Tom Forsyth on Nostr: nprofile1q…nzc3x I never understood why Babbage didn't build a smaller Analytical ...
nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnddaehgu3wwp6kyqpql4052f5la6267hqsxx3jnk7sm2q6ptufuhx7e2k3vw3lccyv7upqqnzc3x (nprofile…zc3x) I never understood why Babbage didn't build a smaller Analytical Engine with only a few digits, and a relatively small memory.
We know he knew how to emulate a larger machine with a smaller one - he wrote about it. But he was writing about making a 50-digit machine emulate a 100-digit machine (and today we know both to be a totally useless amount of precision).
Even a 4-digit machine would have been extremely useful, if rather slow. But it would have proved it worked.
Very puzzling.
We know he knew how to emulate a larger machine with a smaller one - he wrote about it. But he was writing about making a 50-digit machine emulate a 100-digit machine (and today we know both to be a totally useless amount of precision).
Even a 4-digit machine would have been extremely useful, if rather slow. But it would have proved it worked.
Very puzzling.