Analog Computing

This book is a comprehensive introduction to analog computing. As most textbooks about this powerful computing paradigm date back to the 1960s and 1970s, it fills a void and forges a bridge from the early days of analog computing to future applications. The idea of analog computing is not new. In fact, this computing paradigm is nearly forgotten, although it offers a path to both high-speed and low-power computing, which are in even more demand now than they were back in the heyday of electronic analog computers.

1 Introduction; 1.1 Outline; 1.2 The notion of analog computing; 1.3 Direct and indirect analogies; 2 Mechanical analog computers; 2.1 Astrolabes; 2.2 The Antikythera mechanism; 2.3 Slide rules; 2.4 Planimeters; 2.5 Mechanical computing elements; 2.5.1 Function generation; 2.5.2 Differential gears; 2.5.3 Integrators; 2.5.4 Multipliers; 2.6 Harmonic synthesizers and analyzers; 2.7 Mechanical fire control systems; 2.8 Differential analyzers; 3 The first electronic analog computers; 3.1 Helmut Hoelzer; 3.1.1 The "Mischgerät"; 3.1.2 Hoelzer's analog computer; 3.2 George A. Philbrick's Polyphemus.

3.3 Electronic fire control systems3.4 MIT; 4 Basic computing elements; 4.1 Operational amplifiers; 4.1.1 Early operational amplifiers; 4.1.2 Drift stabilization; 4.2 Summers; 4.3 Integrators; 4.4 Coefficient potentiometers; 4.5 Function generators; 4.5.1 Servo function generators; 4.5.2 Curve followers; 4.5.3 Photoformers; 4.5.4 Varistor function generators; 4.5.5 Diode function generators; 4.5.6 Inverse functions; 4.5.7 Functions of two variables; 4.6 Multiplication; 4.6.1 Servo multipliers; 4.6.2 Crossed-fields electron-beam multiplier; 4.6.3 Hyperbolic field multiplier.

4.6.4 Time divis…