Today, Charles Babbage is known as one of the most prominent mathematicians of the nineteenth century and as the author of numerous monographs on issues in such fields as algebra, astronomy, and engineering. Babbage was born in Walworth, England, on 26 December of 1791. The mathematician died in London on 18 October of 1871 (Grier, 2008, p. 354). During his life, Babbage made many significant contributions to the field of mathematics and such associated area as computer science. In spite of the fact that Charles Babbage paid much attention to theoretical discussions of computing and engineering technologies, he was a polymath, and his achievements in the sphere of mathematics are remarkable and require the detailed analysis.
Babbage’s Childhood
Babbage was raised in the family of a merchant and a banker. The family belonged to the high middle class, and the living conditions in which the boy grew were comparably good (Charles Babbage biography, n.d.). The father’s status of a banker in London allowed for obtaining the property in England and preparing young Charles for the perfect career of a scientist. Charles had an opportunity to attend elite elementary schools.
Moreover, the boy entered King Edward VI Grammar School that had a good reputation among the high-class families (Charles Babbage biography, n.d.). However, the health of the boy was affected by a severe fever, he had to change several schools, and his parents chose the home education. Even while being a child, Babbage focused on developing his skills in mathematics and paid much attention to improving his knowledge in sciences.
Educational Background
Thus, while being taught by private teachers, Babbage received an opportunity to be trained by the best educators from Cambridge and Oxford. Babbage had the goal to enter the college in Cambridge. Therefore, the young man concentrated on studying the works by Joseph-Louis Lagrange and Sylvestre Francois Lacroix among others (Bruno, 2008; Grier, 2008). In 1810, Babbage entered Trinity College; and in 1812, he changed it to Peterhouse in Cambridge because the quality of education in Trinity College did not meet the young mathematician’s expectations (Grier, 2008).
It is important to state that the man continued studying the works by analytical mathematicians. The adherence to the ideas of these mathematicians made Babbage and John Herschel establish the Analytical Society in 1812 (Grier, 2008). The friends focused on the development of analytical mathematicians’ ideas, and they wrote numerous papers that supported their analysis and revolutionary ideas. Some of those papers were published in Memoirs of the Analytical Society in 1813 (Grier, 2008). During that period, Babbage continued his research activities not only in the field of mathematics but also in chemistry, geology, and astronomy among other areas. Therefore, the mathematician became one of the founders of the Astronomical Society in 1820.
Babbage’s Career and Additional Background
While speaking about the man’s private life, it is important to note that Charles Babbage married Georgiana Whitmore in 1814. The woman supported her husband in his work. Still, she was concentrated on educating their children, but five of Babbage’s eight children died when they were young (Charles Babbage biography, n.d.). After founding the Astronomical Society, the mathematician moved to London and focused on designing a machine that could be used for calculations.
Babbage understood that usual mathematics tables used in astronomy could not address the researchers’ needs because of many errors (Charles Babbage biography, n.d.). The idea of developing the unique calculating machine that could be utilized in mathematics and astronomy determined Babbage’s progress as the prominent scientist.
Babbage’s Significant Contributions to the Field of Mathematics
As a mathematician, Babbage intended to design a machine that could calculate polynomial interpolations easily and without involving a man in a process. Babbage chose to rely on finite differences in order to calculate interpolations for building graphs. Therefore, the developed machine became known as the difference engine. While developing the machine, Babbage added to such branch of mathematics as “the calculus of functions” (Grier, 2008, p. 355).
The researcher explained mathematical functions and studied their properties in order to use them in developing the computing machine. However, the contribution of Babbage is significant also due to the fact that the man focused on improving his idea associated with the calculations for mathematical tables.
Thus, the mathematician extended the area of his interest, and he concentrated not only on calculating polynomials but also on developing the analytical engine, the machine that could complete any mathematical calculations and resolve equations (Bruno, 2008). Babbage improved this variant of the machine and started to design the second difference engine. Ada Lovelace, Babbage’s friend, assisted him in formulating the principles of the machine’s operations (Bruno, 2008; Grier, 2008).
Achievements of Babbage, as well as his contribution to mathematics, were highly appreciated, and the man was invited by Cambridge professors to become the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics (Charles Babbage biography, n.d.). Thus, Babbage was one of the first mathematicians who proposed algorithms for calculating functions with the help of machines. This idea was rather revolutionary in its nature, and the design of two difference engines added to the development of mathematics in the nineteenth century.
Relevance of Babbage’s Contribution to Modern Mathematics
Today, it is impossible to speak about technological tools for calculating functions and other mathematical purposes without references to Charles Babbage. In spite of the fact that his difference and analytical engines had some weaknesses, they are examples of simple computing machines that can be widely used for mathematical calculations. Researchers note that Babbage’s computing machines were not only the first calculators but also “the first general-purpose computers” (Thilmany, 2008, p. 14).
In the 1940s, the ideas of Babbage and his principles of using the mathematical functions were reflected in the works by Howard Aiken, who also designed and improved the computing machine (Grier, 2008). From this perspective, it is necessary to state that the ideas that Babbage applied to the development of his two unique engines were also appropriate to be realized in the twentieth century when researchers focused on designing new computing machines.
Conclusion
While speaking about Charles Babbage’s role in developing the mathematical knowledge and practice, it is important to note that he added to studying mathematical functions and features of polynomials, as well as to designing the way of calculating them. Today, the principles of mathematics, algebra, computing, and programming are closely connected. Nevertheless, in the nineteenth century, Babbage was one of those mathematicians whose ideas seemed to be innovative and radical, as well as his focus on designing the machine for general calculations. Therefore, while discussing the modern achievements in the spheres of mathematics and computer science, it is necessary to refer to the contribution of Babbage in these fields.
References
Bruno, L. (2008). Charles Babbage. In L. Bruno (Ed.), Math and mathematicians: The history of math discoveries around the world (pp. 112-113). Detroit, MI: UXL.
Charles Babbage biography. (n.d.). Web.
Grier, D. A. (2008). Babbage, Charles. In D. A. Grier (Ed.), Complete dictionary of scientific biography (pp. 354-356). Detroit, MI: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Thilmany, J. (2008). Victorian computer. Mechanical Engineering-CIME, 130(6), 14-15.