Early Scientific Computing in BritainThis book is a study of how scientific computation developed in British universities, the scientific civil service, and the armed services during the period 1900-1950. It describes the emergence of computing laboratories in Britain, along with the machines and personalities involved. British computational work is examined from an organizational perspective and the concept of centralized computing power is discussed. Computing methods used up to the 1950s ranged from the use of mathematical tables, via slide rules and other mathematical instruments, to desk calculating machines, accounting machines, differential analysers, and early computers. |
Contents
The Nautical Almanac Office as a computing centre and | 38 |
the emergence of government | 61 |
The creation of a national computing centre | 75 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
adding addition Admiralty amount applied Association Astronomical became began Britain British build built calculating machines Cambridge carried Central Committee Company complete computing centre computing service Comrie Comrie's concerning construction continued Department desk calculating desk machines device differences differential analyser DSIR early Electrical electronic Engineering equations equipment example experience facilities figures function given Hartree Hollerith important included installation integrating interest interpolation involved late later logarithms machinery Manchester Mathematical Laboratory mathematical tables mechanical methods Ministry of Supply natural NPL Mathematics Division numerical Office operation performed Physical Plate position preparation printed problems programming proposed published punched card machines result Royal Royal Aircraft Establishment Sadler scientific Scientific Computing scientists Section slide rule Society staff Station statistical tables tabulator techniques took United University users values Wilkes Womersley