grace murray hopper (1 Ergebnisse)

First edition of the landmark operating manual for the Harvard Mark I, largely written by Grace Hopper, "one of the most famous of the postwar computer pioneers" (OOC). Also known as the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, the electromechanical Mark I was designed by the American physicist Howard Aiken. Hopper joined Aiken's team in 1944 and became its chief programmer. The Mark I became fully operational in May 1944 and was almost immediately commandeered for war work by the US Navy, after which Hopper was tasked with writing an instruction manual for it. This task was "so monumental that she referred to her project as a computer 'bible'. It was a detailed treatment of Mark I's physical components, operation, and maintenance. Most importantly, the manual described with elaborate care how to program Mark I, thus becoming the first ever computer programming textbook" (Harvard). Hopper acted as general editor and was chief author of the first three chapters and the eight appendices. The manual was published as the first volume of the Annals of the Computation Laboratory; its niche technical purpose meant it circulated in relatively low numbers. Hopper became involved with a number of other influential technological developments: she was central to the development of UNIVAC, the first commercial computer; she created the first compiler, the system that allows programming in plain English rather than numerical code; and she co-developed the commercial language COBOL. She retired from the Navy in 1986 as a Rear Admiral. Aiken, after seeing his machine through a further three versions, established Harvard's advanced-degree programme in computing. Origins of Cyberspace 411. "The Mark I Computer at Harvard University", Harvard University online. Quarto. With 17 full-page black-and-white photographic plates, diagrams and tables within the text. Original dark blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt. Later vignette bookplate to front pastedown with name effaced. Spine toned, minor wear to spine ends and corners, light browning to contents. A very good copy.