The Library
The centralization of scientific computation in Britain, 1925-1955
Tools
Tools
Tools
Croarken, Mary (1985) The centralization of scientific computation in Britain, 1925-1955. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
|
PDF
WRAP_THESIS_Croarken_1985.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (11Mb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1445849~S1
Abstract
This study examines the organization of scientific computation in Britain over the period 1925-1955. At the beginning of the twentieth century most scientific computation was performed by individuals using logarithm tables and slide rules. By the late 1920s desk calculators and accounting machines had become common computing tools. This thesis looks at the adoption of mechanized computing methods by scientists and traces the centralization of computing effort which subsequently took place.
Chapter 1 identifies nine criteria which are used to analyse the individual computing centres discussed in the thesis, and form a basis for the study. Chapter 1 also looks at scientific computation at the beginning of the twentieth century and gives relevant background information for the remainder of the thesis.
The bulk of the thesis, chapters 2 to 6, describe the computing centres which emerged during 1925-1955. The description begins by looking at L.J. Comrie's work at the Nautical Almanac Office in the late 1920s and goes on to consider the Scientific Computing Service, the Cambridge Mathematical Laboratory, the Admiralty Cotnputing Service and the NPL Mathematics Division. The NPL Mathematics Division is of particular importance as it was set up, in 1945, to act as a national computing centre and represents the pinnacle of centralized computing in Britain.
Similar events in the United States and Europe are described in chapter 7 and are compared and contrasted with centralized computation in Britain. The Unesco International Computation Centre is also described in chapter 7 and some conclusions about the way in which computation in Britain was centralized are given.
| Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Electronic computers. Computer science. Computer software | ||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Computers -- History, Science -- Data processing -- History, Science -- Great Britain -- History, Electronic data processing -- Great Britain -- History | ||||
| Official Date: | December 1985 | ||||
| Dates: |
|
||||
| Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
| Theses Department: | Department of Computer Science | ||||
| Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
| Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
| Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Campbell-Kelly, Martin | ||||
| Sponsors: | Science and Engineering Research Council (Great Britain) | ||||
| Extent: | [12], 306 leaves | ||||
| Language: | eng |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
