Computing: A Historical and Technical Perspective

by Yoshihide Igarashi

Overview

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 Suitable as a supplement in undergraduate courses, it provides a self-contained historical reference source for anyone interested in this important and evolving field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781482227413
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/27/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Yoshihide Igarashi, Tom Altman, Mariko Funada, Barbara Kamiyama

Table of Contents

The Dawn of Counting. Representation of Numbers. Rational and Irrational Numbers. Prime Numbers. Euclid's Elements. Diophantus of Alexandria and Arithmetica. Secret Writing in Ancient Civilization. The Abacus. Book of Calculation by Fibonacci. Decimal Fractions and Logarithms. Calculating Machines. Solutions to Algebraic Equations. Real and Complex Numbers. Cardinality. Boolean Algebras and Applications. Computability and Its Limitations. Cryptography from the Medieval to the Modern Ages. Electronic Computers. Numerical Methods. Modular Arithmetic. Cybernetics and Information Theory. Error-Detecting and -Correcting Codes. Automata and Formal Languages. Artificial Intelligence. Programming Languages. Algorithms and Computational Complexity. The Design of Computer Algorithms. Parallel and Distributed Computing. Computer Networks. Public-Key Cryptography. Quantum Computing. Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a remarkable book. Written by four authors, it consists of a collection of 31 self-contained papers that explain many different concepts related to computing and place them in an historical context. The papers are generally accessible for the layman and relatively short … a compact encyclopedia of computing involving all aspects, such as mathematics, software, and hardware."
—A. Bultheel, The European Mathematical Society, June 2014

"... written at a reasonable level for undergraduates and some (or all) of the chapters could be assigned as supplemental reading for a variety of computer science courses. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates."
—P. Cull, Oregon State University in CHOICE Magazine, February 2015 Vol. 52 No. 6
Read the full review at http://choiceconnect.org/webclipping/186232/2-2i7b4u54y72-zyzzdoi2_n2p6krpzhopqiqh3j_pe2o4nbqq

From the Publisher