Computing Frontierswoman
Although Lovelace's algorithm was primitive by today's computing standards, it was definitely a program, a set of instructions for a machine. Writing the world's first computer program, Lovelace explored the beginnings of computer science and the Information Age.
|
Novel General Computing
In her Notes, Lovelace explored the capabilities, besides arithmetic, of the Analytical Engine, stating that it could be programmed to create music and graphics. Her idea of a general-purpose computer was an uncanny prediction of the future of the digital age.
|
"The first [idea] was that a programmable machine like the Analytical Engine could do more than just math. Such machines could process not only numbers but anything that could be notated in symbols, such as words or music or graphical displays. In short, she envisioned what we call a computer." -Walter Isaacson, author of the Innovators [21] |
Lasting Exploration Impact
A century after Lovelace published her Notes, more than a dozen programming languages for modern computers, which range from powerful calculators to phones to desktops, have been developed. Her computer programming exploration laid the foundation for modern computing.