Charles Babbages Contribution to Development of Computer Technology - Essay Example

? Charles Babbage’s contribution to development of computer technology Introduction Computers, as we know them today have been oneof man’s greatest inventions from the earliest time possible. They have been a culmination of various machines created by a number of historical figures, whose main aim was to make life much easier for the human generation especially in the field of math and science. A mark in history was made by the tremendous capability of these machines, making a revolution in the working economy. Just by the click of a button, problems were automatically resolved in the most analytical and precise manner. This was not always the case in older times as we will come to understand in this paper. Charles Babbage, an inventor, was born in Britain at a time when science was just beginning to take shape and influence in society, with no clear definition of its varying disciplines (Van Riper, 2011). During that time, people were mediocre since they still dwelt on the calculus mathematical theories of Isaac Newton, and had not made any advancement in the field. This state of circumstances disappointed Charles so much, to a point that he wanted change thus beginning the era of computers. In this paper, we shall have an in-depth study of the works of Charles Babbage and his influence to the design of the modern computer. We shall look into his life, the machines he created and how they have a direct impact to us today. Early years The man in question was born on 26th December 1791 in Walworth, Surrey according to Anthony Hyman (1985). This was in London. His father was called Benjamin Baggage, who was in partnership with the Praeds, owners of the Bitton estate and Betsy Plumleigh Babbage. His mother, who was a great influence in his life, was called Betsy Plumleigh Teape. In the year 1808, his family moved to the old Rowdens house in East Teignmouth, where his father was appointed the warden of the St. Michael church. As a child, Charles was a very inquisitive and stopped at nothing until his search for the truth is found. In his book, he tells of instances when his curiosity led him to dismantle his toys when he didn’t understand their way of working (Babbage, 2011). Education His father was a rich man thus he was accorded the best education around in the form of expensive schools and tutors. When he was eight years of age, he was relocated to a country school to recuperate from a severe fever. During his stay here, his parents stressed that he be left to complete rest for speedy recovery. The loneliness he experienced got to his head that he started to be philosophical, questioning everything that came into contact with him and the general world view. He went as far as experimenting in devil-worship incarnations to test their credibility (Collier & MacLachlan, 2000). Later he joined King Edward VI School in South Devon, only to succumb to deteriorating health, forcing him to be tutored at home. It was through his private studies that he developed a passion for mathematics especially by the influence of Stephen Freeman, who was an ‘astronomer’. Eventually he was able to start schooling at Trinity College in Cambridge in 1810, where he discovered a void in the system of learning at the institution. Birth of an idea He and his friends came together to form the Analytical society between the years of 1812 and 1814 so as to challenge the University’s laid back approach to the mathematical field. It was a successful venture that saw the publication of several books on the topic of calculus. It was during this time that Charles started to battle with the idea of creating a machine to aid in the arithmetic process. According to Bowden (1953), Charles was thinking to himself on the possibility of devising a tool that would perform logarithms with utmost precision rather than using the incorrect manuals in use at the time. He was challenged by the French’s decision to use human mathematicians to compute new tables. Inventions He set out to work by thinking up a calculating machine which he called, ‘difference engine’. The principle behind this instrument was the idea of calculating a set of arithmetic in an instance, without the intervention of a human mathematician. This concept was supported by mathematical expression that was installed into the machine enabling it to skip the multiplication and division processes. It was specifically designed to calculate polynomial functions. However, the machine was not completed due to unavailable government funds and the unfortunate loss of his father, wife and young son. He stopped his work to come to terms with the events in his life by travelling abroad for some time. When he came back, he discovered he had to abandon his project due to lack of finance. This did not deter his spirit of invention and he was back to work. This time he wanted to make a device able to do math and not limited to the polynomial functions as was done by the previous machine. The Analytical machine as it came to be known had the element of being ‘programmed’ so as to calculate more complex functions. It used punched cards where specifications of the input and calculations, also known as the programs were installed and run. The engine of the machine had two components in the form of a mill and the store. The mill acted as the present day CPU and performed the calculations required. Steam power was used to drive this component and was a system of clutches, cranks and gears. This was at a time when electricity had not been discovered. The store which could be the equivalent of the modern memory contained the programs awaiting execution. The complete set up was the making of the first ever computer in human history. However, the completed machine was never to be during his time due to the immerse amounts of work and financing needed to complete the set up. For example, the mill was a structure measuring 15 feet height and 6 feet diameter and the store was supposed to be 25 feet length. Babbage and his team came up with 500 design drawings, 1000 paper sheets containing the mechanical functions and sketches amounting to 7000 sheets for the design in 1835. Only pars of the complete engine were created due to the myriad of problems facing the project. The deficit in funds was so serious that Charles appealed to Sir Robert Peel for assistance but he declined offering him the knighthood instead. This was a desperate move after denial by the First Lord of the Treasury (‘Charles Babbage’ para.15). The analytical machine caused quite a stir in the public that he gained recognition from many people. Among them was Ada Byron King, the countess of Lovelace (Bowden, 1953), who firmly believed in the works of Charles that she wrote a program for the machine to illustrate its ability. The creation of the program became a feat of its own, commanding respect from the people, as it was the first of its kind. In fact, Ada was named the first computer programmer in history, with a computer programming language named after her. Had the machine being completed, the program would have helped calculate a series of Bernoulli numbers. This is the basic idea used in the working of computers today. Between October 1846 and March 1849, Babbage was back to his workshop to start on another invention, nonetheless. This time he used the formulation of the analytical engine to devise the ‘Second difference engine’. He decided to incorporate only 8000 parts which was only a third of what was used in the analytical engine. There was no other modification to this machine as opposed to the latter. All he did was create the initial design and left at that. Much later, the machine was actually constructed in celebration of his 200th birthday. As a continuation of Babbage’s work, there have been several modifications to the abacus and manual calculators. These have been replaced by the nanotechnology which uses microchips for greater efficiency and use. For instance, they can be used in extreme conditions of weather and radiation as opposed to the mechanical ones. These changes have been published in various magazines in commemoration of Babbage himself, with titles such as ‘Babbage’s Last Laugh’. There has even song and dance in awe of his work in society. Bowdoin talks of a ‘brief musical nod in an episode of ‘Histeria!’ (1953), whereby the song “Babbage made a Difference” is in honor of his steam powered machine. The 1999 exclusive film ‘Conceiving Ada’ saw him making an appearance. In the end however, the genius of Ada is being portrayed against him as a person. It has been noted that the former was instrumental in expressing his work since she glorified his inventions from time to time in various publications. Conclusion The coming of age of modern computers was a process that began quite a while ago. This invention in particular was no easy feat as various challenges were experienced along the way. The determination and persistence of the inventors was a major contribution to the computers since it is such traits that saw them proceed with their work even under circumstances of hopelessness. We owe them our recognition and respect as they instigated the development of the machine being used currently without which life would be unbearable. We salute you Charles Babbage. Works cited: Hyman, A. Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the computer. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1982. Van Riper, A.  A Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists and Inventors in American Film and Tv Since 1930. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2011. Print Collier, B & MacLachlan, J. "Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection." Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. (Pg 8-35). Babbage, C.  Passages from the Life of a Philosopher. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print "Charles Babbage (Dec. 1791 – Oct. 1871)." Charles Babbage. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. . Swade, D. The Cogwheel Brain: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer, Little, Brown. London, 2000 Read More