April 21, 2018 Saturday
Bedtime Story
Note A of Ada Lovelace - Part 14
Tonight we are continuing with the Note A
of Ada Lovelace wherein she is stating something seriously indispensable to the
very construction of the machine – that while Menabrea gave a fine exposition
of the conceptual and mathematical design of the Analytical Engine, the author
of the Edinburgh Review went into the mechanics of the engine, which is of
paramount importance for its existence.
In fact, this mechanical issue turned out
to be so serious that even till date both the computer scientists and engineers
have still not figured out how to construct a workable model of the Analytical
Engine.
Ada Lovelace, perhaps in her zeal and
enthusiasm, failed to grasp the immense complexities that the development of
intricate machinery would involve in the construction of the second engine.
“This could not but be matter of just
regret; and equally so, whether the obstacles may have originated in private
interests and feelings, in considerations of a more public description, or in
causes combining the nature of both such solutions.
We refer the reader to the ‘Edinburgh
Review’ of July 1834, for a very able account of the Difference Engine.
The writer of the article we allude to has
selected as his prominent matter for exposition, a wholly different view of the
subject from that which M. Menabrea has chosen.
The former chiefly treats it under its
mechanical aspect, entering but slightly into the mathematical principles of
which that engine is the representative, but giving, in considerable length,
many details of the mechanism and contrivances by means of which it tabulates
the various orders of differences.
M. Menabrea, on the contrary, exclusively
develops the analytical view; taking it for granted mechanism is able to
perform certain processes, but without attempting to explain how; and devoting
his whole attention to explanations and illustrations of the manner in which
analytical laws can be so arranged and combined as to bring every branch of
that vast subject within the grasp of the assumed powers of mechanism.
It is obvious that, in the invention of a
calculating engine, these two branches of the subject are equally essential
fields of investigation, and that on their mutual adjustment, one to the other,
must depend all success.
They must be made to meet each other, so
that the weak points in the powers of either department may be compensated by
the strong points in those of the other.
They are indissolubly connected, though so
different in their intrinsic nature, that perhaps the same mind may not be
likely to prove equally profound or successful in both.
We know those who doubt whether the powers
of mechanism will in practice prove adequate in all respects to the demands
made upon them in the working of such complicated trains of machinery as those
of the above engines, and who apprehend that unforeseen practical difficulties
and disturbances will arise in the way of accuracy and of facility of
operation.
The Difference Engine, however, appears to
us to be in a great measure an answer to these doubts.
It is complete as far as it goes, and it
does work with all the anticipated success.”
Stay tuned to the voice of an average story storytelling
chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.com
Good night mon ami and my fellow cousin ape.
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Another great educator and a teacher that I am aware of is
Professor Subhashish Chattopadhyay in Bangalore, India.
While I narrate stories, Professor Subhashish an electronic
engineer and a former professor at BARC, does and teaches real mathematics and
physics.
He started the participation of Indian students at the
International Physics Olympiad.
Do visit him here:
All his books can be downloaded for free through this link:
For edutainment and English education of your children, I
recommend this large collection of Halloween Songs for Kids:
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