Claude E Shannon / Mathematical Theory of the Differential Analyzer offprint

Description: The offprint issueMathematical Theory of the Differential Analyzer [offprint] Author: Shannon, Claude E. [Elwood] Title: Mathematical Theory of the Differential Analyzer [offprint] Publication: [Cambridge, Massachusetts]: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] December 1941 Description: 337-354 pages. 9 15/16 x 6 7/8 inches. Publisher's pale green printed wrappers. Stapled near the spine (several rust stains). Soft crease to upper right corners. Near Fine. Wraps. The Journal of Mathematics and Physics, Vol XX, No. 4, December 1941, first published this paper. Here offered in offprint form.As he was completing his undergraduate work in Michigan, Shannon noticed [a note tacked to a bulletin board] in the spring of 1936 "just as he was considering what was to come after his undergraduate days were over. The job - master's student and assistant on the differential analyzer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - was tailor-made for a young man who could find equal joy in equations and construction, thinking, and building. 'I pushed hard for that job and got it. That was one of the luckiest things of my life,' Shannon would later say...Shannon's study of the electrical switches directing the guts of that mechanical behemoth led him to an insight at the foundation of our digital age: that switches could do far more than control the flow of electricity through circuits - that they could be used to evaluate any logical statement we could think of, could even appear to 'decide'...That leap, as Walter Isaacson put it, 'became the basic concept underlying all digital computers..' It was Shannon's first great feat of abstraction. He was only twenty-one." (Mind at Play, xii, xiii, 20)In 1938 in his monumental master's thesis "A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits," Shannon published that leap. A few years later, he published the mathematical theory behind the Differential Analyzer [as here] in some detail."The Differential Analyzer is a machine developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the direction of Dr. V. [Vannevar] Bush for the purpose of obtaining numerical solutions to ordinary differential equations. The fundamental principles underlying the Differential Analyzer were first conceived by Lord Kelvin, but at the time, it was impossible, due to mechanical difficulties, to construct a machine of the type he contemplated. The same principles were discovered independently by Dr. Bush and his associates, and the first Differential Analyzer was completed in 1931. The inherent mechanical difficulties were overcome by means of several ingenious devices such as torque amplifiers, backlash correcting units, and improved machine working technologies ... In this paper, the mathematical aspects of the Differential Analyzer will be considered. The most important results deal with conditions under which functions of one or more variables can be generated and conditions under which ordinary differential equations can be solved. Some attention will also be given to approximation of functions (which cannot be generated exactly), approximation of gear ratios, and automatic speed control" (Introduction, pp 337-338)PROVENANCE: The personal files of Claude E. Shannon (unmarked). There were multiple examples of this item in Shannon's files.REFERENCES:Sloane and Wyner, "Claude Elwood Shannon Collected Papers," #6Soni and Goodman, "A Mind at Play - How Claude Shanon Invented the Information Age," Simon and Schuster: 2017. Seller ID: 29290 Subject: Mathematics Kuenzig Books Topsfield MA USA Since 1996 Kuenzig Books has bought and sold rare and/or interesting items in many fields with a focus on 19th and 20th century Science, Technology, and Engineering. We are particularly interested in the History of Computing, and the speed with which the technological innovations of the 20th century have impacted the way we live. You'll discover some depth in Physics, Mathematics, Nobel Prize authors, Computing, Scientific Instruments, and Chemistry. We are members of the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America), ILAB (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers), SNEAB (Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers), and IOBA (The Independent Online Booksellers Association). We often have material not listed here, please ask if you are looking for something specific. International Buyers Please Note: Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs (if any) will be prior to bidding or buying if you are unfamiliar with this. We will not misrepresent the content or value of items on customs forms. We are not responsible for any customs delays, custom fees or any other related custom issues. Once we send shipping confirmation, be sure to check regularly with your local customs or post office to ensure that shipments are not returned "unclaimed". If packages are returned to us "unclaimed" we are happy to resend them but will require separate payment from you for the second shipping charge. Terms and Conditions If you have any questions, please ask before bidding. We package carefully so that your items get to you in the condition they were sent. We ship to PayPal verified addresses only. Any refund fees charged to us by PayPal for payments that don't match the verified addresses will be deducted from your refund. Delivery time frames can only be estimated and will depend on the service used, shipping origin, and destination. Payment All payments in US dollars. Payment must be received within 5 days. Please note that our prices on this venue are increased to reflect the fees charged here. Feedback We leave feedback for buyers once they have posted feedback for us. If you are unhappy with any aspect of a transaction with us, please contact us immediately. We work hard to keep buyers happy and to resolve the rare problem promptly. This listing was created by Bibliopolis.

Price: 920 USD

Location: Topsfield, Massachusetts

End Time: 2025-01-21T21:21:00.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.13 USD