The inventor of the computer Herman Hollerith: biography and photo

The history of computing began with the idea of creating a machine that could count or add entire multi-digit numbers. The first sketch of the 13-bit device was developed around 1500 da Vinci. The current summing device was designed by Pascal in 1642. These famous inventors laid the foundation for the computer era.

Automation

For a large number of computational operations, the importance is not only the speed of execution of each of them, but also the absence of gaps between them, in which human participation is required. Many famous inventors have tried to solve this problem. It was necessary that the operations were carried out consecutively one after the other without stopping.

Introduction of the program "on the move"

The history of computer technology knows many outstanding scientists who have contributed to the development of automation. So, in the early 80's. In the 19th century it was suggested to use punch cards to pre-record the program and put it into the device. Their developer was Herman Hollerith. In computer science, this scientist made a real revolution. Let us consider in more detail his invention.

Herman Hollerith: biography

The scientist was born on February 29, 1860 in Buffalo. He was the seventh child. His father emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1848. After the move, Hollerith entered the school, from which he was quickly expelled. As a rule, Herman left the class before spelling. The teacher once closed the door, and the boy jumped out from the second floor. After that, he was expelled from school. Further education Herman Hollerith received from a Lutheran teacher. With him, he passed the courses of secondary and higher schools. In 16 he entered the college specializing in "mining". However, the young man was interested not so much in the profession as in technology. While studying at Columbia College, he met with Trowbridge, who after a while made him his assistant. So Herman Hollerith came to the Statistical Office for the US Population Census.

Career

At the age of 19, Herman Hollerith went to Washington, where he began his work. He began to actively participate in public circles of Georgetown. After a while Hollerith gets acquainted with Billings. The latter was an authoritative expert in the analysis of statistical information, so he worked as director of the census administration. Billings told Hollerith about his idea of creating a machine that would use punched cards to form tables based on the data received. Various authors point to two versions of the influence of the director of management on the further activity of constructing the device. According to the first, Billings suggested using punch cards with a description of the person with the help of marks on their edges and a device for sorting. According to the second version, he just offered to come up with some kind of device.

First experience

In 1882 Herman Hollerith was invited to the Massachusetts Institute as a teacher. He worked at the school year. During this time Hollerith improved his ideas and worked on the development of the first equipment for recording census information and compiling tables. In 1883, he returned to Washington, where he began work in the patent office. The knowledge gained there was useful to him as an inventor, and he used them for decades to come. In 1884, he put forward the idea of improving the system of rail brakes. Here it is necessary to say about the financial state in which Herman Hollerith was. The tabulator he could design and in the early 80's, but he had no money for that. At the same time, he could not take money from anyone.

Patents

In St. Louis, Herman Hollerith assembled electric brakes for the train and took part in the competition. At the event, systems operating on the principle of vacuum and using compressed air were introduced. The electric brake was recognized as the best of the five. However, there were doubts about the practicality of its use because of the thunderous threat. In this regard, the system was rejected, and the patents for the brakes remained dormant until the expiry of their term. The next invention was the apparatus for corrugating metal pipes. He also did not find his application at first, but later it was used by General Motors in making flexible connections.

Herman Hollerith: tabulator

The new patent, registered on September 23, 1884, became the most important of all. The Herman Hollerith machine was used to compile tables of statistical information on mortality in Baltimore in 1887. The data of 1889 in New York was also processed using this device. Applying all his experience, Herman Hollerith proved that punched cards are the most important element in the process of forming tables. In 1887, he made a correction to the patent. Because of this, many industrialists had to conclude an agreement with Hollerith on the license for its installation. With the population census in 1890, information about each citizen was transferred to cards 73/8 × 33/4 inches. Further, perforation along the edges of each characteristic was done. Diagonally one corner was trimmed for convenience in the process of recalculation and sorting. The last operation was performed visually, since other methods were not developed then. The Hollerith machine independently perforated in accordance with the sample. The device facilitated the operator's work and reduced the number of errors.

The essence of the apparatus

For his device Herman Hollerith designed a press with a plate of hard rubber and a guide stop. There were depressions in the plate. They correspond to the arrangement of perforations on the map. In part, they were filled with mercury and connected with terminals to the rear of the case. Above the plate was a box with contact projection points. They were activated by means of springs. When the card was placed in the press, the contact point was connected with mercury, and the circuit was closed. This, in turn, activated the counter. His dial could register numbers up to 10 thousand. He moved with a magnet receiving a signal through mercury depressions, by 1 division. From time to time, data from the counter was read, and the total result was transferred to the final map manually.

Precision control

To ensure its implementation, a number of measures were taken:

1. If the summing up was carried out simultaneously for several characteristics, the dial registered each passing card. So you could check the result by adding intermediate indicators.
2. When the registration was correct, the phone made a call. If he was absent, it was necessary to find and correct the error.
3. The press processed cards only with a certain code, to which it was programmed.
4. Punch cards that belonged to the same group had a common hole. With the help of a wire rod, the presence of "foreign" cards was revealed.

World fame

Hollerita knew the broad masses, but in 1890, he reached a completely unexpected success. He managed to sign a contract for 11 census procedures after winning the competition in 4 districts of St. Louis, which was home to more than 10 thousand people. The method developed by Herman Hollerith differed not only in the highest speed, but also in the highest precision. According to estimates, the designer saved the state nearly 600 thousand dollars. In 1890, the scientist turned 30. He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy. Hollerith concluded an important deal with the US Census Bureau. In mid-September 1890 he married the daughter of his doctor from Washington. Almost immediately after the wedding, Hollerith concluded an agreement with the Austrian government to use his device at the Central Bureau of Statistics. From that moment the international career of the scientist began. By 1895, his devices were working not only in Austria, but also in Canada. At the same time negotiations were held on the supply of equipment to Russia and Italy.

last years of life

Herman Hollerith loved spending time with his family, doing farming, buying cars and building houses. In marriage, he had three daughters and the same number of sons. This outstanding man, who made a huge contribution to statistics, died in his home from a heart attack on November 17, 1929. He ended his life in prosperity, surrounded by loving people, in happiness, not regretting any missed opportunities. Until the very last days, he hated all the rules of spelling and allowed himself to write the way he wanted.