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Charles and Ada assessed

How can we sum up the overall significance of Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage?
We need to consider two questions. What is their place in computer history? And
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what was their place in our “stories of heart and minds in the 19 century”?

Charles and Ada in computer history
Babbage’s and Ada’s work is the bridge between the early mechanical calculators of
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the 17 century and the modern multi-purpose computer. But to get from Babbage
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to 20 century electronic digital computers, one other bridge was needed. This was
developed by a self-taught mathematician and teacher from Lincolnshire, George
Boole (1815-1864). He developed his Boolean algebra in the 1850’s to express and
evaluate logical propositions in philosophy which used “and”, “or” or “not”
statements. It had no practical use outside the study of philosophy until the 1930’s
when an American graduate student realised it could have immense value in the
growing field of computer design. It freed designers from thinking of computing in

terms of addition; instead, they could use electrical switching components which
were always either in the on or off position, operated by Boolean algebra. This
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remains the bedrock of every modern computer. Thus the 17 century calculating
machine became the Difference Engine of the Babbage era which became the
electronic Boolean machine I’m typing this on.

The Analytical Engine had, in principle, all the key components of modern-day

computers: input and output, processor (or “mill”) and memory (“store”). Ava
Lovelace understood it better than anyone except Babbage, and its potential better
than he did. Once electronics were available to replace cogs, via Boolean algebra, the
rest was history. But supposing Prime Minister Peel hadn’t pulled the plug on
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Babbage’s Analytic Engine, could there really have been a 19 century British
computer industry, based on the Difference and Analytical Engines? Cog computers
were not of course the wave of future. This makes it difficult if not impossible to say
whether a different decision could have advanced things enough to speed up the

development of the modern computer.

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2 Charles and Ada: a story of heart and minds in the 19 century
As we have seen, Charles and Ada’s story blurs the boundary between Enlightenment
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reason and Romanticism’s emotion. The philosophes of the 18 century
Enlightenment never believed that people were always, or even usually, motivated
by reason. They knew that human nature was also governed by emotion. But their

view of the emotions was simplistic. They believed that they basically consisted of
desires; things made us feel either pleasure or pain. British philosopher Jeremy
Bentham believed that this could even be quantified. All governments had to do was