Computing · 1843

Lovelace's Note G

The first published algorithm meant for a machine to run.

Ada Lovelace's notes on the Analytical Engine included a step-by-step program to compute Bernoulli numbers. She also argued such a machine could manipulate symbols beyond numbers, including music.

See it in the living tree Wikipedia

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 1

Analytical Engine 1837

Related measurements

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Computation per constant dollar, 1850-2006 Latest: 7.3B million units of computer power per 2006 $ (2003) Source: Nordhaus 2007, Two Centuries of Productivity Growth in Computing, J. Econ. Hist. 67(1), Table 6

Fastest computer in the world Latest: 2.2×10¹⁸ operations per second (2026) Source: Wikipedia: List of fastest computers; Wikipedia: History of supercomputing