DocumentCode
1143855
Title
The construction of Charles Babbage´s Difference Engine No. 2
Author
Swade, Doron D.
Volume
27
Issue
3
fYear
2005
Firstpage
70
Lastpage
88
Abstract
Charles Babbage designed Difference Engine No. 2 between 1846 and 1848. Contemporary drawings illustrate a machine - never built during his lifetime - that calculates and tabulates polynomials, printing results in hard copy and producing stereotype molds for plates intended for use in conventional printing presses. This article describes construction of the first complete physical realization of a full Babbage engine design and outlines Babbage´s ambitions for this advanced engine.
Keywords
computers; history; Charles Babbage Difference Engine; contemporary drawings; conventional printing presses; history; stereotype molds; Cams; Difference engines; Finite difference methods; Gears; Polynomials; Printing machinery; Shafts; Timing; Turning; Wheels; Charles Babbage; Difference Engine No. 2; Difference Engines; Mechanical computers; Nineteenth century computing; computing engines; prehistory of computing; reconstructions;
fLanguage
English
Journal_Title
Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE
Publisher
ieee
ISSN
1058-6180
Type
jour
DOI
10.1109/MAHC.2005.45
Filename
1498720
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