PERSON

Ada Lovelace

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine, and celebrated as the world's first computer programmer.

Born: 10 December 1815 (London, England)
Died: 27 November 1852 (Marylebone, London)
Collaborators: Charles Babbage, Mary Somerville, Augustus De Morgan

PERSONAda Lovelace

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Lifespan: 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852
Parents: Lord Byron (Poet) and Annabella Milbanke (Lady Wentworth)
Historical Feat: Authored the first published algorithm for machine execution (1843)
Key Concept: Poetical Science (manipulating symbols beyond mere numbers)

The Analytical Engine & Note G

First Algorithm

In 1842, Italian engineer Luigi Menabrea published a French memoir describing Charles Babbage's proposed Analytical Engine. Lovelace translated the memoir into English and added extensive supplementary 'Notes', running more than three times the length of the original text.

In 'Note G', Lovelace created a detailed, step-by-step table of instructions to compute Bernoulli numbers using the Analytical Engine's mechanical punch cards, memory stores, and arithmetic mills. This is recognized historically as the world's first computer algorithm.