Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the well-known poet Lord Byron, born in 1815. Though it was very unusual in her day for women to receive an education, Ada studied science and math from a very young age. Her parents did not want her pursuing the arts, and always supported her love of science. She became well known for her genius, and worked closely with the esteemed engineer Charles Babbage. Despite the 25 year age difference, they were considered peers. Ada died at the young age of 36, but her contributions to computer programming are still seen today.
Charles and Ada often worked together on ideas and projects, including Charles’ Analytical Engine which could be used to input data and carry out mathematical functions. Ada was asked to translate this document, and in doing so, corrected the wrong equations, left numerous notes and suggestions, and even demonstrated how the machine could be used to calculate a set of numbers, called Bernoulli numbers. Her computationds on this are considered the first computer program ever written.
Ada was so ahead of her time, she imagined this machine calculating equations, doing research, and processing much more complex algorithms. She even predicted it may one day be used to create long intricate scores of music, just as we do use it today. /this proves she was able to se potential that was over 100 years away from being realized.
Bibliography
“Ada Lovelace – the First Computer Programmer – 1840’s.” Ada Lovelace – the First Computer Programmer, SciShow, 2013, youtu.be/uBbVbqRvqTM.
“Chapter 2.” Ada’s Legacy: Cultures of Computing from the Victorian to the Digital Age, by Robin Hammerman and Andrew L. Russell, Association for Computing Machinery, 2016.
“The Making of a Computer Scientist.” Ada Lovelace: the Making of a Computer Scientist, by Christopher Hollings et al., Bodleian Library., 2018.
