Ada Lovelace
The World’s First Computer Programmer
by Beverley Adams
Pub Date 30 Mar 2023
Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pen & Sword and Netgalley have provided me with a copy of Ada Lovelace for review:
While Ada Lovelace is not a name you would automatically associate with computer science, she was the first person to create a computer algorithm. As part of her work with Charles Babbage, Lovelace translated notes on Babbage's new mechanical computer, The Analytical Engine, and discovered that it was capable of much more than simple mathematical calculations.
Although Lovelace was a mathematical genius, she was also a figure of great scrutiny as the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron. Ada was abandoned by her father at the age of four weeks, and she spent her childhood under the strict care of her mother who was determined that her daughter would not inherit the so-called Byron madness. Throughout her education, she ensured that Ada was denied all things that were considered exciting, and was instead pushed to concentrate on logical subjects such as science and mathematics. Did this strict approach prove to be effective? Did Ada Lovelace inherit more than her father's genius?
Besides being a daughter, a wife, and a mother, Ada was also an inspirational woman, who defied Victorian ideals by pursuing mathematical studies and achieving greatness that is still recognized today.
I give Ada Lovelace five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment