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until 1854

Formalization 1854-1937

Revolutions 1937-1951

Electronic Age

ethymology of symbols

ethymology of keywords

Location: http://www.cs.mun.ca/~ulf/csh/. By Ulf Schünemann since 251198. Any comments are welcome.

Ulf's Comprehensive History of Information and Computing

This history comprises many threads of development (some of which are set up to be read as threads):

• information representation: number notations and other mathematical notation; ideographic and speech notations (and encodings for cryptography and telecommunication); diagrammatic notations; music notations (and encoding for processors); programming languages (cf. also calculi), software design notations ...
• the study of information representation: syntax (± related formalism), grammar (categories, functions), linguistic debate
• information concepts: meaning (linguistics, logic, PL theory), classification, abstraction: generalization and aggregation, modeling
• calculating principle (number systems and arithmetics in them): decimal system, binary arithmetics, analog.
• formal/theory: logic, symbolism (symbolic representation and manipulation of information), axiomatization of mathematics and logic (symbolism, logicism, formalism, ...), calculi for formal symbolic computation; limits of number-notation/algebra algorithms, computational theory (computability, complexity, etc.);
• programming: module concept ...
• hardware technology: wetware (brain), fine mechanics, mechanical in calculators, electro-magnetic, electronic.
• computing hardware: information (re)producers [more, printing], keyboards, calculating aides, processors, calculators, logic calculators, interpreters, computers.
• operating systems, networks, middleware, applications (games, hypertext, viruses ...)
• quotes, social effects, language, terminology [incomplete],
• people with several entries (list might be out of sync): Charles Babbage, J Backus, Vannevar Bush, Douglas Engelbart, Gottlieb Frege, Grace Hopper, Stephen C Kleene, John McCarthy, Robin Milner, Ted Nelson, Emil Post, Alan Turing, C E Shannon, Norbert Wiener, Maurice Wilkes, N Wirth.

The Timeline shows in parallel the developments within several areas related to information representation & processing, computer engineering, and programming.
Areas:  material production,  thought/idea/concept,  speech,  music,  numeric/arithmetic/scientific,  logic,  text data (+/- formatting etc.),  symbolic (syntactic),  algebraic,  tool for other applications.
 2-valued (binary),  diagrams/graphical,  calculi

Time

Endoding/ Repres./ Notation

Hardware Technology

Machine bio-/hard-/software

Operating Principle

logic, ...

Concepts

(invented --> used in machine)

(designed/in use)

(invented --> delayed realization in machine)

THE BIOLOGICAL AGE (3.5 bill. B.C. - 1820 A.D.)

chemical catalysis

Self-Replication

protein:RNA

Processors

Decoding

3 500 000 000 BC

processing environment

RNA:DNA

: Translators

translation, redundant information

1 500 000 000 BC

centralized information

350 000 000 BC         chance for hexadecimal instead of decimal

speech

THE HUMAN AGE

counting

20 000+ BC         5/unary tally system

bone aide

15 000 BC

drawings

8000 BC

script syllabic

prime numbers

2000 BC

positional (60) base 12, base 10

number theory

alphabet

abacus arithmetics (bi-quinary)

binary mult.

500 BC

fine mechanics (gears ...)

automata

CLASSICAL LINGUISTICS grammar, parts of speech, grammatical categories, form vs. meaning

digit 0

| |

CLASSICAL LOGIC 2-valued logic: => syllogism, reductio ad absurdum, bivalence, excluded middle, consistency, model logic, ...; propositional logic, liar paradox, ...

0 ... 9 and number 0

| |

decimal arithmetics

is-a:has-a object:quality:relation:activity iteration

830 AD

| |

block printer, movable types

Algorithm supposition, adjective

----.

knowledge rep.

|

symbol-combinatoric logic

|

|

INVENTION OF SPECIAL PURPOSE DEVICES

|

13xx

=>

=> peg

`-->

Processors: machines programable       with machine readable data (0th gen. PL)

|  |

featural +  -  .    =  <  x  x2  crypto:  => 5

()            Gutenberg

logarithmic arithmetics

|     |

1622

× ÷  :    :  ,

Calculators: mechanizing single algorithms

|

Real Char. Lingua  Generalis

stepped drum (mechanical)

Binary  arithmetics:  =>

() thoughts as calculations idealism: abstraction

|  |

weaving pattern =>   =>  weaving pattern =>

=> punch => punch => punch

(writing machine) COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY

|  |

THE MECHANICAL (ELECTRICAL) AGE (1820-1951)

1820

?......?

COMMERCIAL CALCULATORS

|

=>  => bi-quinary

relay   (el-mag.)

| |

|-> |

Generators of output with internal memory |

__  | | |

1837

TELECOMM  => 5×? int./ops. =>   => Morse

UNICATION => 5 parallel el. => punch => el./punch

`->

`->

Interpreter (new: control unit) [1000 × 1040 RAM]

General Purpose with machine language (1st gen. PL) (conditional jumps, loops), + function libraries

<-|-' __|_ | |

(mem.)

numerism: / =>

completeness

| |

1854

=> Morse => 2    => analog

=> punch Atlantic cable => el.

(keyb.)

FORMALIZATION - ALGEBRAIC LOGIC   Boolean algebra  =>

REVOLUTION OF MATH & LOGIC sign:concept:object

| | | |

+ (or) Baudot: 128 => 5(sh)

=> el.

pin wheel integrator

typewriter

|  |

constructive mathematics

| | | |

typesetting =>

=> punch

()

linotype

|  |

logicism: / => SYMBOLIC LOGIC: => () mathematical logic

| |   | |

|-

el. motor

Circuit logic  => el.

primitive recursion sense:reference, (un)saturated exp., extensional abstraction, subclass:metaclass

| | | |

1893

22/40 => 12

=> punch

`-->

COMMERCIAL PROCESSORS

?-' |

Murray: 128 => 5(sh) (NUL, LF, CR, DEL)

=> el.

vacuum tube (electronic)

| |

libraries theory of types MODERN LINGUISTICS signifier:signified intuitionism

| |   | |

|   flip flop

"robot"

|

"referential transparency"

| |

analog (photo, num.) Gödel: formulae =>  ITA2: 128 => 5(sh) (SP, BEL)

=> el.    => el.

|   analog |

| |

truth table, productions

currying feedback loop recursion incompleteness denotation:connotation object:meta level homoestasis, recursive functions, Post machines, Turing machines (with oracle)

| |   | |

1934

| | |

Binary logic  => => => el.

| | | |

^    Church:  =>

( TM)

()   Virtual             interpreter

|| ||

| |   | |

COMPUTER ENGINEERING REVOLUTIONS

relay

<-'|

| |

1937 race for binary and electronic

binary coded numbers (16b fixed, 22b float, complex) 8-bit 1-address instructions

|

relay

mech/relay

<--'

<-'-'

`-->

relay relay

<-'

"5 computers for world"

(robot laws)

1944 race for stored program

10 digit fixed-pt (10's compl.)

"computer" "6 computers for USA"

dec+parallel

mech/relay+dec

Stored Program Concept

closed subroutine, array and n-tuple (datatype), break, continue

transistor

dec?

|

intension:extension

flow charts

1948 race for commerce

| (electronic)

relay+tube tube only tube + delay line

Computers

<-'

indirect jump

|   stepped |   drum 2

virtual virtual

interpreter Program-Generator

calculating programs:   =>

Information/Communication Theory, Cybernetics syntactics:semantics:pragmatics what signals mean for a system

THE ELECTRONIC AGE (1951-present)

stack memory subroutine as module compilation & return stack

1951 race for HLPL

*, /

|

COMMERCIAL COMPUTERS - for experts

| |

1st gen.: leased, vacuum tube

virtual assembly machines census processing with ... ???

assembly language (2nd gen. PL) cybernetic model "why more than machine language?"

1957: Sputnik

** begin, end, := Fieldata:  => 7  (alphabetical order, TAB, BS, EOF, ESC , ESC) up arrow, E

| | | v

magnetic core memory micro-programmable CPU

Batch OS ("2nd" gen.) compilers interpreters OCR Air Force warning system "data processing is a fad"

HLPL (3rd gen. PL)

symbolic program:   =>

int, float, arrays, functions as values, symbolic computation, recursion finite automaton "artificial intelligence"

AI dpt

Transistor Computers (2nd gen.) with magnetic core memory. integrated circuits |       CRT, mouse

perceptron time-sharing windows

2nd gen. HLPL: algorithmic abstraction block structure, records BNF, syntax directed compilation

"CS" dpt

"byte" ASCII:  => 7 (@, FF, VT) EBCDIC:  => 8 GOST:  => 8

| | v

virtual memory lightpen   liquid crystals   desktop CRT calculator

airline reservation system synthesized music GUI deterministic chaos, fuzzy sets

3rd gen. HLPL: data abstraction l-value, "first-class citizens" Prototype Petri nets

1965 for users

ASCII:  => 7 (^, _)

Integrated Circuits (3rd gen.) in mainframes, desktop minicomputers, hand-held calculators. "Moore's law"

Multiprogramming/Time- Sharing OS (3rd gen.): virtual CPUs "hypertext"

object program:   =>

COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE streams by delayed eval., foldr classes, inheritance, type-test ad-hoc vs parametric polymorphism

1969: Appolo

ISO:  => 7

"What is the microchip good for?" microprocessor available floppy

Arpanet neural networks

logic program:   =>  F2

"Software Engineering": reusable components, information hiding, , semantic networks semantic domains, store, continuations "case" procedural data

1974

MOS Microprocessors (4th gen.) in mainframes, desktop microcomputers, programmable pocket calculators, calculator watches. first large RISC

ATM voice recognition "chaos"

F2 ADT program:   =>

monitors protection domain, principal prime programs programming in the large, ORM, ER procedural data

1977/78

CP437:  => 8 :-) :-(

"no computers at home" "640k is enough"

race for killer apps on PCs:    Office applications:    spreadsheets, word processors Arpanet -> Internet

functional program:   =>  "paradigms" with message passing relational program: ...

Module constructs, iterator, exceptions, rendezvous, and Structured analysis & design intersection types Actors EBNF interleave infinite streams structural operational semantics

1983

postscript ISO:  => 8 gif, jpeg HTML Unicode:  => 16

PC: man of the year HCs, laptop computers become affordable (PC), easy to use (GUI), and useful (apps.) for everybody.

Network / Real-Time OS (4th gen.) "cyberspace" PC viruses WWW, browser

mesg F< (w. records) mesg

association inheritance, conceptual graphs, state charts Second software crisis: OO methods + HLPL design by contract structure, signature, functor monad subtype-bounded quantification, type =/= class, F-bounded, class = self-polym. generator, mixin "Software Architecture" <- large systems

1995 for every- body

notebook, PDA ...

COMMERCIAL INTERNET: the browser war Windows viruses - world wide the "new economy" hype

for objects for objects

design patterns open source the "millenium bug" hype

Note: The partitioning in Ages and the introductory comments for each are my own product. The basis for distinguishing Ages was society, not inventions themselves, where a good indication is the commercial success of inventions. The chronologic entries are nearly completely taken from other sources without personal verification. In case of conflict the more precise source is prefered. In most cases the references are given.

Disclaimer: A number of the many links to my web sources have become broken. I hesitate removing them, since even a broken link might give some hint where my information came from, or were it might have moved to.

Open Questions