One question: Who invented the first mechanical computer in the world?

For a long time, the academic circles have always thought that Blaise Pascal-yes, Pascal, the great French physicist, became the unit of pressure. But the machine he invented will break down next time, and today's protagonist is someone else.

1935, when sorting out the research data left by astronomer Kepler (yes, Kepler who became a telescope), later generations discovered several drawings 300 years ago. People didn't know what was painted on it at that time. It was not until 22 years later, that is, 1957, that a biographer of Kepler realized this. It is the first real mechanical computer in history, about 20 years before Pascal was born.

I don't think Pascal will care about losing this first place.

This sketch slipped from a book by Kepler, and it is likely to be used as a bookmark. Thankfully, Kepler did not throw it away, and the dusty history was rediscovered.

This sketch was written by a little-known German genius, William W. Schickard. You must have never heard of it. In the long river of history, it is precisely because of this machine that he can only be handed down on paper. If we are not studying computer history, we are definitely more interested in Pascal and Kepler.

So how is this machine calculated? Why did its manuscript paper appear in Kepler's legacy? Listen to me in detail.

W.Schickard's life track is very simple, and he has never left his hometown for almost all his life. He was born in a small town in Germany called Helenburg, not Hulunbeier. When he grew up, he went to Tubingen University, which is only a few tens of kilometers away from home, to study theology and Jewish language. /kloc-graduated with a bachelor's degree at the age of 0/7, and/kloc-graduated with a master's degree at the age of 0/9, and took an examination of a serious liberal arts student. After graduation, I went to school for two years, continuing to learn Aramaic, Hebrew and the language in which Jews write the Bible. At the age of 265,438+0, I set foot on the society. My first job was a professional counterpart-a Lutheran pastor, which lasted for six years. Perhaps the academic level is too outstanding. At the age of 27, he was hired as a professor by his alma mater, teaching Hebrew 12 years.

However, this modest career is an illusion. W. Schickard is not a Chinese teacher. His research fields are very wide, from astronomy to surveying. He not only mastered mathematics, but also made inventions. He has made great achievements in the field of map drawing, and has also created teaching AIDS that combine Hebrew roots. He is even insightful about politics. He wrote a special paper [65438]. His intelligence level is proved by the position of a professor, and his practical ability is even willful in the name of a sculptor. No wonder he was born in a sculptor's family. Grandpa and dad are both in this business.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, such an amazing generalist will be handed over to an equally admirable genius, that is Johannes Kepler.

As the saying goes, the so-called fate is the intersection of life trajectories. When Kepler was young, his life track was exactly the same as that of W. Schickard: he studied at the University of Tubingen, worked as a pastor in the Lutheran Church, and "* * * enjoyed" the same teacher, Michael Maestlin. It was this tutor who introduced them to Kepler when he returned to Tubingen on business in 16 17.

Teacher's inner OS: W. Schickard is a good guy. Both of them are students I am proud of, and they will definitely spark a little love. Eighteen hooves will win, gnome male-".

This year, Kepler was 46 years old and W. Schickard was 25 years old. One is a former priest, and the other is still working in the church. In the era when the church maintained its rule with geocentric theory, two "deviant" Heliocentrism supporters hit it off. In addition to discussing astronomical issues, Kepler also asked W. Schickard to make woodcut illustrations for his books [2]. After Kepler left Tubingen, the two kept in touch through letters, and W. Schickard even helped to look after Kepler's son who went to school in Tubingen.

1623 On September 20th, W. Schickard mentioned in his letter that he conceived a computing machine that could help Kepler calculate the lunar orbit and ephemeris. Kepler, of course, was very interested and wrote back asking for one. W. Schickard commissioned a local craftsman named Johannes feaster to make this machine, but it hasn't been built yet. 1624 was destroyed by a fire on the night of February 22nd. W. Schickard was not satisfied with the workmanship of the gear and was too lazy to make it again. He had to write to Kepler three days later to tell him the bad news, and attached some illustrations of "an armchair strategist".

Academics basically thought that W. Schickard had made a prototype when he wrote his first letter, but the machine finally disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

W.Schickard, a legendary machine, was later called Rechenuhr. In German, Rechnen stands for "arithmetic" and uhr stands for "clock", and Rechenuhr is usually translated as "calculating clock". What does this have to do with the clock? Because when the calculation result overflows (more than 6 digits), the machine will issue a bell warning, which was quite intelligent at that time.

After W. Schickard's manuscript was identified, a man named Bruno von Fleita-Lorinhoff (Bruno von Freytag-L? Ringhoff) scholars immediately carried out related research, and made a replica of the calculation clock at 1960.

The calculation clock supports six-bit integer calculation, which is mainly divided into three parts: adder, multiplier and intermediate result recording device. Although they are integrated on the same machine, they are not physically related. The middle score recording device located at the base of the machine is a set of simple digital setting knobs, mainly to save pens and paper in the calculation process. There is nothing to say. Let's learn more about the implementation principle and usage of adder and multiplier.

The multiplier part is actually the package of a cylindrical Napier chip. A multiplication table of 0~9 is printed on the cylindrical surface, and the knob at the top of the cylinder has a scale of 10. Every rotation of 36, the product of 0 and 0~9, the product of 1 and 0~9 ... and the products of 0~9 can be oriented to users in turn. * * * There are six cylinders. Turn the six knobs in turn to set the number of multiplicand. There are 2~9 baffles with empty windows in the transverse direction, representing multipliers. By translating the baffle left and right, you can display six columns of numbers in this line, that is, the product of each bit of multiplier and multiplicand.

Take the design on the commemorative stamp above as an example. Set the multiplicand to 100722 through the knob at the top of the machine, multiply it by 4, and then move the baffle of 4 to expose the digits of 100722 multiplied by the product of 4: 04, 00, 00, 28, 08, 08, and add them in mind to get the final result of 402888.

The adder realizes the accumulation function through gears, and the six knobs are also divided into scales of 10. You can set a six-digit integer by turning the knob. In order to let everyone know the internal structure of a single knob clearly and intuitively, please ask my royal designer S7 to make a beautiful explosion diagram:

When you need to add a number, turn the corresponding number of squares clockwise from the rightmost knob (representing a unit). Taking the author's birthday (199 1 March 15) as an example, calculate

The key of this process is to automatically execute gear transmission. The calculation clock adopts single-tooth carry mechanism, which is realized by adding a gear with only one tooth on the shaft. It can be called a single gear.

Let's make an appointment:

In the figure, the upper right is linked with a low single gear and ten gears, and the lower left auxiliary wheel drives one gear every time it rotates clockwise. Note that the steering of the auxiliary wheel is counterclockwise. In order to ensure that the high-position wheel and the low-position wheel rotate in the same direction during handling, it is necessary to add such an auxiliary wheel.

Let's draw the high gear first, then return the low gear spacing to normal, and observe the whole process of this carry:

You will find that, contrary to the low gear, the high gear is behind the tenth gear. In fact, the sequence of the first gear and the tenth gear of the six-position transmission wheel is alternated in this way, and the five auxiliary wheels are correspondingly alternated in tandem. Use your head and think about why you want to design like this.

The principle of single-tooth carry seems simple. In practice, it is actually very difficult to make the high-position wheel rotate 36 strictly, and only after some optimization can it be copied successfully.

I believe that smart readers can already think of how to do subtraction. Yes, as long as the knob of the adder is rotated in the opposite direction, the single-tooth carry mechanism can also complete the borrow operation in subtraction.

It's a bit "brain-dead" to divide it with this machine. You need to subtract the divisor from the dividend over and over again, and record how many times you have subtracted it and how much is left, that is, quotient and remainder.

Because the multiplier can only perform the multiplication of multiple digits and single digits, it is usually necessary to use an adder to complete the multiplication of multiple digits:

Computing clock is an improvement of Napier chip. With the adder, it not only makes up for the defect that Napier chip can't add, but also provides a powerful aid for multi-digit multiplication.

Generally speaking, the structure of computing clock is relatively simple, but it is still a great exploration of human beings from manual calculation to automatic calculation and an important milestone in the history of computers.

W.Schickard's life is short and wonderful.

163 1 year, with the death of his teacher, Mestiring, W. Schickard took the top spot as a professor of mathematics and astronomy and officially became an expert in the field of astronomy. Since then, W. Schickard has continued to adhere to the characteristics of extensive hobbies and "doing nothing". In addition to regular classes, he also teaches architecture and hydraulics in universities, and he can do almost anything.

Until the massive Thirty Years' War in Europe overturned W. Schickard's lifeboat like a fierce flood. 1634, the Catholic army occupied Tubingen, which also brought the terrible Black Death, and all the W. Schickard families were spared. A year later, the 43-year-old young professor died in June+10, 5438 after witnessing the death of his wife and children.

165 1 year, a crater on the surface of the moon was named W. Schickard. Today, the School of Computer Science of the University of Tubingen is also called-W. Schickard-Institut Fü r Informatik to commemorate this outstanding alumnus.

He didn't leave much, only the two letters that occupy a corner in computer history. But I believe that his talent has influenced Tubingen's relatives and friends and inspired hundreds of outstanding students. These subtle influences, like a gorgeous butterfly flapping its wings, changed the world after.