Los Alamos Bets on ENIAC: Nuclear Monte Carlo Simulations, 1947-1948

Author

Haigh, T. ; Priestley, Mark ; Rope, Crispin

Author_Institution

Univ. of Wisconsin--Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA

Volume

36

Issue

3

fYear

2014

fDate

July-Sept. 2014

Firstpage

42

Lastpage

63

Abstract

In April 1948 a team including John and Klara von Neumann and Nick Metropolis ran the first of a series of calculations on ENIAC. These were not only the first computerized Monte Carlo simulations, but also the first code written in the modern paradigm, usually associated with the "stored program concept," ever to be executed. This article--the third in a three-part series published in Annals--reconstructs the planning, design, code, and operation of these programs from extensive archival records.

Keywords

Monte Carlo methods; digital simulation; mathematics computing; ENIAC; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; computerized Monte Carlo simulations; nuclear Monte Carlo simulations; stored program concept; Computers; History; Monte Carlo methods; Neutrons; Programming; Weapons; ENIAC; John von Neumann; Klara von Neumann; Los Alamos National Laboratory; Monte Carlo simulations; Nick Metropolis; history of computing; modern code paradigm; stored program concept;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1058-6180

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MAHC.2014.40

Filename

6880250