Today in 1837, Chares Babbage described in writing for the first time the Analytical Engine in a manuscript
titled “On the mathematical powers of the calculating engine.”
Brian Randell in the Origins of Digital Computers:
In the space of perhaps three years since the start of his work on the Analytical Engine in 1834, Babbage had arrived at the concept of a general purpose digital computer consisting of a store, arithmetic unit, punched cad input and output, and a card-controlled sequencing mechanism that provided iteration and conditional branching.
Henry Babbage (Charles’ youngest son):
It is a machine to calculate the numerical value or values of any formula or function of which the mathematician can indicate the method of solution. It is to perform the ordinary rules of arithmetic in any order as previously settled by the mathematician, and any number of times and on any quantities. It is to be absolutely automatic, the slave of the mathematician, carrying out his orders and relieving him from the drudgery of computing. It must print the results, or any intermediate result arrived at.