The Universal History of Computing: from the Abacu s to the Quantum Computer

GEORGES IFRAH is an independent scholar and former math teacher. E. F. Harding, the primary translator, is a statistician and mathematician who has taught at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Cambridge Universities. SOPHIE WOOD, cotranslator, is a specialist in technical translation from French. Ian Monk, cotranslator, has translated the works of Georges Perec and Daniel Pennac. ELIZABETH CLEGG, cotranslator, is also an interpreter who has worked on a number of government and international agency projects. Guido Waldman, cotranslator, has translated several classic literary works.

PART ONE. Chapter 1: Historical Summary of Arithmetic, Numerical Notation, and Writing Systems. chapter 2: From the Particular to the General: Arithmetic Leads to Algebra. Chapter 3: From Calculation to Calculus. Chapter 4: Binary Arithmetic and Other Non-Decimal Systems. PART TWO. Chapter 5: From Clockwork Calculator to Computer: The History of Automatic Calculation. Chapter 6: What is a Computer? PART TWO. Chapter 7: Information, the New Universal Dimension. Conclusion: Intelligence, Science, and the Future of Mankind. List of Abbreviations. Bibliography. Index.