• DocumentCode
    44165
  • Title

    John Womersley: Applied Mathematician and Pioneer of Modern Computing

  • Author

    Carpenter, Brian E. ; Doran, Robert W.

  • Volume
    36
  • Issue
    2
  • fYear
    2014
  • fDate
    Apr.-June 2014
  • Firstpage
    60
  • Lastpage
    70
  • Abstract
    John R. Womersley´s career epitomized how numerical and statistical methods came into widespread use from the 1930s, in Britain as in other Western countries. As an applied mathematician and then a manager of mathematicians and statisticians, in war and in peacetime, Womersley and his career reflect the major trends in British applied mathematics, statistics, and automated computation in the middle decades of the 20th century. Womersley made both significant scientific contributions in applied mathematics and managerial contributions to computer innovation. He was also involved at the beginning of electronic computers.
  • Keywords
    microcomputers; statistics; Britain; British applied mathematics; John Womersley; applied mathematician; automated computation; computer innovation; electronic computers; modern computing pioneer; numerical methods; statistical methods; statistics; Biographies; Computers; Engineering profession; Government; History; Mathematics; Production facilities; Alan Turing; BTM; John R. Womersley; NPL; Pilot ACE; applied mathematics; electronic computation; history of computing;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Journal_Title
    Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • ISSN
    1058-6180
  • Type

    jour

  • DOI
    10.1109/MAHC.2014.25
  • Filename
    6828561