Slow, error-prone calculations by hand were unavoidable in the early 19th century, yet even small mistakes could ruin the designs for buildings and the journeys of ships; Charles Babbage’s ingenious ...

As you might expect from its name, the "Difference Engine" is a strangely difficult object to describe. You might start by imagining the side of a large crib with uprights ringed by small metal wheels ...

v. 1. Mathematical papers -- v. 2. The difference engine and table making -- v. 3. The analytical engine and mechanical notation -- v. 4-5. Scientific and miscellaneous papers -- v. 6. A comparative ...

Difference Engine A numerical table is a tool designed to save the time and labor of those engaged in computing work. The oldest tables which are preserved, were compiled in Babylon in the period 1800 ...