Abacus The first known device capable of making calculations, something so fundamental to the development of today’s computer industry. Greeks and Romans used the abacus in ancient times, and the Chinese made significant improvements. 1642 French mathematician, Blaise Pascal, developed a “gear-driven” mechanical calculator. Capable of addition, subtraction, and multiplication. 1671 German mathematician, Gottfried Leibnitz, improved upon Pascal’s design. The mechanical calculator could offer both division and the ability to determine square roots. 1812 Charles Babbage, an English mathematician, visualized that many of the principles of Jacquard’s loom and its use of punched cards could be applied to numerical computation. Responsible for the first development of the concept of the “stored program” for data processing which differentiates calculators from computers. Babbage called his first machine a difference engine and designed it to calculate logarithm tables. Ma...
ITEW5 Porftolio - Matienzo, Reynold C. (4IT-A)