Drevin_Yaroslav_Computer

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THE INVENTION OF
THE COMPUTER
A Historical Overview of Computing Origins
Drevin Yaroslav | MIREA BBSO-01-26 | October 2026

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Introduction
Topic
Relevance
Purpose
The invention of the computer
is not the work of a single
person or moment. It is the
result of centuries of
mathematical ideas,
mechanical engineering, and
wartime necessity.
Understanding the origins of
computing helps us appreciate
the foundations of modern
digital society, artificial
intelligence, and information
technology.
To examine key milestones,
pioneers, and technological
shifts that transformed
theoretical concepts into the
programmable electronic
computers we use today.
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Early Concepts & Mechanical Computing
1642
Pascal’s Calculator
Blaise Pascal invents a mechanical adding machine (Pascaline) to help with tax
calculations.
1822
Difference Engine
Charles Babbage designs the first automatic mechanical computer for calculating
polynomial tables.
1837
Analytical Engine
Babbage proposes a general-purpose mechanical computer with memory, ALU, and
punched-card control — the conceptual ancestor of modern computers.
1843
Ada Lovelace
Writes the first published algorithm intended for the Analytical Engine; often called
the first computer programmer.
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Theoretical Foundations
Alan Turing (1936)
John von Neumann (1945)
In his paper “On Computable Numbers,”
Turing introduces the concept of a universal
machine — the Turing Machine — capable of
simulating any algorithm.
The EDVAC report describes the storedprogram architecture: instructions and data
share the same memory.
This theoretical model became the
foundation of computer science and defines
what is computable.
The Invention of the Computer
This “von Neumann architecture” remains the
dominant design of almost all modern
computers.
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5.

First Electronic & Programmable Computers
Z3 (1941)
ABC (1939–42)
Konrad Zuse, Germany
Atanasoff & Berry, USA
First functional programmable electromechanical
computer; used binary floating-point arithmetic.
First electronic digital computer (special-purpose);
used binary arithmetic and capacitors for memory.
Colossus (1943)
ENIAC (1945–46)
Tommy Flowers et al., UK
Eckert & Mauchly, USA
First programmable electronic computer; built to
break German Lorenz ciphers at Bletchley Park.
First general-purpose electronic digital computer;
18,000 vacuum tubes; programmed by rewiring.
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The Stored-Program Revolution
The decisive step toward the modern computer was the ability to store instructions in electronic memory
rather than rewiring the machine for each new task.
1948
1949
1951
Manchester Baby
EDSAC
UNIVAC I
First electronic stored-program
computer to run a program
(University of Manchester).
First practical stored-program
computer (Cambridge
University, Maurice Wilkes).
First commercial storedprogram computer in the United
States.
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Problematic Questions & Historical Debates
1
Who invented the computer?
No single inventor. Babbage (concept), Zuse (programmable electromechanical), Atanasoff (electronic
digital), Eckert & Mauchly (general-purpose electronic), Turing & von Neumann (theory & architecture)
all contributed essential pieces.
2
Mechanical vs Electronic?
Babbage’s engines were never fully built. The leap to electronic speed and reliability in the 1940s
made practical general-purpose computing possible.
3
Priority disputes
The ENIAC patent was invalidated in 1973; the court recognized Atanasoff’s earlier work. Historians
still debate the relative importance of Colossus, Z3, ABC, and ENIAC.
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Conclusions & Prospects
The computer emerged from a long chain of mathematical, mechanical, and electronic innovations
rather than a single invention.
Key theoretical contributions (Turing, von Neumann) provided the conceptual framework that still
underlies modern computing.
World War II accelerated development by creating urgent practical needs for calculation and codebreaking.
The stored-program architecture marked the transition from specialized calculating machines to
universal computers.
Further study can explore the social impact of early computers, the role of women in computing,
and the evolution toward personal and quantum computing.
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Selected Sources
• Campbell-Kelly, M. & Aspray, W. Computer: A History of the Information Machine. Westview Press, 2014.
• Ceruzzi, P. E. A History of Modern Computing. MIT Press, 2003.
• O’Regan, G. A Brief History of Computing. Springer, 2021.
• Turing, A. M. “On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem.” Proceedings of
the London Mathematical Society, 1936.
• Burks, A. W., Goldstine, H. H. & von Neumann, J. “Preliminary Discussion of the Logical Design of an
Electronic Computing Instrument.” 1946.
• Science Museum (London). “Charles Babbage and the Analytical Engine.”
• IEEE Annals of the History of Computing — various articles on Zuse, ENIAC, and early stored-program
machines.
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