Genius people are brilliant in everything. This commonplace statement is fully applicable to the French scientist Blaise Pascal. The research interests of the inventor included physics and mathematics, literature and philosophy. It is Pascal who is considered one of the founders of mathematical analysis, the author of the fundamental law of hydrodynamics. He is also known as the first creator of mechanical computers. These devices are prototypes of modern computers.
At that time, the models were unique in many ways. In terms of their technical features, they surpassed many analogues invented before Blaise Pascal. What is the history of "Pascalina"? Where can you find these designs now?
First prototypes
Attempts to automate computing processes have been made for a long time. The Arabs and the Chinese were the most successful in these matters. It is they who are considered the discoverers of such a device as the abacus. The principle of operation is quite simple. To carry out the calculation, it is necessary to shift the bones from one part to another. The products additionally made it possible to carry out subtraction operations. The inconveniences of the first Arabic and Chinese abacuses wereconnected only with the fact that the stones easily crumbled during the transfer. In some shops in the outback, you can still find the simplest types of Arabic abacus, however, now they are called accounts.
Relevance of the problem
Pascal started designing his car at the age of 17. The idea of the need to automate the routine computing processes of a teenager was prompted by the experience of his own father. The fact is that the parent of a brilliant scientist worked as a tax collector and spent a long time sitting behind tedious calculations. The design itself took a long time and required a large physical, mental and material investment from the scientist. In the latter case, Blaise Pascal was assisted by his own father, who quickly realized the benefits of developing his son.
Competitors
Naturally, at that time there was no talk of using any electronic means of calculation. Everything was carried out only due to the mechanics. Using the rotation of the wheels to carry out the addition operation was proposed long before Pascal. For example, a device created in 1623 by Wilhelm Schickard was no less popular at one time. However, in the Pascal machine, certain technical innovations were proposed that significantly simplify the process of addition. For example, a French inventor developed a scheme for automatically transferring a unit when a number moves to the highest rank. This made it possible to add multi-digit numbers without human intervention in the counting process, which practically eliminated the risk of errors and inaccuracies.
Appearance andoperating principle
Visually, Pascal's first summing machine looked like an ordinary metal box, in which gears connected to each other were located. The user, through the rotation of the dial wheels, set the values \u200b\u200bnecessary for him. Each of them was marked with numbers from 0 to 9. When a full revolution was made, the gear shifted the adjacent one (corresponding to a higher level) by one unit.
The very first model had only five gears. Subsequently, Blaise Pascal's calculating machine underwent some changes regarding the increase in the number of gears. There were 6 of them, then this number increased to 8. This innovation made it possible to carry out calculations up to 9,999,999. The answer appeared at the top of the device.
Operations
The wheels in Pascal's calculating machine could only rotate in one direction. As a result, the user was only able to perform addition operations. With some skill, the devices were also adapted for multiplication, but in this case it was noticeably more difficult to perform calculations. There was a need to add the same numbers several times in a row, which was extremely inconvenient. The inability to rotate the wheel in the opposite direction did not allow calculations with negative numbers.
Distribution
Since the creation of the prototype, the scientist has made about 50 devices. Pascal's mechanical machine aroused unprecedented interest in France. ToUnfortunately, the product was never able to win wide distribution, despite the resonance among the general public and in the scientific community.
The main problem of the products was their high cost. The production was costly, naturally, this had a negative effect on the final price of the entire device. It was the difficulties with the release that led to the fact that the scientist was able to sell no more than 16 models in his entire life. People appreciated all the advantages of automatic calculation, but did not want to take devices.
Banks
The main emphasis in the implementation of Blaise Pascal put it on the banks. But financial institutions, for the most part, refused to buy a machine for automatic settlements. The problems arose because of the complex monetary policy of France. In the country at that time there were livres, denier and sous. One livre consisted of 20 sous, and a sous of 12 denier. That is, the decimal system was absent as such. That is why it was almost impossible to use the Pascal machine in the banking sector in reality. France switched to the system of calculation adopted in other countries only in 1799. However, even after this time, the use of an automated device was noticeably complicated. This has already addressed the previously mentioned difficulties in production. Labor was mostly manual, so each machine required painstaking work. As a result, they simply stopped making them in principle.
Support from the authorities
One of the first automatic calculating machines Blaise Pascal presented to the ChancellorSeguier. It was this statesman who supported the novice scientist in the early stages of creating an automatic device. At the same time, the chancellor managed to obtain from the king privileges for the production of this unit specifically for Pascal. Although the invention of the machine was wholly owned by the scientist himself, patent law was not developed in France at that time. The royal privilege was obtained in 1649.
Sales
As it was said above, Pascal's machine did not gain wide popularity. The scientist himself was engaged only in the manufacture of devices, his friend Roberval was responsible for the sale.
Development
The principle of rotation of mechanical gears, implemented in Pascal's computer, was taken as a basis for the development of other similar devices. The first successful improvement is attributed to the German mathematics professor Leibniz. The creation of the adding machine is dated 1673. Number additions were also performed in the decimal system, but the device itself was distinguished by great functionality. The fact is that with its help it was possible not only to carry out addition, but also to multiply, subtract, divide, and even extract the square root. The scientist added a special wheel to the design, which made it possible to speed up repetitive addition operations.
Leibniz presented his product in France and England. One of the cars even got to the Russian Emperor Peter the Great, who presented it to the Chinese monarch. The product was far from perfect. The wheel that Leibniz invented to carry out subtraction, subsequentlybegan to be used in other adding machines.
The first commercial success of mechanical computers dates back to 1820. The calculator was created by the French inventor Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar. The principle of operation is in many ways similar to Pascal's machine, but the device itself is smaller, a little easier to manufacture and cheaper. This is what predetermined the success of the merchants.
The Fate of Creation
During his entire life, the scientist created about 50 machines, only a few have "survived" to this day. Now it is reliably possible to trace the fate of only 6 devices. Four models are in permanent storage at the Paris Museum of Arts and Crafts, two more in the museum in Clermont. The remaining computing devices found their home in private collections. It is not known for sure who owns them now. The serviceability of the units is also under a big question.
Opinions
Some biographers link the development and creation of Pascal's adding machine with the he alth of the inventor himself. As mentioned above, the scientist began his first work in his youth. They demanded from the author a colossal effort of mental and physical strength. The work was carried out for almost 5 years. As a result of this, Blaise Pascal began to pursue severe headaches, which then accompanied him for the rest of his life.
