Català
Español
English
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) was a British mathematician, daughter of the poet Lord Byron, famous for being the first female programmer in history after creating the first algorithm for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, a prototype computer. Through her notes to a translation of this machine, she not only described a method for the machine to calculate numbers, but also predicted that it could go beyond calculations, creating music or art, a futuristic vision that established her as a pioneer of computing and artificial intelligence.
Early Years and Education:
Born Augusta Ada Byron, she received a strict education in mathematics and science, encouraged by her mother, who wanted to avoid the poetic inclinations of her father, Lord Byron. This gave her a solid foundation that she combined with her imagination, creating what she called "poetic science."
Collaboration with Babbage:
At the age of 17, she met Charles Babbage, inventor of the Analytical Engine, a complex mechanical calculator. She was fascinated and became his collaborator, translating an Italian article about the machine and adding her own extensive notes. Her Key Contribution (Lovelace's Notes): In her notes, she described a method for the Analytical Engine to calculate Bernoulli numbers, considered the first computer algorithm. She envisioned the potential of machines to manipulate symbols and not just numbers, anticipating the idea of general-purpose computing.
Legacy:
Although the Analytical Engine was never built in his time, his writings established the theoretical foundations of programming.
His work was fundamental to the history of computing, and the US Department of Defense named the ADA programming language in his honor.
Ada Lovelace Day is celebrated every second Tuesday of October to recognize women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Ada Lovelace