JOHN VON NEUMANNThe EDVAC

By: Alessandra Souroujon

Agenda

• Biography• Timeline• Interest in computer• ENIAC• EVAC• How it works• Bibliography

Biography1903-1957

• born banking family in Budapest

• education in Budapest

• Reputation: theory, algebra, quantum mechanics.

• 1933: Institute for Advanced Studies, appointed Professor of Mathematics

• became US citizens

Timeline

Born 1903

1921 University of

Budapest

1925 diplomachemistry

1930 Princeton University

1943 ENIAC

19451st draft EDVAC

1947EDVAC published

1955 appointed Atomic Energy Commissioner

Died 1957

1933Appointed

Professor ofMathematics

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PictDisplay/Von_Neumann.htmll

Interest in computers

• computers to applied mathematics problems. • expertise in: hydrodynamics, ballistics,

meteorology, game theory, and statistics, several projects.

• mechanical devices for computation• ENIAC• 1st Draft of the of a Report on the EDVAC

ENIACElectronic Numerical Integrator and Computer

• The first large-scale general purpose electronic computer

• Built University of Pennsylvania • Demonstrate high-speed, digital computing• Created by: john W. Mauchly and J. Presper

Eckert • Modern electronic computing industry

General View of the ENIAC

http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/mauchly/jwmintro.html

EDVACElectronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer

• Neumann drafted “ first draft report of the EDVAC Design”

• EDVAC successor of the ENIAC• Same designers• Public presentation 1947• This machine holds program in memory• More international memory• Multipurpose computer

Draft

http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/mauchly/jwm9.html

EDVAC

http://www.thocp.net/hardware/edvac.htm

How does it work?

• tube of mercury: electronic pulse could be bounced back and forth

• on/off switchability• EDVAC was to use binary rather than

decimal numbers simplifiying: arithmetic units

• All numbers: binary 0/1

http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/VonNeumann.html

Bibliography

• http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/VonNeumann.html• http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/

mauchly/jwm9.html• http://www.thocp.net/hardware/edvac.htm• http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/VonNeumann.html• http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~christos/classics/

paper.pdf#search=%22how%20does%20EDVAC%20work%3F%22