The First Program
A mathematician writes notes on a machine that has not yet been built and imagines it composing music and doing more than mere arithmetic. Write her mind at work — a century ahead of everyone else.
Ada Lovelace, working with Charles Babbage's proposed Analytical Engine, published notes in 1843 that included what is often called the first algorithm intended for a machine — and speculated it might one day do far more than calculate.
Field notes
Did you know
- Lovelace foresaw that such a machine could manipulate symbols, not just numbers — even compose music.
- The Analytical Engine was never fully built in her lifetime.
- A modern programming language, Ada, is named in her honor.
Key phrases
the Engine · algorithm · the analytical · a century too early · thinking in symbols
Chase this down
Look up: Ada Lovelace's Note G; Babbage's Analytical Engine.
Craft tip
Writing genius means writing the leap others can't yet see. Show the ordinary world failing to keep up.
Try this
Write a letter she might send to a skeptic who calls it a useless toy.