The design and applications of a general-purpose analogue computer

The various factors influencing the design and construction of a general purpose analogue computer are considered in detail, with particular attention to the effects of finite amplifier gain, bandwidth and phase shift. It is shown that one of the most important design criteria is the gain-bandwidth product, and that the bandwidth must be much greater than is generally supposed if the computer is required to deal with lightly damped systems. A description is given of a computer designed for industrial and research applications, based on this analysis and embodying various novel features. The instrument is capable of both repetitive and ¿single-shot¿ operation, and can also deal with non-linear problems. A selection of problems chosen to illustrate the wide range of a computer of this kind is then presented. A number of little-known applications, such as the analysis of mathematical series and the construction of economic ¿models¿ are included as well as examples of more familiar uses for aircraft simulation and servomechanism design. An indication is given of the lines along which analogue computers may develop in the future, and of other possible applications