Applications of the EDSAC

Author

Wheeler, Joyce M.

Author_Institution

Lucy Cavendish Coll., Cambridge, UK

Volume

14

Issue

4

fYear

1992

fDate

6/14/1905 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

27

Lastpage

33

Abstract

Early applications of EDSAC, including the calculation of prime numbers, solutions of algebraic equations, and experimental learning programs, are described to illustrate the wide field of programs written in the first years of stored-program computing. The influence of the library routines, such as those of the solution of differential equations, on progress in applied mathematics is considered. The initial work in wave mechanics, economics, crystallography, and radio astronomy is described. The development of EDSAC 2 and its importance to the advance of many of these topics are considered.<>

Keywords

chemistry computing; digital computers; history; mathematics computing; programming; EDSAC; algebraic equations; applied mathematics; crystallography; differential equations; economics; experimental learning programs; library routines; prime number calculation; programming; radio astronomy; wave mechanics; Algorithms; Differential equations; Education; History; Laboratories; Libraries; Programming; Radio astronomy; Teleprinting; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1058-6180

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/85.194052

Filename

194052