![]() ![]() Another advantage is that analog computers can frequently represent and solve a problem in “real time” that is, the computation proceeds at the same rate as the system being modeled by it. One advantage of analog computation is that it may be relatively simple to design and build an analog computer to solve a single problem. Nonetheless, analog computers, and some hybrid digital-analog systems, continued in use through the 1960s in tasks such as aircraft and spaceflight simulation. At first they represented quantities with mechanical components ( see differential analyzer and integrator), but after World War II voltages were used by the 1960s digital computers had largely replaced them. Because so much common knowledge and contextual information is assumed in ordinary human communication, researchers have yet to solve the problem of providing relevant information to general-purpose natural language programs.Ĭomputers and Technology Quiz Analog computersĪnalog computers use continuous physical magnitudes to represent quantitative information. Another problematic area for computers involves natural language interactions. Human minds are skilled at recognizing spatial patterns-easily distinguishing among human faces, for instance-but this is a difficult task for computers, which must process information sequentially, rather than grasping details overall at a glance. Because no universal algorithmic method can exist to identify such propositions, a computer asked to obtain the truth of such a proposition will (unless forcibly interrupted) continue indefinitely-a condition known as the “ halting problem.” ( See Turing machine.) Other limitations reflect current technology. For example, there are undecidable propositions whose truth cannot be determined within a given set of rules, such as the logical structure of a computer. Increasingly, computers can also learn and adapt as they operate.Ĭomputers also have limitations, some of which are theoretical. These questions might be about DNA sequences in genes, patterns of activity in a consumer market, or all the uses of a word in texts that have been stored in a database. They are also cheap enough to be embedded in everyday appliances and to make clothes dryers and rice cookers “smart.” Computers have allowed us to pose and answer questions that could not be pursued before. Their speed has allowed them to make decisions about routing telephone connections through a network and to control mechanical systems such as automobiles, nuclear reactors, and robotic surgical tools. Their capacity to handle large amounts of data has extended the range and accuracy of weather forecasting. ![]() However, as any information can be numerically encoded, people soon realized that computers are capable of general-purpose information processing. The first computers were used primarily for numerical calculations. For details on computer architecture, software, and theory, see computer science. The second section covers the history of computing. The first section of this article focuses on modern digital electronic computers and their design, constituent parts, and applications. Digital calculators: from the Calculating Clock to the ArithmometerĬomputer, device for processing, storing, and displaying information.Ĭomputer once meant a person who did computations, but now the term almost universally refers to automated electronic machinery.Analog calculators: from Napier’s logarithms to the slide rule.SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
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