> :: In prehistoric times (before computers)

> Do you mean around 1975? :)

Mayhaps a few decades prior, if you mean the electronic digital variety.
And a good century before that for the true digital type as we would
understand the term.

_____

I am holding a book.
One of my special treasures.

"Faster than Thought
A symposium on digital computing machines"

Edited by B V Bowden.

Frontispiece is a sketch of an Edwardian maiden (1815-1852) - one Ada Agusta.
      http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Ada_Lovelace.jpg
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace
(No relation to Linda afaik).
(Actually Agusta Ada, possibly the only woman (or person?) to have a
programming language named after her).
Her father was a dastard (although his letters make interesting
reading) and it was probably his wife's reaction to him which helped
shaped Ada's brilliance and unusual career.

But, I digress.
But, she provides the annotations in Appendix 1!

Published in London by Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons Ltd.

24 contributors, all writing on aspects of digital computing -
computers, memories, I/O, coms, programs, programming, ...

Chapter 25 is titled "Digital computers applied to games".
It discusses basic chess problem solutions and a program to play "Nim".
It was written in part by Dr A M Turing.

My copy of the book was disposed of by the Federal Telecommunication
laboratories, IT&T, California Branch at some stage, allowing me to
acquire it via A.B.E.

First published in ????

Drum roll ......

1953 !

My copy is, alas, a 1955 reprint.

Ada's annotations in Appendix 1 were probably written in the 1840s, at
about the time when the first substantial settlements were getting
underway in New Zealand. .


    Russell
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