The Computer from Pascal to von Neumann

Herman H. Goldstine

ISBN 10: 0691081042 / ISBN 13: 9780691081045

Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1972

Very good, tight binding, clean pages, some toning to end papers and light foxing to text block. Very good dust jacket, intact but shows wear to edges and tips, as well as foxing. Presumed first edition (unstated)/ Hardcover. 377 pp (w/ index). In September or 1942, Lt. Herman H. Goldstine, a former mathematics professor, was placed in charge of Ballistic Research at the University of PA Moore School of Electrical Engineering. His subsequent achievement was the creation of ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer. Here, he combines history and scientific autobiography in his account of the development of early computing technology and John von Neaumann's role in the prototypes. Seller Inventory # E31371

Synopsis:

In 1942, Lt. Herman H. Goldstine, a former mathematics professor, was stationed at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. It was there that he assisted in the creation of the ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer. The ENIAC was operational in 1945, but plans for a new computer were already underway. The principal source of ideas for the new computer was John von Neumann, who became Goldstine's chief collaborator. Together they developed EDVAC, successor to ENIAC. After World War II, at the Institute for Advanced Study, they built what was to become the prototype of the present-day computer. Herman Goldstine writes as both historian and scientist in this first examination of the development of computing machinery, from the seventeenth century through the early 1950s. His personal involvement lends a special authenticity to his narrative, as he sprinkles anecdotes and stories liberally through his text.

About the Author: Herman H. Goldstine is currently Executive Officer of the American Philosophical Society.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Computer from Pascal to von Neumann
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ
Publication Date: 1972
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: very good
Edition: Presumed first edition.