 |
|
|
Lovelace, (Countess of) Byron, Augusta Ada: 1815-1852
by Jeanette Cain
The Countess of Lovelace was the originator of modern computer programming, a mathematician who worked on Charles Babbage's "Analytical Engine," and the daughter of the poet, Lord Byron. She had never been healthy and died in London in 1852 at age 36-the same age as her father when he died.
Augusta Byron was born in 1815 in London, England to the poet Lord Byron. When she was a month old, her parents separated, and her father, Lord Byron, left England. She was given a private education and showed great abilities in mathematics. At age 15, Augusta began working with Augustus De Morgan, a mathematician and logician.
Augusta first saw the plans for Babbage's "Difference Engine" in 1833. The machine was meant to make the calculation of astronomy tables automatically. She was aware of the machine's possibilities and began to correspond with Babbage, as well as other mathematicians and scientists, including Michael Faraday and Sir John Herschel.
Babbage had given a series of lectures on his "Analytical Engine" in Italy, which was considered to be the first automated calculator in the world. In 1842, General Luigi Menabrea told of this invention in an Italian version. Augusta translated this into English and was given a sign up by Babbage to add her own notes. When Augusta had finished with the translation and adding her own notes, the manuscript had become triple its original length. The notes added insight, clarity, and information to Babbage's paper.
Although Babbage's Analytical Engine was never built, Augusta made the connection between the engine and the design of the Jacquard loom as it wove flowers and leaves. Specifications for the engine were completed and two attempts for its construction followed within the next 150 years. Under the guidance of Babbage, Augusta constructed a computer program, which was a guideline for instructions to the Analytical Engine. The purpose was to separate the operators of the engine from the objects on which they worked. Augusta went so far as to explain the engine's limitations, and asserted that the engine could not originate anything, in and of itself. The engine would only be capable of performing orders that were given to it.
Augusta explained the use of a sequence of expressions on a punch card. The instructions are fed into a computer by the sequences on the punch cards, punched paper tape, and punched movie films. In the late 1970s, the Pentagon named the computer language, Ada, after Augusta, in recognition of her work. During the 1980s and the 1990s, the computer language, Ada, was used by the United States Navy.
Countess Lovelace died in London on November 27, 1852.
Sources::
1. Stein, Dorothy. Ada: A Life and a Legacy. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA. 1985.
2. Newman, James R. The World of Mathematics. Simon and Schuster: NY. 1956.
Further Study:
Ciountess of Lovelace, 1815-1852
University of Yale web page for facts and biography of the Countess of Lovelace
Lovelace
Biography and photo of the Countess
|
|
|
Please visit our
affiliate partners that
keeps our site up.
|
|
