Table of Contents of Babbage's Autobiography

by Martin F. Johansen, 2013

These are the tables of contents of Charles Babbage's, "Difference Engine No. 1," "Of the Analytical Engine," and "Of the Mechanical Notation" from Passages from the Life of a Philosopher, 1864.

These are provided for an interested reader to get an easy overview into which topics are discussed in the works.

The page numbers refer to the original edition available on Google Books.

Difference Engine No. 1

Content Outline

• Difference Engine No. 1
  • Origin of Difference Engine - 42
  • Addition and Carriage - 43
  • Unexpected Difficulty Explained - 44
  • Verification of Type - 45
  • Moulds and Copper-Plate - 46
  • 'Edinburg Review' - 47
  • Mr. Deacon-Mr. Scheutz - 48
  • Arithmetical Tables - 49
• Explanation of the Difference Engine
• Differences - 50
• Groups of Marbles - 51
• Second Difference Constant - 52
• Triagular Numbers - 53
• Square Numbers - 54
• Cannon Balls - 55
• Number in Each Pile - 56
• Astronomical Tables - 57
• Of the Mechanical Arrangements necessary for computing Tables by the Method of Differences
  • Addition - 58
  • Carriage - 59
  • Successive Carriage - 60-62
  • Anticipating Carriage - 63
• Description of the existing portion of Difference Engine No. 1
  • Difference Engine No. 1 - 64-66
  • Curious Questions - 67

Introductory Outline

• Difference Engine No. 1
• First Idea at Cambridge, 1812
• Plan for Dividing Astronomical Instruments
• Idea of a Machine to calculate Tables by Differences
• Illustation by Piles of Cannon-balls

Of the Analytical Engine

Content Outline

• The Mechanical Notation - 118
• Carrying the Tens by Anticipation - 114-115
• Jacquard Loom - 116
• Weaving Formulæ - 117
• Law of Development - 118
• Its use of Tables - 119
• Discovers a Mistake - 120
• Knows What it Wants - 121
• Stops and Rings a Bell - 122
• Arithmetical Difficulties - 123
• Of Punching Cards - 126
• A Thousand Variables - 127
• A Finite Machine May Make Unlimited Calculation - 128-129
• Discussions at Turin - 130
• Mossotti's Difficulty - 131
• Solution of Equations - 132-134
• General Menabrea's Description - 135
• The Countess of Lovelace's Notes - 136
• Various Applications - 137
• Errors of Tables - 138-140
• Remarks on Analysis - 141

Introductory Outline

• Built Workshops for constructing the Analytical Engine
• Difficulties about carrying the Tens
• Unexpectedly solved
• Application of the Jacquard Principle
• Treatment of Tables
• Probable Time required for Arithmetical Operations
• Conditions it must fulfil
• Unlimited in Number of Figures, or in extent of Analytical Operations
• The Author invited to Turin in 1840
• Meetings for Discussion
• Plana, Menabrea, MacCullagh, Mossotti
• Difficulty proposed by the latter
• Observations on the Errata of Astronomical Tables
• Suggestions for a Reform of Analytical Signs

Of the Mechanical Notation

Introductory Outline

• Art of Lettering Drawings
• Of expressing the Time and Duration of Action of every Part
• A new Demonstrative Science
• Royal Medals of 1826

Copyright © 2013, Martin F. Johansen