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Science and reform (selected works of Charles Babbage)
Hyman A., Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1989. Type: Book (9789780521343114)
Date Reviewed: Apr 1 1990

This book includes papers concerning the difference engine and the analytical engine as well as many other interesting works by Charles Babbage. The entire collection gives the reader a feel for the atmosphere in which Babbage designed his engines. The diversity and breadth of areas that Babbage influenced are aptly illustrated in this book. Although known as the father of computing, Babbage also significantly influenced the fields of mathematics, science, education, commerce, and manufacturing.

The editor has included the major portions of three papers interspersed with many other works by Charles Babbage. The first major work included is the Preface to the “1813 Memoirs of the Analytical Society.” This paper contains a discussion of the importance of mathematical notation and a brief discourse on the theory of functions. Several excerpts from Babbage’s “Passages from the Life of a Philosopher,” which give the reader an insight into Babbage’s background, precede this paper.

The second major work included is a detailed description of the difference engine by Dionysius Lardner, “Babbage’s Calculating Engine,” from the Edinburgh Review. This begins with a lengthy discussion of the rationale and the importance of mathematical tables and an illustration of how tables were generated by hand in the 18th and 19th centuries. The paper also includes a fascinating discussion of how to generate a table of fourth powers of the natural numbers using the theory of finite differences. The author then proceeds to discuss how these calculations are performed by Babbage’s difference engine. This discussion includes a very detailed description of the mechanics of the engine. The author concludes with a summary of the differences between Babbage’s difference engine and the arithmetic instruments, like the abacus, the slide rule, and Pascal’s calculating machine. Babbage’s engine was impressive for its accuracy and the fact that it printed its results, which eliminated many additional sources of error.

The final major work included in this book is a paper by General L. F. Menabrea, “Sketch of the analytical engine invented by Charles Babbage, Esq.,” in the Scientific Memoirs. This paper includes detailed notes by Ada Lovelace. According to the editor, both of these works were done under Charles Babbage’s guidance. This is an impressive paper concerning the history of computing. The author discusses punched card I/O, separate store and mill, microprogramming, and subroutines in connection with the analytical engine. Both the paper by Menabrea and the notes by Lovelace contain very detailed examples, but the text is well worth reading to gain a true appreciation for what Charles Babbage designed in the analytical engine.

The rest of the book contains brief excerpts from Babbage’s works, which provide further insight into the breadth of work in which Babbage was involved. These papers include comparisons of life assurance institutions, reflections on science and science education reform, a criticism of the House of Lords peerage system, a probabilistic discussion on the likelihood of miracles, a discourse on Babbage’s development of a system of signalling using occulting lights, which was used worldwide in lighthouses, and a lengthy discussion on the division of labor economic theory. The editor suggests that this paper, “On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures,” “had an important influence on John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx.”

Although the book does contain much detailed work, it is very enjoyable reading. Many readers may have initial difficulties with the styles of the authors, as all of these works were written more than 100 years ago, but with a little patience, most readers will quickly adapt to the authors’ styles. The book is intended for anyone interested in Charles Babbage and the foundations of computing. It gives the reader an appreciation for the remarkable creativity of Charles Babbage, who truly was a visionary in many areas.

Reviewer:  Wayne Summers Review #: CR114076
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Other reviews under "Charles Babbage": Date

Davis M.Type: Article
Feb 1 1995
The difference engine: Charles Babbage and the quest to build the first computer
Swade D., Viking Press, New York, NY, 2001.  342, Type: Book (9780670910205)
Apr 18 2002

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