Computing

The University of York

The University of York is a research-intensive university located in the historic city of York, United Kingdom. It has established itself as one of the top universities in the UK and worldwide. The university has a diverse community of over 18,000 students from over 150 countries, and offers a wide...

George Boole: The Father of Boolean Algebra

George Boole was a 19th-century mathematician and philosopher who is widely regarded as the founder of modern symbolic logic and Boolean algebra. Born in Lincoln, England, in 1815, Boole was a self-taught mathematician who developed an interest in algebra and logic at a young age. Boole’s most significant contribution to...

The Slide Rule

This mechanical analogue computer was invented in the 1600s. The middle section of the ruler could be slid out to work out mathematical functions by reading the numbers on the scale. The slide rule, also known as a slipstick, is a mechanical device used for performing mathematical calculations. It was...

Analogue Computers

An analogue computer is a type of computer that uses physical components and electrical signals to perform mathematical operations. These computers were prevalent from the 1930s to the 1960s and were used for a variety of applications, including scientific research, engineering, and military calculations. The earliest analogue computers used mechanical...

The IBM card

The IBM card, also known as the IBM punch card, was a standard for data storage and processing during the early days of computing. The cards were first introduced by IBM in the early 1920s and quickly became a widely used method for recording and storing data, from census data...

1837: The Analytical Engine

The Analytical Engine, designed by Charles Babbage in 1837, is considered by many to be the first general-purpose digital computer. Babbage, a mathematician and inventor, had been working on designs for mechanical calculators since the early 1800s, but the Analytical Engine represented a significant leap forward in computing technology. The...

1822: The Difference Engine

The Difference Engine is a fascinating piece of computing history, developed by the British mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage in 1822. The machine was designed to perform mathematical calculations automatically and was considered one of the earliest forms of mechanical calculators. The concept behind the Difference Engine was based on...