6;High-Level Programming Languages and Algorithms;101
7.2.7;Machine-Oriented Programming;104
7.2.8;The End of Analog Computers;106
7.3;Systems;106
7.3.1;Recognition Systems;107
7.3.2;Cryptanalysis;110
7.3.3;Effects of Cryptanalysis;112
7.3.4;Networked Systems;113
7.4;Digression into Electronic Circuits, Devices and Machines;117
8;After 1960: Informatics Begins to Take Shape;119
8.1;Applications;120
8.2;Constructive Logic - `Proofs as Programs', `CIP';121
8.3;Programming Languages;122
8.4;Software Engineering;124
8.5;The Transition to Minicomputers and Highest-Performance Computers;125
9;Conclusion: Informatics and Microelectronics Are Mutually Dependent;128
10;Index;133
11;Index of Figures;140
12;Selected Readings;143