Charles babbage

Charles Babbage (December 26, 1791–October 18, 1871) was an English mathematician and inventor who is credited with having conceptualized the first digital programmable computer. Designed in 1821, Babbage’s “Difference Engine No. 1” was the first successful, error-free automatic calculating machine and is considered to be the inspiration for modern programmable computers. Often called the “Father of the Computer,” Babbage was also a prolific writer, with a wide number of interests including mathematics, engineering, economics, politics, and technology. • Known For: Originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. • Also Known As: The Father of Computing • Born: December 26, 1791 in London, England • Parents: Benjamin Babbage and Elizabeth Pumleigh Teape • Died: October 18, 1871 in London, England • Education: Cambridge University • Published Works: Passages from the Life of a Philosopher, Reflections on the Decline of Science in England • Awards and Honors: Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society • Spouse: Georgiana Whitmore • Children: Dugald, Benjamin, and Henry • Notable Quote: “The errors which arise from the absence of facts are far more numerous and more durable than those which result from unsound reasoning respecting true data.” Early Life and Education Charles Babbage was born on December 26, 1791, in London, England, the eldest of four children born to London banker Benjamin Babbage and Elizabeth Pumleigh Teape. Only Charles and his sister Mary Ann...

The calculating engines of English mathematician Charles Babbage (1791-1871) are among the most celebrated icons in the prehistory of computing. Babbage’s Difference Engine No.1 was the first successful automatic calculator and remains one of the finest examples of precision engineering of the time. Babbage is sometimes referred to as "father of computing." The International Charles Babbage Society (later the Charles Babbage Institute) took his name to honor his intellectual contributions and their relation to modern computers. Biography Charles Babbage was born on December 26, 1791, the son of Benjamin Babbage, a London banker. As a youth Babbage was his own instructor in algebra, of which he was passionately fond, and was well read in the continental mathematics of his day. Upon entering Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1811, he found himself far in advance of his tutors in mathematics. Babbage co-founded the Analytical Society for promoting continental mathematics and reforming the mathematics of Newton then taught at the university. In his twenties Babbage worked as a mathematician, principally in the calculus of functions. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1816 and played a prominent part in the foundation of the Astronomical Society (later Royal Astronomical Society) in 1820. It was about this time that Babbage first acquired the interest in calculating machinery that became his consuming passion for the remainder of his life. In 1821 Babbage invented the...

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica Facts Born December 26, 1791 • Died October 18, 1871 (aged 79) • Inventions Did You Know? • Among his many projects, Charles labored on lighthouse signals and a version of tic-tac-toe. • Babbage was a very popular dinner guest because of his story-telling skills. • Babbage worked outside mathematics on code-breaking and philosophy, as well. Photos and Videos

The Difference Engine Babbage was a founding member of Britain’s Royal Astronomical Society, and he soon saw opportunities for innovation in this field. Astronomers had to make lengthy, difficult, and time-consuming calculations that could be riddled with errors. When these tables were being used in high stakes situations, such as for navigation logarithms, the errors could prove fatal. In response, Babbage hoped to create an automatic device that would produce flawless tables. In 1822, he wrote to the Society’s president, Sir When Babbage approached the British government for funding, they gave him what was one of the globe’s first government grants for technology. Babbage spent this money to hire one of the best machinists he could find to make the parts: Joseph Clement (1779–1844). And there would be a lot of parts: 25,000 were planned. In 1830, Babbage decided to relocate, creating a workshop that was immune to fire in an area that was free from dust on his own property. Construction ceased in 1833, when Clement refused to continue without advance payment. However, Babbage was not a politician; he lacked the ability to smooth relationships with successive governments, and, instead, alienated people with his impatient demeanor. By this time the government had spent £17,500, no more was coming, and Babbage had only one-seventh of the calculating unit finished. But even in this reduced and nearly hopeless state, the machine was at the cutting edge of world technology. Dif...

" " Charles Babbage created the concept of a programmable computer. National Library of Wales/Wikimedia Commons We could argue that the first computer was the abacus or its descendant, the slide rule, Before Babbage came along, a "computer" was a person, someone who literally sat around all day, adding and subtracting numbers and entering the results into tables. The tables then appeared in books, so other people could use them to complete tasks, such as launching artillery shells accurately or calculating In fact, It was, in fact, a mammoth number-crunching project that inspired Babbage in the first place. In 1792 the French government had appointed Gaspard de Prony to supervise the Unfortunately, once the 18 volumes of tables – with one more describing mathematical procedures – were complete, they were never published. In 1819, Babbage visited the City of Light and viewed the unpublished manuscript with page after page of tables. If only, he wondered, there was a way to produce such tables faster, with less manpower and fewer mistakes. He thought of the many marvels generated by the Industrial Revolution. If creative and hardworking inventors could develop the cotton gin and the steam locomotive, then why not a machine to make calculations? Babbage returned to England and decided to build just such a machine. His first vision was something he dubbed the difference engine, which worked on the principle of finite differences, or making complex mathematical calculations by ...

Charles Babbage (1791-1871), computer pioneer, designed the first automatic computing engines. He invented computers but failed to build them. The first complete Babbage Engine was completed in London in 2002, 153 years after it was designed. Difference Engine No. 2, built faithfully to the original drawings, consists of 8,000 parts, weighs five tons, and measures 11 feet long. We invite you to learn more about this extraordinary object, its designer Charles Babbage and the team of people who undertook to build it. Discover the wonder of a future already passed. A sight no Victorian ever saw.

(1791-1871) Synopsis Charles Babbage was an English mathematician, philosopher and inventor born on December 26, 1791, in London, England. Often called “The Father of Computing,” Babbage detailed plans for mechanical Calculating Engines, Difference Engines, and Analytical Engines. Babbage died on October 18, 1871, in London. QUICK FACTS • Name: Charles Babbage • Birth Year: 1791 • Birth date: December 26, 1791 • Birth City: London • Birth Country: England • Gender: Male • Best Known For: Charles Babbage was known for his contributions to the first mechanical computers, which laid the groundwork for more complex future designs. • Industries • Technology and Engineering • Business and Industry • Education and Academia • Internet/Computing • Astrological Sign: Capricorn • Schools • Trinity College, Cambridge • Peterhouse, Cambridge • Death Year: 1871 • Death date: October 18, 1871 • Death City: London • Death Country: England Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, CITATION INFORMATION • Article Title: Charles Babbage Biography • Author: Biography.com Editors • Website Name: The Biography.com website • Url: https://www.biography.com/inventors/charles-babbage • Access Date: • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks • Last Updated: October 26, 2021 • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014 A Part of Hearst Digital Media We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. ©2023 Hearst Magazine Me...