Concept of Computer:A computer, commonly known as a PC, is an electronic device capable of performing arithmetic and logical operations at high speed, with internal and external storage capabilities, and is operated under program control.
01Development of Computers
▶ Historical Development of Theory
📌Purpose of Computer Emergence:Scientific calculations (military applications)
📌Four Key Figures:John von Neumann, Alan Turing, Charles Babbage, Claude Shannon
John von Neumann: A Hungarian-American,the father of the computer. He invented the stored-program control principle, allowing programs to be stored and executed automatically. He participated in the development of ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer; using decimal) and EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer; using binary).
Alan Turing: A British,founder of computer science. He invented the Turing machine and established the Turing machine model, laying the foundation for computability theory. The Turing machine is an abstract computational model that replaces human mathematical calculations with a virtual machine. The Turing Test elucidates the concept of machine intelligence.
Charles Babbage: A British,inventor of the analytical engine. The analytical engine is the prototype of modern general-purpose computers. He authored the world’s first monograph on computer programming.
Claude Shannon: An American,founder of information theory. Core concept: Information is uncertain data. Relationship: The symbolization of information is data, and data is the carrier or manifestation of information.
▶ Historical Development of Hardware
📌The first computer was built inFebruary 1946,at the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) did not adopt the stored-program control principle.
📌Four Stages of Computer Hardware Development
1946-1957: Vacuum tubes (machine language, assembly language, no operating system, used for scientific calculations)
1958-1964: Transistors (operating systems emerged, high-level languages, used for data processing and real-time control)
1965-1970: Medium and small scale integrated circuits (MSIC, SSIC) (memory using semiconductors)
1971 to present: Large scale and very large scale integrated circuits (LSIC, VLSIC) (network technology, multimedia technology)
02Trends in Computer Development
Development of Microcomputers:“Five Transformations” – Giantization, Miniaturization, Networking
▶ Hardware Development
1Biocomputers
Utilizing bioengineered protein molecules to create biological chips
2Optical Computers
Using light as an information transmission medium, possessing strong parallel processing capabilities and ultra-fast computation speeds
3Quantum Computers
Utilizing atoms in multiple states for computation
▶ History of Computer Development in China
12010
Quadrillion-level “Tianhe-1”; 2013: Quintillion-level “Tianhe-2”
22016
Quintillion-level “Sunway TaihuLight” (Chinese chip “Shenwei 26010”)
32018
The American supercomputer “Summit” regained the world’s number one spot, being 60% faster than Sunway.
Chinese supercomputer models: Tianhe, Galaxy, Deep Thinking, Dawn, Sunway
03Classification of Computers
1. Supercomputers
2. Microcomputers
1. Microcontrollers:Integrating a computer system onto a single chip
2. Single-board computers:Assembling the entire functional circuitry on a single printed circuit board
3. PCs
4. Portable computers
3. Workstations, high-end general-purpose microcomputers with more powerful performance than personal computers
4. Servers, computer systems providing services in a network environment
5. Embedded Computers, computers embedded as information processing components within application systems
04Applications of Computers
1. Scientific Computing (Numerical Calculations):Calculating satellite orbits, weather forecasting, high-performance physical research…
2. Information Processing (Data Processing):Office automation, word processing, financial and management tasks…
3. Computer-Aided Technologies
CAD Computer-Aided DesignCAI Computer-Aided InstructionCMI Computer Management InstructionCAM Computer-Aided ManufacturingCAT Computer-Aided TestingCBE Computer-Based EducationCIMS Computer-Integrated ManufacturingCAPP Computer-Aided Process Planning
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that seeks to understand the essence of intelligence and produce intelligent machines that can respond similarly to human intelligence. Research in this field includes robotics, language recognition, image recognition, natural language processing, and expert systems.
5. Process Control: Using computers for automatic control of continuous industrial production processes
6. Multimedia Applications, Network Applications
Next, various colleges in Inner Mongolia will releaseenrollment guidelines, and students are encouraged tokeep an eye on the public accountfor content updates.
