The Universal History of Computing: From the Abacus to the Quantum Computer

Georges Ifrah

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0471441473 ISBN 13 : 9780471441472

Editeur : Jossey Bass, 2001

The Universal History of Computing This book continues Ifrah's story from The Universal History of Numbers to cover the invention of computers and the binary number system, as well as recently discovered numbers systems, including "surreal" numbers and numerical codes. Full description

Quatrième de couverture :

"A fascinating compendium of information about writing systems both for words and numbers."
Publishers Weekly

"A truly enlightening and fascinating study for the mathematically oriented reader."
Booklist

"Well researched. . . . This book is a rich resource for those involved in researching the history of computers."
The Mathematics Teacher

In this brilliant follow–up to his landmark international bestseller, The Universal History of Numbers, Georges Ifrah traces the development of computing from the invention of the abacus to the creation of the binary system three centuries ago to the incredible conceptual, scientific, and technical achievements that made the first modern computers possible. Ifrah takes us along as he visits mathematicians, visionaries, philosophers, and scholars from every corner of the world and every period of history. We learn about the births of the pocket calculator, the adding machine, the cash register, and even automata. We find out how the origins of the computer can be found in the European Renaissance, along with how World War II influenced the development of analytical calculation. And we explore such hot topics as numerical codes and the recent discovery of new kinds of number systems, such as "surreal" numbers.

Adventurous and enthralling, The Universal History of Computing is an astonishing achievement that not only unravels the epic tale of computing, but also tells the compelling story of human intelligence and how much further we still have to go.

Présentation de l'éditeur :

The fascinating follow–up to the bestselling The Universal History of Numbers

Picking up where his highly acclaimed The Universal History of Numbers left off, Georges Ifrah continues his exhilarating exploration into the world of numbers. The fascinating result, The Universal History of Computing, traces the progress of computing from the revolutionary invention of the abacus to the invention of the binary system three centuries ago and the earliest computer that followed. In this engaging but no less learned read, he covers such hot topics as numerical codes and the recent discovery of new kinds of number systems, such as "surreal" numbers. Overall, Ifrah shows us how far we have come in learning about number theory, how numbers relate to our everyday lives and how much further we have to go.