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Charles Babbage

By: Rachael Foster. Charles Babbage. Background. Born: December 26,1791 in London School: attended Trinity College in Cambridge(1811) transferred to Peterhouse in Cambridge where he graduated and later received an honorary degree(1814)

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Charles Babbage

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  1. By: Rachael Foster Charles Babbage

  2. Background • Born: December 26,1791 in London • School: • attended Trinity College in Cambridge(1811) • transferred to Peterhouse in Cambridge where he graduated and later received an honorary degree(1814) • because of the poor math programs available inCambridge Babbage, J.Herschel, G.Peacock and a few others formed the Analytical Society • Family: • Married Georgiana Whitmore in 1814 • His father didn’t approve of his marriage • They had eight children

  3. Background cont… • In 1816 Babbage was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. • Babbage played a large role in the founding of the Astronomical Society. This is where his interest and passion for calculating machinery emerged.

  4. The Inventor • Problem= high error rate in math table calculations • Babbage’s plan= find a mechanical method of calculation, eliminating human error • Influences: • Hated disorder and imprecision • Experienced with logarithmical tables • Inspired by the works of W. Schickard, B.Pascal, and G. Leibniz

  5. Difference Engine • Able to calculate polynomials by the differences method • In 1823, the government granted him $1,500 to build it • Hand-made parts using custom tools(Babbage designed most of them) • A fire destroyed the plans for the Difference Engine while Babbage was away in Europe • With the Royal Society’s support, the government continued to fund Babbage’s project • Babbage built a new workshop (fireproof and dust free). • His associate, Clement, refused to move to the new workshop and would not give Babbage back the plans or tools needed to construct the Difference Engine. • The Difference Engine was never completed. In 1834, Babbage stopped work on the Difference Machine. $23,000 was spent in efforts to construct it.

  6. The Difference Engine

  7. Analytical Engine • Could be programmed to do any calculation • used punch cards (idea from Jacquard's loom) for input and to identify what calculations to perform • Output printed on paper • Two parts: • The “mill” • Retrieved and executed instructions from the “store” • The “store” • Readable/Writable memory (held data/programs) • Lady Lovelace wrote down specific instructions explaining how the machine worked • The Analytical Engine project was also never finished

  8. The Analytical Engine *** according to plans, the completed mill would be 15 feet high and the store would be 25 feet long!

  9. Other inventions created by Babbage… • Cowcatcher • Dynamometer • Standard railroad gauge • Uniform postal rates • Occulting lights for lighthouses • Greenwich time signals • Heliograph ophthalmoscope

  10. Interesting Facts! • A crater near the northern pole of the moon is named after Babbage • He wasn’t well-known– only one carriage followed in his burial procession and the Royal Society printed no obituary • After Babbage’s death, his brain was preserved in alcohol for 37 years before being dissected by Sir Victor Horsley of the Royal Society • Out of his eight children, only three lived to be adults • Babbage’s father, wife, and one of his children all died in the same year(1827) • He despises music • He was obsessed with fire, once baking himself in an oven at 265°F for four minutes just to see what would happen!

  11. Sources: • http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/babbage.htm • http://www.cbi.umn.edu/about/babbage.html • http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Babbage.html • http://www.charlesbabbage.net/ • http://www.computernostalgia.net/articles/babbage.htm • http://www.cbi.umn.edu/about/babbage.html

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