In this Book
- The Computer from Pascal to von Neumann
- Book
- 2008
- Published by: Princeton University Press
In 1942, Lt. Herman H. Goldstine, a former mathematics professor, was stationed at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. It was there that he assisted in the creation of the ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer. The ENIAC was operational in 1945, but plans for a new computer were already underway. The principal source of ideas for the new computer was John von Neumann, who became Goldstine's chief collaborator. Together they developed EDVAC, successor to ENIAC. After World War II, at the Institute for Advanced Study, they built what was to become the prototype of the present-day computer. Herman Goldstine writes as both historian and scientist in this first examination of the development of computing machinery, from the seventeenth century through the early 1950s. His personal involvement lends a special authenticity to his narrative, as he sprinkles anecdotes and stories liberally through his text.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- pp. v-viii
- Preface (1993)
- pp. ix-x
- Part One: The Historical Background up to World War II
- Chapter 1: Beginnings
- pp. 3-9
- Chapter 11: Adaptation to Scientific Needs
- pp. 106-114
- Part Two: Wartime Developments: ENIAC and EDVAC
- Chapter 2: The Ballistic Research Laboratory
- pp. 127-139
- Chapter 4: Beginnings of the ENIAC
- pp. 148-156
- Chapter 6: John von Neumann and the Computer
- pp. 167-183
- Chapter 7: Beyond the ENIAC
- pp. 184-203
- Chapter 8: The Structure of the EDVAC
- pp. 204-210
- Chapter 9: The Spread of Ideas
- pp. 211-224
- Chapter 10: First Calculations on the ENIAC
- pp. 225-236
- Part Three: Post-World War II: The von Neumann Machine and The Institute for Advanced Study
- Chapter 1: Post-EDVAC Days
- pp. 239-251
- Chapter 4: Numerical Mathematics
- pp. 286-299
- Chapter 5: Numerical Meteorology
- pp. 300-305
- Chapter 7: The Computer and UNESCO
- pp. 321-324
- Chapter 8: The Early Industrial Scene
- pp. 325-332
- Chapter 9: Programming Languages
- pp. 333-341
- Chapter 10: Conclusions
- pp. 342-348
- Appendix: World-Wide Developments
- pp. 349-362