[SIGCIS-Members] Zuse / binary

[Pierre Mounier-Kuhn]

Indeed a central question is "if rods or binary arithmetic came first" – whether choosing binary arithmetic was driven by technology or by mathematical ideas (basically Leibniz'). It was clear in Von Neumann's " First draft " (1945) that valves and trigger circuits "naturally" led to binary arithmetic, as a net progress from the decimal-based ENIAC. Yet, precisely, valves and trigger circuits had not led to binary arithmetic in the ENIAC. 

The change in technologies, from mechanical components to electrical relays and finally to valves, did not seem to determine the choice, but more likely to enable the switch to binary: Zuse's Z1 mechanical calculator, and simultaneously Couffignal's calculator project, seem to have been designed from the start as binary machines.Their next projects, using electrical relays, were binary as well, while Aiken in Harvard used the same technology to build decimal-based calculators. 

By the way, if we address this question now, hasn't it been studied years and perhaps decades ago by other historians or computer scientists ? Perhaps as a follow-on to Merritt Roe Smith's " Does Technology Drive History "? 

Best, 
Pierre 


De: "Jesper Juul via Members" <members at lists.sigcis.org> 
À: "Evan Koblentz" <evank at njit.edu> 
Cc: "members" <members at lists.sigcis.org> 
Envoyé: Samedi 8 Juillet 2023 14:05:11 
Objet: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Zuse / binary 

In Raúl Rojas' paper on the Z1/Z3(1), he writes that "instead of using gears (as Babbage had done in the previous century), Zuse implemented logical and arithmetical operations using sliding metallic rods. The rods could move in only one of two directions (forward or backward) and therefore were appropriate for a binary machine." The Z1 is 1936-38. 

This doesn't quite explain if rods or binary arithmetic came first, but there is a footnote to Zuse's book "Der Computer mein Lebenswerk". 

As a side note, I can recommend seeing the Z1 in the Technical Museum in Berlin if you are near. 

Jesper Juul 

1) [ https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/Zuse_Z1_and_Z3.pdf | https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/Zuse_Z1_and_Z3.pdf ] 

On Fri, 7 Jul 2023 at 18:34, Evan Koblentz via Members < [ mailto:members at lists.sigcis.org | members at lists.sigcis.org ] > wrote: 


What are some good articles addressing why Zuse, Aiken, Stibitz, etc. 
decided to use binary (or not)? 

-- 
Evan Koblentz 

New Jersey Institute of Technology 
- Senior Writer, Office of Communications and Marketing 
- Adjunct Instructor, Ying Wu College of Computing 
- Faculty/Staff Advisor, NJIT Lego Club 

[ mailto:evank at njit.edu | evank at njit.edu ] 
(973) 596-3065 
[ https://web.njit.edu/~evank | https://web.njit.edu/~evank ] 

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