handling numerical data. Data are entered using a small keypad on the face of the cal-
culator; the output (or result) is most commonly a single number on an LCD (Liquid
Crystal Display) or other display. It took a long time to go from the electronic motor-
driven mechanical calculator to the electronic calculator. In 1961, the company Sum-
lock Comptometer of England introduced the ANITA(A New Inspiration To Arith-
metic), the first electronic calculator.MODERN COMPUTERS
AND MATHEMATICS
What is the definition of a modern computerin today’s sense of the word?
In general, and simply put, a computer is a machine that performs a series of mathe-
matical calculations or logic operations automatically. Computer specialists often
divide computers into two types: An analog computeroperates on continuously vary-
ing data; a digital computerperforms operations on discrete data.
The majority of today’s computers easily process information much faster than
any human. The response (output) of a computer depends on the data (input) of the
user, usually controlled by a computer program. A computer also can perform a large
number of complex operations, and can process, store, and retrieve data without
human interference.
There is a great deal of overlap for the word “computer.” In a more archaic sense,
a computer is called an electronic computer, or computing machine or device; the
more common expressions include data processors or information processing sys-
tems. But remember, there is a definite difference between a computer and a calculat-
ing machine: a computer is able to store a computer program that allows the machine
to repeat operations and make logic decisions.What problemswere computersoriginally invented to solve?
Originally, computers were invented to solve numerical problems. Now, very few
mathematicians, scientists, computer scientists, and engineers can imagine a world
without computers. Advances in technology have also led to an increase in accuracy,
the number of problems that can be solved, and the speed in solving those problems—
a far cry from the earliest computers.What type of number systemis used by modern computers?
Modern computers use the binary system,a system that represents information using
sequences of 0s and 1s. It is based on powers of 2, unlike our decimal system based on
360 powers of 10. This is because in the binary system, another number place is added