Philosophy of Computing (sound)

e [Music] the [Music] since the beginning of History man has been looking for ways to simplify his work one of the first inventions was the wheel which enabled him to move large objects from one place to another with less effort and in less time he has invented many tools to help him in his everyday labors one area that man has been trying to make easier is the world of arithmetic one of the early advancements in this field was made by the Chinese this is known as the Abacus with it a person could add subtract multiply and divide with greater accuracy and ease than ever before known this device was so welld designed that today it can still be used for simple computations since this invention many devices have been developed within the 20th century the desk calculator was invented to speed the process of numerical computations in our more complex age in recent years there arose a need to apply logic of the type used to compare numbers to a device that was able to perform the B basic arithmetic operations at very high speed in the mid 1940s the first such device was introduced which opened the era of electronic digital computers since that time the area of computers has been one of the fastest growing fields ever known to man one of the largest computers in use today is the telephone system this computer counts the number called from the telephone dial and then through various logic routines determines the best route whether that route is busy and even if the number called is an operational number but the types of computers which get most of the publicity are those that solve mathematical equations and business problems computers can be classed into two general groups analog and digital let's take a look at the digital first a digital computer performs all operations by following a set of instructions or a program stored in a part called the memory the memory consists consists of feris cores formed like miniature Donuts capable of being magnetized and demagnetized the actual mathematics is done by very high-speed counting performed by the computer's electronic circuitry the speeds go beyond 50,000 operations a second in other words it is possible to add 50 digits each in less time than it takes my voice to reach your ears it would take an experienced person at a fast desk calculator about 2 minutes or more to perform the same operation provided he makes no mistake the instructions that guide the machine through the computations are written in a special code called machine language machine language varies with the different types of computers one type consists of a 12-digit code which includes the type of operation the machine is to do and the locations or addresses which contain the actual numbers in in the memory to be operated on machine language however is quite tedious to handle and takes many hours to write and correct mistakes a simplified version of machine language uses symbols in place of actual machine addresses this is called SPS or symbolic programming system a third programming language uses a series of symbols that are similar to common everyday terms one such device or program which has been developed is called called Fortran or formula translator with Fortran it is possible to write programs using symbols very similar to those used in mathematical equations and with the help of a translator program make the computer translate the Fortran into a program in its own machine language processing of a program is much easier than General opinion would make it by following a few simple rules and steps a program can be written with little trouble the programmer starts with his mathematical equations from these step-by-step instructions are written in one of the computer languages after the original program is written it is checked for possible errors not only in form but in mathematical correctness the next step is to punch the statements onto cards which contain 12 rows of 80 columns each character is coded automatically by the punch unit with one character in each column when a program in the form of Punch Cards is placed into the card reader and the start key pressed the cards are read one by one the processor is called into the computer where it checks each card for form statement and correctness this process is called precompilation also as each card is read it is stored when certain errors are found they are noted on the typewriter and execution is stopped it might be added that for the first few programs one writes it is a basic Axiom that errors will appear the processor program then translates the statements into machine language and these machine language instructions are stored when the last statement is processed this phase is terminated and the program is ready for execution another type of device used extensively in scientific Fields is the analog computer this computer gives a continuous answer to a physical problem it is able to solve quickly differential equations that might take weeks to solve by hand the main difference between the analog and digital computers is that the analog Works in parallel operations or in other words all of program elements work at the same time on the other hand the digital computer works serially or in a stepbystep fashion where one operation must be finished before the next next one can start the problems of the analog are programmed onto patch panels by means of jumper wires the problem is then solved electrically and the answers appear on such devices as an oscilloscope a digital voltmeter or a strip chart recorder computers today have many uses ranging into many different fields they are used for keeping banking records it is possible to program them to design such things as chemical plants control is another field in which they are used frequently and the control of actual missiles is just an example of this field one of the more interesting and unique functions is the writing and Performing of music as the following selection illustrates [Music] although computers are able to do all of these operations it must be remembered that they are are programmed by man this human factor is often overlooked by the authors of Science Fiction often in these stories the computers take control and man becomes the slave computers are actually a type of servant to man they must be told each step to take once instructed they can carry out their mission very quickly and with a high degree of accuracy computers then are a tool that man has invented to free him from repetitious work and allow him to do more creative things thinking [Music]