Born in Bulgaria in 1903, Atanasoff went on to become one of the 20th century’s most prominent computer scientists. He is most recognized for developing the first electrical digital computer, which paved the way for contemporary computing. Let’s delve into the intriguing biography of Atanasoff’s life and career, examining his innovative contributions to computer science as well as the lasting legacy he left behind. So, whether you’re a computer science geek or just curious about one of Bulgaria’s most renowned sons, keep reading to learn more about John Atanasoff’s incredible story.
John Atanasoff’s Early Life
On October 4, 1903, John Atanasoff, the famed Bulgarian-American computer scientist, was born in Hamilton, New York. His father, Ivan Atanasov, was born in the Bulgarian settlement of Boyadzhik, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. However, tragedy struck the family while Atanasov was a baby when his father was killed by Ottoman soldiers in the aftermath of the Bulgarian April Uprising.
Atanasov immigrated to the United States with his uncle in 1889 and eventually became an electrical engineer. Iva Lucena Purdy, Atanasoff’s mother, was a math teacher of mixed French and Irish origin. Both of Atanasoff’s parents had a strong interest in natural and practical sciences, which they fostered in their son from an early age.
Atanasoff grew up in Brewster, Florida, where his parents shaped his dreams and intellectual pursuits. He was particularly interested in mathematics and science, and by the age of nine, he had mastered the usage of a slide rule. He quickly advanced to the study of logarithms and graduated from Mulberry High School in just two years.
Atanasoff earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Florida in 1925. This marked only the beginning of his extraordinary journey in the field of science and technology, which eventually propelled him to become one of the most notable figures in the advancement of contemporary computing.
Post-Undergraduate Education
After completing his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida in 1925, John Atanasoff enrolled in Iowa State College. He received a scholarship to earn a master’s degree in mathematics, which he did in 1926. Atanasoff also worked as a teaching assistant in the mathematics department at this time.
After finishing his master’s degree, Atanasoff decided to pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and began work on his thesis, which was about helium’s dielectric constant. In 1930, he successfully defended his thesis and received his Ph.D.
Atanasoff obtained a post as an assistant professor at Iowa State College after finishing his Ph.D. He was appointed to the mathematics and physics departments’ faculties, where he taught mathematics and physics courses for numerous years. During this time, Atanasoff began to focus on computing research, which would eventually lead to the development of the first electronic digital computer.
Atanasoff’s Quest for Faster Computation Methods
During his doctoral studies, John Atanasoff was required to use the mechanical Monroe calculator, which was the best tool accessible to him at the time. He rapidly became irritated with the machine’s limits, which were slow and difficult to use and began to look for faster and more efficient ways of calculation.
At Iowa State, Atanasoff continued his computing studies and began to investigate the use of slaved Monroe calculators and IBM tabulators for scientific issues. He discovered that manipulating the Monroe with the output of an IBM machine allowed him to perform faster and more accurate calculations.
When Atanasoff devised an analog calculator for studying surface geometry in 1936, he made a significant accomplishment. This was a crucial step forward in the evolution of digital computing since it pushed the limits of what gears could achieve while highlighting the limitations of analog computing.
At this point, Atanasoff recognized that the acceptable mechanical tolerance required for effective analog computation precision was becoming increasingly difficult to attain. He began to think about digital solutions and proceeded to construct a machine that could perform computations using binary digits or bits.
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The Prototype and Development of the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)
In 1939, Atanasoff was awarded a $650 grant to pursue his research into constructing a digital computing machine. By November of that year, Atanasoff had prototyped the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) with the assistance of his graduate student, Clifford Berry. The ABC was a groundbreaking machine that used binary math and Boolean logic to answer up to 29 simultaneous linear equations.
The ABC was an electronic gadget that was computed digitally using vacuum tubes. It lacked a central processing unit (CPU) and instead depended on a network of interconnected circuits to execute calculations. This was a break from prior analog computing devices, which performed computations using gears and mechanical components.
The ABC’s regenerative capacitor memory was one of its most revolutionary features. This sort of memory works by storing charges in a capacitor, which is then periodically regenerated or refreshed to keep the information stored. This approach is analogous to current DRAM memory, which is widely utilized in computers today.
Atanasoff and Mauchly’s Relationship and the Fate of the ABC
At an American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Philadelphia in December 1940, Atanasoff met John Mauchly. When Atanasoff told Mauchly about his new digital instrument and invited him to see it, he was exhibiting his analog calculator for weather data analysis, the “harmonic analyzer.” Mauchly was impressed with the ABC, and in June 1941, he paid a four-day visit to Atanasoff in Ames, Iowa, where they discussed the prototype ABC and reviewed Atanasoff’s design document.
However, Atanasoff left Iowa State for a wartime position as Chief of the Acoustic Division with the Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) in Washington, D.C., and Iowa State College did not pursue a patent application for the ABC. Mauchly visited Atanasoff in Washington several times in 1943 to discuss computing theory, but he did not indicate that he was working on a computer project until early 1944.
On the guidance of John von Neumann, the U.S. Navy resolved to create a large-scale computer by 1945. Atanasoff was put in charge of the project, and Mauchly was asked to help with job descriptions for the essential personnel. However, Atanasoff’s focus turned to developing acoustic devices for monitoring atomic bomb tests, and he took part in the July 1946 tests at Bikini Atoll. Upon his return from the testing, the NOL computer project was discontinued because of insufficient advancement, once again, following von Neumann’s recommendation.
Involvement in Breaking an Eckert-Mauchly Patent and Legal Actions
The computing business was expanding in the early 1950s, and there were numerous court fights fought over patent rights for various technology. One such legal fight occurred between IBM and Sperry Rand over a patent for a spinning magnetic memory drum used in computers. After Clifford Berry informed him that the ABC’s revolving capacitor memory drum may have constituted prior art, A. J. Etienne, an IBM patent attorney, sought Atanasoff’s assistance in breaching the Eckert-Mauchly patent on the memory drum. Atanasoff agreed to assist, and the case was brought to court.
In the 1970s, Atanasoff was deposed and testified as a witness in the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand trial. The action was an attempt to invalidate Sperry Rand’s electronic computing patents given to Mauchly and Eckert. According to the decision in the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand case, it was found that Eckert and Mauchly didn’t create the automatic electronic digital computer; instead, they got the idea from Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff. This ruling was a big triumph for Atanasoff, who had fought for years to be recognized as the genuine inventor of the electronic digital computer.
Atanasoff’s contributions to computer history were finally recognized, and his legacy as a pioneer of digital computing lives on. His work on the ABC had a huge influence since it laid the framework for contemporary computing and enabled the development of the computers we use today.
Atanasoff’s Later Career and Retirement
Following WWII, Atanasoff continued to collaborate with the government, developing specialized seismographs and microbarographs for long-range bomb detection. He formed and led the Ordnance Engineering Corporation in 1952 but sold it to Aerojet General Corporation in 1956 and became president of Aerojet’s Atlantic Division. In 1961, he retired from Aerojet.
In 1960, Atanasoff and his wife Alice retired to a hilltop farm in New Market, Maryland. The next year, he established Cybernetics Incorporated in Frederick, Maryland. He created a phonetic alphabet for computers at Cybernetics. He ran the company for 20 years before selling it in 1981.
During his retirement, Atanasoff was increasingly drawn into legal battles between Honeywell and Sperry Rand over ownership of electronic computer patents. He testified in these court procedures and played an essential role in the case’s eventual conclusion.
Following the decision in Honeywell v. Sperry Rand, Atanasoff was warmly recognized by Iowa State College, which had since been renamed Iowa State University, and he earned numerous more honors throughout his life. After a long illness, Atanasoff died on June 15, 1995, at the age of 91, from a stroke at home. He was laid to rest in Mount Airy, Maryland’s Pine Grove Cemetery.
In conclusion, John Atanasoff’s significance to modern computing development cannot be emphasized. His creation of the ABC computer, the first electrical digital computer, paved the way for the development of faster and more efficient machines that continue to affect our lives today. Despite various hurdles throughout his career, Atanasoff stayed committed to his vision and innovated until his death. His legacy inspires future generations of inventors and computer scientists to push the limits of what is possible. As we move forward in the digital age, we must remember John Atanasoff’s bright mind, which laid the road for the future of computers.