Which country invented the first electronic computer in the world, and what was its name?

For a long time in the past, I thought from reading other people's books that the world's first computer was born in the University of Pennsylvania. It was called ENIAC. Later, I gradually learned that this matter is not completely true and there is still controversy. So who is the real inventor of modern computers? In March this year, Professor Zhang, director of the computer department of Iowa State University, invited the author to visit the school and visited the physics department of the school, the hometown of the world's first computer. The exhibition of relevant historical materials of the Department of Physics, together with numerous explanations by Professor Ke Zhao and the reappearance of stories that happened 65 years ago, are conclusive, and the judgment of the American court puzzled the author. None of my friends in China know the truth of this matter. Many authors still regard ENIAC as the world's first computer in their books in their monographs or textbooks to spread the truth. So I want to write this article to introduce some information.

In 1930s, John Vincent atanasoff, an associate professor of Bulgarian origin in the Department of Physics of Iowa State University, taught students physics and mathematical physics methods. When solving linear partial differential equations, his students have to face complicated calculations and consume a lot of time. Atanasoff tried to use analog and digital methods to help his students deal with those complicated calculation problems. Starting from 1935, he began to explore the use of digital electronic technology for calculation. He is very devoted to his work, often forgetting to eat and sleep and thinking hard. Atanasoff himself has a very interesting description of how he devoted himself to this work at that time. "I tried repeatedly to find the right way of thinking, but I never found a solution. After working like this for several months, I came back to work in the office one night, still having no clue and feeling extremely depressed. So I got on the bus and drove on the road. I drive very fast and try to concentrate on driving so that I can put my problems behind me. But when I really woke up, I found that I had crossed the Mississippi River and traveled 189 miles to Illinois. Alcohol was banned in Iowa at that time, but not in Illinois. I searched by the light and finally found a pub. I went in and ordered a glass of wine. I felt very clear-headed and suddenly understood what I should think. So I started to work at once, worked for three hours at a stretch, and then drove home slowly. That night, in a roadside pub in Illinois, I made four decisions: to use electric energy and electronic components, then electronic vacuum tubes; Using binary instead of decimal; As a memory, the capacitor can be regenerated to avoid mistakes; Perform direct logical operations instead of the usual numerical operations.

Atanasoff's design goal is to be able to solve linear equations with 29 unknowns. After two years of repeated research and experiments, the thinking is becoming clearer and clearer. He also needed a smart, mechanical and hands-on person to complete the invention, so he found Clifford Berry, a graduate student who was studying for a master's degree in physics. Two people finally built a complete prototype in 1939, which proved that their concept was correct and achievable. People call this prototype ABC, which stands for Atanasoff-Berry computer, the computer that contains their names. This computer is a combination of electronics and electrical appliances. There are 300 electronic vacuum tubes in the circuit system for digital calculation and logical operation. There are two memory drums on the machine, which use capacitors to store values, and the values are expressed by electricity. Data input is read by punching in and using binary. The design of ABC contains four most important basic concepts in modern computers.

Unfortunately, atanasoff himself may not realize that this is a major invention that will affect the whole human society and the possibility of how much economic benefits it will bring him, so he did not apply for patent protection for himself. He joined the navy on 1942 and had no time to take care of it. The University of Iowa also didn't take ABC's invention seriously. Instead of helping atanasoff to apply for a patent, it ordered the graduate students in the department to dismantle ABC, because the supply of 300 vacuum tubes on the computer ABC was in short supply during World War II. The school later realized that this was an irreparable mistake. Today, only the replica designed at that time is placed in the ABC laboratory of Iowa State University for people to visit.

The design of ABC started at 1935 and was completed at 1939. It is earlier in time than any electronic computer design scheme we know now, such as the design of Bush and Crawford of MIT. Zuse and Schreier in Berlin, British Foreign Office, Rajchman in RCA, and ENIAC designed and manufactured by John Mauchley and Presper eckert of the University of Pennsylvania. But for a long time, people mistakenly thought that the first computer in the world was ENIACA designed and manufactured by the University of Pennsylvania in the United States in 1945. Its main designer Mao Keli claimed to be so and applied for a patent in the United States. As I said above, the design and manufacturing schemes of several other computers were later than ABC in the 1930s. In fact, except ENIAC, it should be said that they were all invented independently. But ENIAC is not. After several years of investigation, the Minnesota District Court of the United States finally concluded that its designers and manufacturers were deeply influenced by ABC, and this machine could not be regarded as an independent invention at all. 1973, the U.S. District Court of Minnesota made a formal judgment, revoked the patent of Maukley, and affirmed that atanasoff was the real inventor of modern computers. There is also a story in it.

At 1940 AAAS, an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Professor Mao Keli of the University of Pennsylvania met atanasoff. Atanasoff talked with him about his own ABC. Mao Keli showed great interest and came to A Mu, a small town in Iowa, where Iowa State University is located the following year. He lived for five days and got to know the design details and internal working principle of ABC carefully. After returning to the University of Pennsylvania, he decided to design a machine and claimed to use it to solve the weather forecast problem. This plan was immediately supported by the Ministry of National Defense. 1946, he and eckert finally built a machine called ENIAC, and obtained the invention patent, which brought them huge economic benefits. Mao Keli kept it a secret and never admitted that he had consulted atanasoff about the design principle of ABC. Even when asked if he had been to atanasoff in A Mu in 194 1 and stayed there for five days, he denied it and said, "I don't remember". Until 1973, after the longest investigation by the federal court in the United States, the truth finally came out, overturning the patent of the plagiarist Mao Keli and ruling: "The basic idea of modern computers comes from john vincent atanasoff."