especially grateful for the careful reading and suggestions of Ted Porter. For their kindness, sharp eyes, and insightful suggestions, I absolve them of any responsibility for such errors as remain in the manuscript. I have also had guidance from a number of colleagues who have shared their thoughts on this project, including Horace Judson, Freeman Dyson, Susan Strasser, Anne Fitzpatrick, Bill Aspray, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Paul Ceruzzi, Jennifer Light, James Cortada, Tara Wallace, Ed McCord, Michael Moses, Steve Dick, Ian Bartky, Ruth Wallace, Chris Sterling, Ed Berkowitz, Howard Gillette, and Barney Mergan.
Appendix: Recurring Characters, Institutions, and Concepts
T HIS BOOK contains a large number of characters, many of whom disappear after their initial introduction and return several chapters later in the narrative. This section is meant to be a guide to the most important recurring people, institutions, and concepts. It gives a brief description of key items; a more complete list of characters is found in the index.
A BERDEEN P ROVING G ROUND
U.S. Army testing site for artillery, opened in 1918 with Princeton mathematician Oswald Veblen on staff
A BRAMOWITZ , M ILTON (1913â1958)
Planning committee member of Mathematical Tables Project, editor of Handbook of Mathematical Functions
A DMIRALTY C OMPUTING S ERVICE
English computing organization of the Second World War led by John Todd
A IKEN , H OWARD (1900â1973)
Harvard graduate student and designer of MARK I mechanical computing device
A IRY , G EORGE B IDDLE (1801â1892)
English Astronomer Royal, reorganized Greenwich Observatory computers with principles of factory production
A LEMBERT , J EAN L E R OND D â (1717â1783)
French mathematician and critic of calculations for first return of Halleyâs comet
A PPLIED M ATHEMATICS P ANEL
Division of Office of Scientific Research and Development concerned with mathematical research, led by Warren Weaver and headquartered in New York City
A RCHIBALD , R AYMOND C LAIRE (1875â1955)
Editor of the journal Mathematical Tables and Other Aids to Computation
A TANASOFF , J OHN V INCENT (1903â1995)
Iowa State College physics professor, designed small computer to solve simultaneous equations problems
B ABBAGE , C HARLES (1791â1871)
British mathematician and designer of computing machine called difference engine
B ELL T ELEPHONE L ABORATORIES
American industrial research laboratory founded in 1925, supported computing groups and developed early electromechanical computer
B ENNETT , A. A. (1888â1971)
Brown University mathematician, member of Aberdeen Proving Ground staff in First World War, chair of the Subcommittee on the Bibliography of Mathematical Tables and Other Aids to Computation
B IOMETRICS L ABORATORY ; see G ALTON L ABORATORY
B LANCH , G ERTRUDE (1896â1996)
Mathematical leader of Mathematical Tables Project
B RITISH A SSOCIATION FOR THE A DVANCEMENT OF S CIENCE , M ATHEMATICAL T ABLES C OMMITTEE
Committee of scientists who computed tables of higher mathematical functions
B RUNSVIGA
Mechanical calculator that was a favorite of Karl Pearson and the British statistical community
B UREAU DU C ADASTRE
French survey organization, led by Gaspard de Prony, that computed decimal trigonometry tables during the French Revolution
B URROUGHS , W ILLIAM S EWARD (1855â1898)
Early successful American adding machine manufacturer; machines later adapted as difference engines
B USH , V ANNEVAR (1890â1974)
MIT engineer, directed American scientific effort during Second World War
C AVE -B ROWNE -C AVE , F RANCES (1876â1965)
Mathematics professor at Girton College, Cambridge, U.K., did calculations for Karl Pearson
C LAIRAUT , A LEXIS -C LAUDE (1713â1765)
French mathematician, computed perihelion of Halleyâs comet at first return in 1758
C OAST ( AND G EODETIC ) S URVEY
First U.S. government scientific organization, maintained
Victoria Christopher Murray, Reshonda Tate Billingsley
Will Hill
Susanna Carr
Marie O'Regan, Paul Kane
Rebecca King
Roger Landry
Mick Farren
Chris Nickson
Melissa A. Hanson
Raine Thomas