Books offered by JF Ptak Science Books

Bollee's Calculating Machine, 1889

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[Source: http://www.rechnerlexikon.de/artikel/Bild:Bollee-mit-Maschine-CNAM1990.jpg]

This was a surprise, finding M. Bollee's article (Sur une nouvelle machine a calculer) in this 1889 Comptes Rendus, pecking around in that big 10-pound volume looking for something else.  It was very easy to miss if you weren't looking for it, just a few pages long in a 1000-page book.  But there it was, nestled comfortably in pp 737-739.  It these few pages Bollee describes his machine and with particular reference to his innovative approach to direct multipilication--a fine addition (ha!) to the long line of contributions by Babbage and Clement, Scheutz, Wiberg and Grant and Hamann. 

Notes:

Léon Bollée: "Sur une nouvelle machine a calculer", in Comptes Rendus de l'Academie Sciences (Paris), volume 109, 1889, pp. 737-9.  Offered in the original printed wrappers, removed from a larger bound volume.  Good copy. Scarce  $350

An image of the machine from The Manufacturer and Builder:

See:  the Making of America, http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=manu;cc=manu;rgn=full%20text;idno=manu0022-7;didno=manu0022-7;view=image;seq=0162;node=manu0022-7%3A21

 

Early Computing Science Effort, 1940

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Louis R. Maxwell  (Bureau of Agricultural Chemistry and Engineering, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, D.C.)  "An Electrical Methods for Compounding Sine Functions", in Review of Scientific Instruments, Volume 11, No. 2, February 1940.  Pp 47-54.  The entire volume for 1940 offered, bound in cloth. Ex-library, with the usual markings.  $195

Early Computing History Efforts, 1943

JF Ptak Science Books

J.M. Blair (University of Wisconsin). "Improved Current Integrator", in Review of Scientific Instruments, volume 14, no. 3, March 1943, pp 64-67. 

Offered with:

Kormes, M.  "Integration of Linear Second-Order Differential Equations by Means of Punched Cards".  In Review of Scientific Instruments, volume 14, no. 4, April 1943, pp 118. 

Entire volume offered, bound in cloth, usual light ex-library markings.  $250

Computer History, 1945

<p>JF Ptak Science Books</p>
<p>J.P. Kormes &amp; M. Kormes. "Numerical Solution of Initial Value Problems by Punched-Card Machines." In: <em>Review of Scientific Instruments</em>, volume 16, No.1, January 1945, pp 7-9.&nbsp;&nbsp; The entire volume offered, bound in cloth, with the usual light ex-library markings.&nbsp;&nbsp; $150</p>

Van Vleck, J.H.  "Coupling of Angular Momentum Vectors in Molecules." [with:]:

Bardeen, John (1908-1991). "Electron-Vibration Interactions and Superconductivity."

Both papers found in: Reviews of Modern Physics, Vol. 23, No. 3, July 1951, pp. 213-227; 261-270.  Van Vleck and Bardeen were both of course recipients of the Nobel Prize, with Bardeen being among only a few to have been given the award twice.  This is also a not-common appearance of two npbelists one of whom was the teacher of the other (Van Vleck to Bardeen). 

Nice copy in the original orange wrappers, with the small stamp of the original owner at top front wrapper.   $400

F.J. Chesterman. "Human Engineering", an offprint from the Philadelphia Section of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, plublished January 12, 1942.    ORiginal wrappers.  Very good copy. $75

Digital Computers, 1950

Edmund Berkeley.  "Simple Simon", an article in Scientific American, November 1950, pp 40-44 in the issue 1-64.  Original wrappers.  Very nice copy.  Uncommon.  $125

"In November 1950, Berkeley wrote an article entitled Simple Simon for Scientific American magazine, which was a description of the digital computing, principles for the general public. Despite Simon's extreme lack of resources (it was able to represent only the numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3), Berkeley stated on page 40 that the machine "possessed the two unique properties that define any true mechanical brain: it can transfer information automatically from any one of its "registers" to any other, and it can perform reasoning operations of indefinite length". Berkeley concluded his article anticipating the future:

"Some day we may even have small computers in our homes, drawing their energy from electric-power lines like refrigerators or radios ... They may recall facts for us that we would have trouble remembering. They may calculate accounts and income taxes. Schoolboys with homework may seek their help. They may even run through and list combinations of possibilities that we need to consider in making important decisions. We may find the future full of mechanical brains working about us."--From Scientific American, page 40.  All quotes via the wiki article on Ed Berkeley's "Simple Simon".

Newell & Simon, "General Problem-Solving Program", 1959

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Newell, A., J.C. Shaw, and H.A. Simon.  Report on a General Problem-Solving Program.  UNESCO, Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Processing (ICIP 1.6.8).  1959.  Separate priting, 19pp (1-19).  11x8.5 inches.  Fine copy in the original wrappers.  Scarce.  $250

Programming and Coding Digital Computers, 1954

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John L. Jones.  A Survey of Automatic Coding Techniques for Digital Computers.  By John L. Johns, B.A., Luther College (1950)   Submitted in  Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements  for the degree of Master of Science at tje Massachusetts Institute of Technology, May 1954.    

11x8.5 inches, 53 leaves.  Includes "Basic Forms of Automatic Coding" from pages 8-15; "A Survey of Present Techniques" from 16-22; and "A Survey of Contemplated Techniques with Comments" from 23 to 32. There are two appendices: (A), "Additional Applications of the Interpretive Method" from 33-38; and "Computer Groups Interested in Automatic Coding", from 39 to 53.  The edition available online offers 47 leaves, while this is complete in 53 pages. 

There are only three copies located in OCLC/WorldCat, though two seem to be microforms.  I assume that this is quite scarce.

The present copy are photographs of the originals in negative, and bound in a three-ring punch flexible Remington Rand binding, presumably manufactured contemporaneously. Very nice condition. $500

The full text of a variant edition, here.

Babbage,  Charles.  Letter to Sir Humphrey Davy on the Application of Machinery to Calculate and Print Mathematical Tables.  Edinburgh:  Edinburgh Review,  1834.  The Edinburgh Review, July, 1834, No. CXX.  8vo.  Letter to Sir Humphrey Davy.on the application of Machinery to Calculate and Print Mathematical Tables by Charles Babbage WITH On the Application of Machinery to the Calculation of Astronomical and Mathematical Tables by Charles Babbage WITH Address to the Astronomical Society by Henry Thomas Colebrooke on presenting the first gold Medal of the Society to Charles Babbage Esq. For the invention of the Calculating Machine WITH On the determination of the General Term of a new Class of Infinite Series by Charles Babbage WITH On Errors common to many Tables of Logarithms by FULL TITLE: "Charles Babbage, WITH On a Method of Expressing by Signs the Action of Machinery by Charles Babbage, WITH Report by the Committee appointed by the Council of the Royal Society to consider the subject referred to in a Communication received by them from the Treasury, respecting Mr. Babbage"s Calculating Engine and to report thereupon" In the Edinburgh Review, July 1834, Volume LIX, no. 120, pp 263-327, illustrated. We offer the entire volume of 545pp. Bromley, "Table making and calculating engines," in "General introduction" to The Works of Charles Babbage, ed. Michael Campbell-Kelly (London: William Pickering, 1982), pp. 22-27. Origins of Cyberspace 51.  )  This is a binding copy, in need of a complete rebinding.  $600