Ancient Computing Technology

Did you know . . . • Ancient cultures measured time accurately with water clocks? • An engineer in the first century B.C. designed an odometer to calculate distance traveled? • People computed the first values of pi about four thousand years ago? Computing technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used basic computing skills. They counted by carving tally marks in bone. They used body parts and basic tools to measure. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about computing. People in the ancient Middle East used scales to measure goods for trading. The ancient Egyptians wrote textbooks including multiplication and division problems. The ancient Chinese developed an abacus for speedy calculations. Ancient Greeks made advances in geometry. What kinds of tools and techniques did ancient mathematicians use? Which of their inventions and discoveries have stood the test of time? And how did the ancients set the stage for our own modern computing? Learn more in Ancient Computing Technology.

Describes the mathematical technology used by ancient societies, covering techniques used for counting, measurements, weights, time, and calculations, including the ancient civilizations of China, Greece, Rome, India, and the Middle East.

This revised edition of the popular reference and textbook outlines the historical developments in computing technology. It explains and describes historical aspects of calculation with an emphasis on the physical devices used in different times to aid people in their attempts at automating the process of arithmetic.

Tracing the story of computing from Babylonian counting boards to smartphones, this inspiring textbook provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of computing, together with discussion exercises to stimulate deeper investigation into this fascinating area. Features: provides chapter introductions, summaries, key topics, and review questions; includes an introduction to analogue and digital computers, and to the foundations of computing; examines the contributions of ancient civilisations to the field of computing; covers the first digital computers, and the earliest commercial computers, mainframes and minicomputers; describes the early development of the integrated circuit and the microprocessor; reviews the emergence of home computers; discusses the creation of the Internet, the invention of the smartphone, and the rise of social media; presents a short history of telecommunications, programming languages, operating systems, software engineering, artificial intelligence, and databases.

Discusses the methods of computation developed in various civilizations around the world, from prehistoric times up until the end of the Roman Empire.

The two volumes IFIP AICT 478 and 479 constitute the refereed post-conference proceedings of the 9th IFIP WG 5.14 International Conference on Computer and Computing Technologies in Agriculture, CCTA 2015, held in Beijing, China, in September 2015. The 122 revised papers included in this volume were carefully selected from 237 submissions. They cover a wide range of interesting theories and applications of information technology in agriculture, including intelligent sensing, monitoring and automatic control technology; key technology and models of the Internet of things; intelligent technology for agricultural equipment; computer vision; computer graphics and virtual reality; computer simulation, optimization and modeling; cloud computing and agricultural applications; agricultural big data; decision support systems and expert systems; 3s technology and precision agriculture; quality and safety of agricultural products; detection and tracing technology; and agricultural electronic commerce technology.

This lively and fascinating text traces the key developments in computation – from 3000 B.C. to the present day – in an easy-to-follow and concise manner. Topics and features: ideal for self-study, offering many pedagogical features such as chapter-opening key topics, chapter introductions and summaries, exercises, and a glossary; presents detailed information on major figures in computing, such as Boole, Babbage, Shannon, Turing, Zuse and Von Neumann; discusses the earliest computers developed in the United States, Germany and Britain; discusses the development of the IBM 360 family of computers and its importance; discusses the invention of the transistor and integrated circuit; discusses the birth of the software industry and the evolution of human-computer interaction; reviews the history of programming languages, operating systems and software engineering; discusses the progress of artificial intelligence; discusses the invention of the microprocessor and the development of home and personal computers; examines the impact on society of the introduction of the personal computer, the World Wide Web, and the development of mobile phone technology; discusses smart phones and social media and the challenge of fake news; reviews a miscellany of innovations in the computing field such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and Quantum Computing; discusses legal aspects of computing and the professional responsibilities of computer professionals.

Exploring a vast array of topics related to computation, Computing: A Historical and Technical Perspective covers the historical and technical foundation of ancient and modern-day computing. The book starts with the earliest references to counting by humans, introduces various number systems, and discusses mathematics in early civilizations. It guides readers all the way through the latest advances in computer science, such as the design and analysis of computer algorithms. Through historical accounts, brief technical explanations, and examples, the book answers a host of questions, including: Why do humans count differently from the way current electronic computers do? Why are there 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, etc.? Who invented numbers, when were they invented, and why are there different kinds? How do secret writings and cryptography date back to ancient civilizations? Innumerable individuals from many cultures have contributed their talents and creativity to formulate what has become our mathematical and computing heritage. By bringing together the historical and technical aspects of computing, this book enables readers to gain a deep appreciation of the long evolutionary processes of the field developed over thousands of years. Suitable as a supplement in undergraduate courses, it provides a self-contained historical reference source for anyone interested in this important and evolving field.