Arithmetic by Computer and by Human

Long multiplication, long division and logarithms are, for many, dim-remembered memories, and few now use these skills. We will examine some of the tools that help us, from the abacus to calculators. Computers are the ultimate arithmetic tool but their method is one of the oldest, used by ancient Egyptians. We will demonstrate ways to impress friends with quick calculations and also show the link between ancient Egyptian arithmetic and today's computers.

About the Lecturer
Tony Mann, Director of Resources, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Greenwich.

Related Links:
The Story of Maths

Computers from the Inside Out by Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman, Winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics, gives us an insightful lecture about computer heuristics: how computers work, how they file information, how they handle data, how they use their information in allocated processing in a finite amount of time to solve problems and how they actually compute values of interest to human beings. These topics are essential in the study of what processes reduce the amount of work done in solving a particular problem in computers, giving them speeds of solving problems that can outmatch humans in certain fields but which have not yet reached the complexity of human driven intelligence. The question if human thought is a series of fixed processes that could be, in principle, imitated by a computer is a major theme of this lecture and, in Feynman's trademark style of teaching, gives us clear and yet very powerful answers for this field which has gone on to consume so much of our lives today. No doubt this lecture will be of crucial interest to anyone who has ever wondered about the process of human or machine thinking and if a synthesis between the two can be made without violating logic.

Related Links:
Books and Films - Richard Feynman