195703

195703 195703

User Manual: 195703

Open the PDF directly: View PDF .
Page Count: 53

Download
Open PDF In Browser	View PDF

Office Equipment Outlook
. . . Oliver J. Gingold
New Products and Ideas
Group Behavior of Robots
Manfred Kochen
Robots and Automata:

A Short History
James T. Culbertson

Automatic Computing Machinery -

List of Types

Components of Automatic Computing Machinery -

List of Types

The Computer Field: Products and Services for Sale or Rent List of Headings

COMMUNICATIONS
at Ramo-Wooldridge
Communications activities at The Ramo-Wooldridge
Corporation include research, development, and
manufacture of advanced types of radio communication systems, ground-reference navigation systems,
and electronic countermeasure systems. Major
programs are in progress in each of these fields.
New and unusual techniques have been employed to
provide systems having a high order of security in the
transmission of information, broad flexibility in
combating unfavorable signal propagation conditions,
and substantially greater information capacity
per operating channel.
Some of the techniques used have made possible an
increased range for given levels of transmitter power
and reliability of communications. Others have
provided specific advantages in very long distance
communications or in operational situations requiring
unique signaling capabilities. Developments in
navigation systems have resulted in new equipment
that is suitable for the guidance of aircraft at long
ranges from their bases.
In the work currently under way, some systems are
in the laboratory development stage, some in the
flight test stage, some are in production. Several
types of systems developed and manufactured by
Ramo-Wooldridge are in extensive operational use.

", '1

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Openings exist
for engineers
and scientists
in these fields of
communications
activities:

Systems study and analysis
Airborne transmitters
Transistorized video and pulse circuitry
Airborne receivers
Reconnaisance systems
Digital communications systems

The Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation
5730 ARBOR VITAE STREET • LOS ANGELES 45, CALIFORNIA

COMPUTERS
CYBERNETICS

•

AUTOMATION

AND

ROBOTS

•

AUTOMATIC

CONTROL

ro1. 6, No. 3

~arch,

1957

ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER, 1951

ARTICLES
Office Equipment Outlook
Group Behavior of Robots
Robots & Automata: A Short History (Part 1)

• .• Oliver J. Gingold
• •. Manfred Kochen
• •• James To Culbertson

8

16
32

NEW PRODUCTS AND IDEAS

10

REFERENCE INFORMATION
New Patents
Automatic Computing Machinery - List of Types
Components of Automatic Computing Machinery - List of Types
The Computer Field: Products and Services for S ale or Rent - List of Headings
Survey - Estimate of the Computer Market

15
22
24
28
39

FORUM
Courses in Automatic Control
Symposium on Systems for Information Retrieval
Education & Computers: Discussion
A. Lange and others
The Service Bureau
International Conference on Operations Research
Education and Computers
•.• B. Brown
Numerical Analysis Course
Instruments and Regulators Conference, Chicago, Apr. 7 -10
0

••

25
29
30
31

42
44
45
47
6

The Editor's Notes
Index of Notices
Advertising Index

6

50

Editor: Edmund C. Berkele~'
Assistant Edi tors: Neil D. Macdonald, F. L. Walker
Contributing Editors: Andrew D. Booth~ John M. Breen, John W. Carr, III, Alston S. Householder
Advisory Committee: Samuel B. Williams, Herbert F. Mitchell Jr., Howard T. Engstrom,
Alston S. Householder, H. Jefferson Mills, Jr.
Publisher: Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
815 Washington Street, Newtonville 60, Mass. - Decatur 2-5453 or 2-3928
Advertising Represen ta ti ves:
New York - Milton L. Kaye, 601 Madison Ave., New York 21, N.Y., Plaza 5-4680
San Francisco - W.A.Babcock, 605 Market St., San Francisco 5, Calif., Yukon 2-3954
Los Angeles - Wentworth F. Green, 439 So. Western Ave., Los Angeles 5, Calif., Dunkirk 7-8135
Elsewhere - the Publisher
DMPUTERS AND AUIDMKl'IONis published monthly. Copyright, 1957, by Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
~bBcription rates: in ~he United States - one year $5.50,
two years $10.50; in Canada - one year $6.00, two years $11.50;
elsewhere - one y~ar $6.56, two years
$12.50
Entered as second class matter at.;he Post Office, New York, N.Y.

- 3 -

y.

"

",!Ie

'," \

..\\

~\ ,,~~

\ \

Design engineers indicaie widespread
use for

Sylvania
Powver Transist-or
Type2N242
While the type 2N242 is well known for its
original use in the output stage of hybrid
auto radio, it is rapidly becoming the
standard. for general purpose use in a wide
range of power applications.
There are good reasons for its growing
popularity-IO watts collector dissipation,
for instance-welded hermetic seal-and a
storage temperature of 85° C to eliminate
heat problems under idle conditions.

If you have plans for general purpose transistors you'll be glad to know Sylvania's
semiconductor plant in Hillsboro, New
Hampshire is just about completely devoted to the production of the Type 2N242.
That means Sylvania can meet your volume requirements. And, Sylvania's leadership in the manufacture of semiconductors
means you're assured of high ~Joduct uniformity and dependable performance.

GENERAL FEATURES
OF THE 2N242 PNP POWER TRANSISTOR-

• 10 watts max. collector dissipation
• 2 amps max. collector current
.45 volts max. collector voltage
• New welded hermetic seal
• 30 db minimum power gain (typically 35 db)
• 85° C storage temperature
• 100° C iunction temperature
• Thermal drop_3° C per watt (typically 2° per watt)

SYLVANIA ELECTRIC PRODUCTS INC.

1740 Broadway, New York 19, N. Y.
In Canada: Sylvania Electric (Canada) Ltd.
Shell Tower Building, Montreal

LIGHTING

•

RADIO

•

TELEVISION

•

ELECTRONICS

•

ATOMIC ENERGY

Here are iust some of the applications in
which designers are eflectively using
or planning to use the 2N242

* VOLTAGE REGULATION
DC CONVERTER
OSCILLATOR, AMPLIFIER
TRANSISTOR COMPUTER

{]I

Q

§

MAGNETIC CORE DRIVER

::J

-2
•
-

T,

I

SERVO AMPLIFIER

I

VERTICAL SWEEP OUTPUT

1

'

~

~~~~_-,,,,,,,,.,.,.,,,,,.,,.,,,~\¢~. . .w,,,,.,,,.,,,,\,,,.,1",,,,,,,,h,..._~r"""<"-"''',..,.",.'''''.t\..P,.,........ ,~,.,.."_"..,..,.......".:.,,,..\~,,....~''',!
~Transistor Voltage Regulation
Pransistorization of voltage regulator circuits is one
If the most popular general purpose applications indi:ated for the 2N242. Here is a typical regulator circuit
ncorporating the Type 2N242. DC to AC converter
'ates second in popular usage for this power transistor.

How about your general purpose plans for the Type
pOUJer transistor? Call your Sylvania representaive or write for technical data.

~N242

PULSE POWER QUTPUT
HIGH CURRENT SWITCH
RF MODULATOR

..... ..., ..... ' - ' .... , U

~tJ

and some other information for over 10,000 computer people; it is an extra number of "Computers
and Automation", not included in the subscription.

1. The Computer Directory and Buyers'

Guide
2. Estimate of the Computer Market
3. 53 Foreign Subscriptions At Once
4. Reference Information

l. .. ' - ' ...

6

38
38

SURVEYS - ESTIMATE OF THE MARKET
FOR COMPUTERS AND DATA PROCESSORS

THE COMPUTER DIRECTORY
AND BUYERS' GUIDE, 1957

Several of our readers have told us that a
magazine that covers a field has an unparallelled
opportunity to find out answers to questions about
the field by means of surveys - which any single
business or organization in the field cannot easily
make. We believe this.

The June 1957 issue of "Computers and
Automation" will be the third issue of "The Computer Directory". It will be called "The Computer
Directory and Buyers' Guide, 1957". The last
issue was published in June, 1956.

The computer field contains many hard-toanswer questions, which can be partly answered
through surveys. One of them is the size of the
market for computers, data processors, and related equipment. We are devoting our first survey to this problem.
(cont'd on page 38)

Part 1 of the Directory in 1957 will be a
cumulative "Roster of Organizations in the Computer Field". The last cumulative listings we r e
published in the June and August 1956 issues of
"Computers and Automation", and covered ove r
380 organizations. In the cumulative listing in the
Directory, there will be a requested nominal
charge of $10 an entry.

*

Par t 2 of the Directory will be a cumulative "Buyers' Guide to the Computer Field: Products and Services for Sale or Rent". Over 700 entries under 67 headings appeared in the last issue;
and it is anticipated that more will appear in the
1957 issue. There will be a requested nominal
charge of $10 an entry; there will also be an opportunity for pictures and associated advertisements.
The list of 67 headings appears on page 28 in this
issue.
The previous entries and blank forms will be
mailed out in February and March to organizations
for revisions, changes, and additions. The closing
date for receipt of corrected information will b e
about April 10. The form of entry for organizations
and for products appears on page 43 of this issue.
Part 3 of the Directory will be a cumulative
edition of "List of Automatic Computers". The last
edition appeared in June, 1956 and contained about
220 entries.
It is expected that some other new features
will also be included.

One part of the directory in former years,
the "Who's Who in the Computer Field", has grown
so large that it will be published separately. The
next edition is expected to appear in March, and
will contain over 190 pages of names, addresses,

*

NEW

PRODUCTS

AND

IDEAS

*

~

10

1. Simulators for Training Airplane

Crews
2. Transistor Arithmetic Control Unit
3. Miniature Tape Recorder
4. Electronic Roulette Demonstrates
Computers
Supermendur
- An Improved
5.
Magne tic Alloy
6. New Air-to-Air Guided Missile

14
14

*

*

*
INDEX
FOl~

11
12
13

OF

NOTICES

Infurmation on:

Auvertising Index
Rates and
Specifications
Back Copies
Bulk Subscription Rates
Computer Directory and
Buyers' Guide
Corrections
Manuscripts
Reader's Inquiry Form
Roster Entry Forms
Special Issues

A',~vertising

50
40
46
47
6

44
42
50
43
44

Address Changes: If your address changes, please
send us both your new and your old address (torn
off from the wrapper if possible), and allow three
weeks for the change.

- 6 -

CTC Capacitor Data: Metallized cerami.c forms CST-50, in range 1.5 to 12.5 MMFD's; CST-6, in range 0.5 to
4.5 MMFD's; CS6-6, in range 1 to 8 MMFD's: CS6-50, in range 3 to 25 MMFD's; CST-50-D, a differential capacitor,
with the top half in range 1.5 to 10 MMFD's and lower half in range 5 to 10 MMFD's.

These Midgets do big jobs well
These capacitors outperform capacitors several times their size. Their tunable elements virtually eliminate losses
due to air dielectric, resulting in wide
minimum to maximum capacity ranges.
The tuning sleeves are a t ground potential, and can be locked firmly to eliminate undesirable capacity change.
Every manufacturing detail has to
conform to the highest quality control
standards. Because of these standards,
CTC can guarantee the performance of
this family, and of every electronic component CTC makes.
Other precision-made CTC components that benefit from CTC high
quality standards include terminals,
terminal boards, swagers, hard ware, insulated terminals and coil forms. For
all specifications and prices, write
Cambridge Thermionic Corporation,

456 Concord Ave., Cambridge 38,
Mass. On the West Coast contact E. V.
Roberts and Associates, Inc., 5068
West Washington Blvd., Los Angeles
16, and 61 Renato Court, Red wood
City, California.
New Series X2122 Stand-Off Capacitors
with ceramic dielectric are exceptionally rugged.
These are general RF by-pass capacitors for use in
high quality electronic equipment. The encapsulating resin provides rigidity and durability under
extreme conditions of shock, vibration, and
humidity. Over-all height mounted is under %".
Available in a range of values.

:;,,:'"~, ~/o,

'/»~""" '/

CAMBRIDGE

THERMIONIC

CORPORATION

makers 0/ guaranteed electronic components
custom or standard

See CTC's Guaranteed Components on Display at Booth 2219, IRE Show, New York Coliseum, March 18-21

OFFICE

EQUIPMENT

OUTLOOK

Oliver J. Gingold
New York, N. Y.

(Reprinted with permission from The Wall Street Journal, January 17, 1957,
published by Dow Jones & Company, Inc., New York 4, N. Y . .)
Business machine manufacturers are riding
the crest of the biggest boom in the industry's history and they expect it to pick up added momentum
this year. Trade sources calculate that the industry rolled up nearly $2 billion in sales during 1956
after doing $1. 7 billio~ in 1955. The forecast for
1957: A jump of approximately 20%, which would
push the figure to $2.4 billion. Earnings generally
have kept pace with sales, though some companies
insist prices are too low to produce what they consider a reasonable profit. Steps to correct t his
were taken in 1956: typewriter producers jacked
up portable prices in the spring, office models in
the fall; and giant International Business Machines
Corp. stiffened rental fees for the first time in its
history. More of the same seems almost inevitable
some time during 1957. Individually, companies
assess the outlook this way:

pense of profits in later years - is IBM's offer,
under the terms of its 1956 consent decree, to sell
as well as lease its machines. The company concedes this point, but maintains that "a large rna]ority of customers will continue to rent the equipment. "
The concern's expenditures for factories, laboratories, equipment and "rental machine assets"
last year topped the record $134,015,108 spent for
these purposes in 1955; and executives figure 1957
capital spending will go even higher. The principal reason is a string of new plants, now under construction at Rochester, Minn., San Jose, Calif.,
Owe go, N. Y., Lexington, Ky., and Sherman, Texas; and a new research laboratory - IBM's ninth
- at Yorktown, N. Y. The present state of the
money market, ~ays IBM, will have no effect on
these projects.

1. B. M. Eyes $1 Billion Sales International Business Machines Corp. which
chalked up new sales and earnings records in 1956,
is fast on its way to becoming the industry's first
billion-dollar company. In fact, IBM now anticipates revenue of $1,250,000,000 by 1960 - more
than double its 1955 volume.

In 1956, it is understood, sales were in the
neighborhood of $700 million, a gain of more than
20% over the $563,548,792 registered in 1955.
Net profits soared, too, reaching more than $65
million, or about $12.40 a share, compared with
$55,872,633, or $10.64 a present share a ye ar
earlier.
IBM officials expect continued growth in both
sales and earnings during 1957, "assuming a continued healthy economic climate." As they did
last year, new products (at least one major computer development is nearing completion) will
play a key role in bolstering volume.

Burroughs Counts on New Products Burroughs Corp. in 1956 earned "somewhere
between $2.25 and $2.40 a share" on the 6,029,000
shares currently outstanding, John s. Coleman~
president, disclosed. For 1955 the company reported profits of $2.19 a share, basoed 'On the
5,549,000 shares then outstanding. Last year's
sales were up, too, climbing to about- $260 million
from $218,592,481 in 1955.
Mr. Coleman took a rosy view of Burroughs'
prospects for 1957, predicting the company's revenues this year will move past the $290 million
mark. New products, involving all the company's
major divisions, will be introduced during the last
six months of this year. It is understood at least
one of these will come from Burroughs' Electro, Data division - acquired l~st year to give the
company an entree into the burgeoning computer
business.
The Detroit-based concern, undaunted by the
tight money market, is pushing the most extensive
construction program in its history. with n e.w

Another factor tending to push this year's
sales and earnings higher - perhaps at the ex-

-8-

Equipment Outlook

plants abuilding in the United States.
Royal McBee Making Progress Sales of Royal McBee Corp., the nation's biggest manufacturer of typewriters, are growing at a
somewhat faster pace than earnings. In the four
months to November 30, first four of the fiscal year,
volume was about 12% ahead of a year earlier, it is
understood, while profits were approximately 5%
better. It is anticipated that the same percentages
gen~rally will carry through the remainder of the
first half, which ends January 31.
The company, which initiated last year's
round of price increases on manual and office typewriters, concedes that further increases may be in
the offing. But, officials add, this time stiffer
prices will most likely affect portable rather than
office machines. Royal McBee currently is pondering several major expansion programs, despite the
tight money situation.

last year, Mr. Ward said, and its optimism for
future years is demonstrated by a $5,500,000 expansion project now under way at Cleveland. The
addition, providing 50 %more floor space for a
planned increase in research, engineering, and
manufacturing, is slated for completion in March.
Sperry's Stake Remington Rand division of Sperry Ran d
Corp.. will complete "the biggest year in its history" on March 31, "and it would appear that next
year will be even bigger, " Marcell N. Rand, executive vice president and general manager, asserted. In the nine months ended December 31, 1956,
sales and earnings of the division "ran well ahead"
of a year earlier, Mr. Rand added. No figures
are available for comparison, however, since
Remington Rand operated as an individual company
until July 1, 1955, when it merged with S per r y
Corp. to form the present concern.
A few months ago, Gen. Douglas MacArthur,
Sperry Rand chairman, forecast that the company's
1957 sales would reach $775 million. It is understood that sales of Remington Rand office equipment continue to account for about one third of
Sperry Rand sales.

National Cash Register Prospects National Cash Register Co. in 1957 expects
to better the sales and earnings records set in
1956. Stanley C. Allyn, president, disclosed recently the big Dayton concern earned between $18
million and $19 million in 1956, compared with
$15,387,861 in 1955. Sales also jumped ahead last
year, reaching $340 million against $301 million
in 1955. The current 12 months, Mr. Allyn predicts, will produce sales in the neighborhood of
$400 million, and profits greater than those registered in 1956.

Mr. Rand voiced the opinion that prices on
office equipment should be raised to meet constantly climbing costs. But as to Remington Rand's
probable course of action, he would say only that
"the company is studying prices on all our products
quite carefully. "

Remington Rand, which added four new plants

Addressograph Records in Sight Indications are that Addressograph- Multigraph Corp. will post new highs iIi sales and earnings in the fiscal year ending July 31, 1957, with
sales expected to cross the $100 million mark for
the first time. The best previous performance
was turned in during fiscal 1956, when sales totalled $86, 980,51~, and profits amounted to $7,289,268,
or $8.34 a share.

in calendar 1956, is presently considering further

expansion projects. Tight money, says Mr. Rand,
hasn't affected such planning up to this time.

Despite disruptions of operations resulting
from a seven-day strike in November and the usual
holiday slow-down, it is anticipated sales and earnings for the second quarter ·of the fiscal year will
be comparable to those in the first quarter. In that
period, ended October 31, the company reported volume of $25,586,825 and profits of $1,967,289, or
$2.22 a share; both figures were substantially higher than a year earlier.
The company's cheerful outlook on 1957 is reflected in a decision to boost sales quotas 27% ove~

Smith-Corona Acquisition Helpful The acquisition of Kleinschmidt Laboratories, Inc., completed last August after a protracted
legal battle, is apparently paying off for SmithCorona, Inc. Elwyn L. Smith, ,president, believes
sales and earnings for the six months ended December 31 were "substantially" ahead of the records
set in the first half of fiscal 1956. In the earlier
period, the Syracuse concern posted profits of
$866,000 on sales of $19,300,000.
He anticipates that sales and earnings for
fiscal 1957, ending June 30, will also be at new
highs. Supporting this forecast, he added, is the
fact that new orders outstripped production for
several weeks late in 1956. A further boost may
come from the introduction of an ele,ytric port(cont'd on page 31)

- 9 -

NEW PRODUCTS AND IDEAS
SIMULATORS FOR TRAINING AffiPLANE CREWS
American Airlines
Los Angeles, Calif.
The first of four DC-6 and DC-7 airplane procedural trainers developed by American Airlines
for training new flight crews and refreshing veteran crews in cockpit operating techniques -has been
installed by American Airlines at Los Angeles.
These trainers, which are on the ground and
not airborne, are full-scale mockups of the DC-6
and DC-7 flight deck, and include pilot's, co-pilot's,
and flight engineer's positions. Each will be used
by the airline to make crews familiar with the
cockpit, the location of instruments, and operational techniques. The new equipment will en a b 1 e
crews to practice engine starting and control, management of fuel, operation of electrical and hydraulic systems, emergency procedures, and coordination of the crew under simulated operating conditions. The trainers are designed primarily to
make crews familiar with all parts of normal and
emergency procedures, but navigational training
is not included. Incorporated in the equipment is

an instructor's station and a control panel. An
instructor thus may introduce emergencies and
operational problems, for the crew in training
to solve.
These trainers have been constructed by
Burton Rodgers, Technical Training Aids, Cincinnati, Ohio. They are being installed in American Airlines' major training bases at New York,
Chicago, and Fort Worth, as well as at Los Angeles. All units have mechanical-type computers,
externally mounted adjacent to the cockpit. They
are designed for swift disassembling and easy
shipment, and may be separated into sections no
larger than 60 inches wide and 80 inches high.
Development of the trainer goes back to
1948 when M. C. Thompson, of American Airlines, designed, constructed, and installed a
handmade version at the company's former training base at Ardmore, Okla.

Airplane Procedural Trainer - This trainer was developed by American Airlines to familiarize
flight crews for" DC-6 and DC-7 planes in cockpit operating techniques. The instructor (left) may use
his control panel to introduce operational problems and emergencies for the three-man flight crew to
solve. Virtually any problem encountered in flight may be simulated in these procedural trainers, to
be installed in New York, Chicago, Fort Worth, and Los Angeles.
-10 -

New Products and Ideas

TRANSISTOR ARITHMETIC CONTROL UNIT

Philco Corp.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Figure 1 shows a Transac arithmetic control
unit, developed at Philco's Government and Industrial Division. This computing unit occupies only
one-third cubic foot and weighs~ less than 12 pounds.
It operates on only 3 volts potential and employs a
unique. direct-coupled circuitry, and thereby eliminates many components usually found in electronic
computers. The unit contains nearly 1,000 tiny
transistors, 300 resistors and 12 capacitors permanently dip-soldered into compact, plug-in, printed-circuit cards. Each card provides all the necessary functions for one binary digit including add,
subtract, multiply, divide, square root, shift right,

Figure 1 -

shift left, sign magnitude, and absolute magnitude.
Ten "math" cards and seven "control" cards are
plugged into the ten inch long unit to provide all
arithmetic processing facilities between conventional input and output devices. Input-output connections
are made by plugs. This Transac unit adds two
numbers in 1.5 microseconds; it multiplies in 15
microseconds. A row of indicator lights provides
visual display of results. Transac math-control
units with larger digital capacities can be built in
"building block" fashion by simply increasing the
number of plug-in "cards fl.

Transac Arithmetic Control Unit

-11 -

new rrUUUC.L:!i

UDU

.l,.ueU:!i

MINIATURE TAPE RECORDER
North American Instruments, Inc.
Altadena, Calif.

The recorders also are beginning to be used
to. gather many kinds of data from both test missiles and free-flying models in wind tunnels. Until
recently, data from both the real and simulated
flights usually has been transmitted by radio signals from heavier, bulkier telemetering equipment.

A tiny tape recorder has solved one of the
most perplexing problems in missile flight test
programs: the collection of aerodynamic data
from missiles too small for telemetering equipment.
Developed by North American Instruments,
Inc., Altadena, California, the miniature magnetic recorders are being used by a dozen different
companies which are conducting rocket and missile tests on government contracts.
To date, the principal use of the instrument
has been for obtaining skin temperature s during
oritical periods in high-speed, high altitude flights
of missiles. In particular, it has gathered vital
data from test flights of the hypersonic test vehicle
(HTV) developed by Aerophysics Development Corp. ,
Santa Barbara. The HTV has reached a speed of
5,000 miles per hour at altitudes in the region of
50,000 feet.

Use of telemetering equipment has presented
problems for midget missiles and models.
The newly-developed miniature recorders are
four inches in diameter, five inches high and weigh
2-1/4 pounds and, according to Eugene Bollay, president of North American Instruments; they are extremely reliable and rugged.
One Northam recorder, Bollay says, has
been recovered and re_used eight times in missile
tests at Holloman Air Developme~t Center, New
Mexico. In contrast, telemetering equipment. shatters upon initial ground impact.

Rugged Miniature Tape Recorder - This miniature (4" wide, 5" high, 2-1/4 pounds) tape recorder
made by North American Instruments has demonstrated its durable construction by surviving eight high-.
altitude missile flights in the HTV (hypersonic test vehicle) program at Holloman Air Development Center.
-12 -

New Products and Ideas

ELECTRONIC ROULETTE DEMONSTRATES COMPUTERS
Bendix Aviation Corp., Computer Div.
Los Angeles, Calif.
To demonstrate the automatic features of the
Bendix G-15 Computer at the recent Automation
Exposition held at the beginning of December, 1956,
in New York, an electronic roulette game calI e d
"GAMBIT" was introduced to visitors at the Bendix
Computer Division exhibit. Players placed "chips"
on the board and when all chips were down the computer blinked lights, rang bells, figured the odds,
typed out the winning numbers. "GAMBIT" derives
its name from "Game for Automation-Minded
Bigwigs Insensitive to Treachery".
Maurice Horrell, General Manager of Bendix
Computer Division, said, "The digital computer has
a reputation for drudgery - all work and no play.
Year in and year out they help overworked engineer-

ing and research staffs solve complex and repetitive mathematical problems. So we gave one a
short vacation and took it to New York to let it
live a little, Las Vegas style. "
Bendix Computers are being used in a number of applications such as solving problems in
the design of cams, gears and optical lenses; in the
construction of highways and pipe lines; in strain
gauge testing, automatic control of hi g h - pre ci8ion machine tools, wind tunnel experiments,
correlation of hydroelectric power factors, astronomical navigation studies, flight path calculations, crude oil reservoir and gas storage problems, plus an increasing number of general laboratory uses.

ELECTRONIC ROULETTE, "GAMBIT", a game devised by engineers of the Bendix Aviation Corporation's
Computer Division to illustrate the company's newest general purpose computer. When all of the jumbo
"chips" are down, the attendant flicks a switch, the computer calculates the odds and automatically types
out the winning number.
-13 -

New Products and Ideas

ceed 140,000 lines per square inch without excessive losses.

SUPERMENDUR AN IMPROVED MAGNETIC ALLOY

Characteristics of this material make it
ideally suited for power transformers, pulse
transformers, and magnetic amplifiers. The
precipitous sides of the hysteresis loop indicate
that the gain of a magnetic amplifier can be increased as much as 80% over that obtainable with
grain-oriented silicon steel. Other possible
applications include telephone receiver diaphragms,
and switching and memory devices. The material
may be especially useful where miniaturization
is desired, or where high temperature operation
is contemplated.

Bell Telephone Laboratories
New York, N. Y.
Substantial improvements in magnetic amplifiers, switching and memory devices, pulse transformers, and power transformers are now possible
as a result of a new magnetic alloy which has been
developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories. This
material will permit reductions in the size of magnetic components without any sacrifice in performance' and will facilitate the design of new components having greatly improved performance characteristics.

Western Electric Company, Inc. does not
plan to produce Supermendur for commercial
consumption. However, a: number of companies
have expressed an interest in the material and
it probably will be manufactured under Western
Electric license in the near future.

Called Supermendur, the alloy has a number
of exceptional properties, including higher permeability and lower hysteresis losses at high flux
densities than any material heretofore available.
The composition of Supermendur (nominally
49% iron, 49% cobalt and 2% vanadium) is similar
to 2V-Permendur, a magnetic alloy developed at
Bell Laboratories many years ago. However,
H. L. B. Gould and D. H. Wenny have improved the
characteristics of the alloy to a remarkable degree. The hysteresis losses have been reduced
by a factor of ten. Maximum permeability is now
66,000 at 20,000 gausses; remanence, 21,500
gausses; coercive force, .26 oersted; and saturation, 24, 000 gausses. Core losses are under 6
watts per pound at 400 cycles at a flux density of
100,000 lines per square inch. The hysteresis
loop is rectangular with a flux swing of 45, 500
gausses from minus remanence to plus saturation.
These outstanding properties have been
achieved by using commercial materials of the
highest purity, melting in a controlled atmosphere
furnace, and subjecting the resulting alloy to a
prescribed schedule of rolling and heat treatment
in a magnetic field. The material is so malleable
that it can be cold-rolled from 0.090" to 0.003"
without intermediate anneals and without losing its
ductility.

*.--------- * --------- *
NEW AIR-TO-AIR GUIDED MISSILE
Hughes Aircraft Co.
Culver City, Calif.
The United States Air Force and Hughes Aircraft Company have announced the existence of a
new air-to-air guided missile that can climb at
supersonic speed higher than any other existing
armament of its kind.
The missile, a new version of the Hughes
Falcon designated GAR-ID, was developed in the
Culver City, Calif. laboratories of Hughes and is
being manufactured by it at Tucson, Ariz.

Power transformer cores of .004" or .002"
Supermendur tape can provide an output more than
30% greater than comparable grain-oriented silicon steel cores, the best previously available material. Advantages on an ampere turn excitation
basis are even greater percentage-wise. This permits a reduction in core size and weight of aJ;
least 30% for the same output, a significant fac·
tor in many applications. Flux density can ex-

The GAR-ID is a radar-guided supersonic
missile designed to be carried in quantity by allweather jet interceptors like the Northrop F-89H
Scorpion and the supersonic delta-wing Convair
F-102A, the joint announcement said. It is slightly
longer than six feet, has an air-frame diameter of
approximately six inches and weighs less than an
average man.
With a range measured in miles, the new
Falcon can be launched well below an enemy bomber and the tremendous thrust from its rocket motor will carry it to altitudes well in excess of the
capability of the interceptor.

- 14 -

NE.W PATENTS
RAYMOND R. SKOLNICK Reg. Patent Agent
Ford Inst. Co. Div. of Sperry Rand Corp.
Long Island City 1, New York

The following is a compilation of patents pertaining to computers and associated equipment from
the Official Gazette of the United States Patent
Office, dates of issue as indicated. Each entry
consists of: Patent number I inventor(s) I assignee I invention.
December 11, 1956 (cont'd from Feb. issue):
2, 774,026 I George H. Towner, San Diego, Calif.
I Northrop Aircraft Inc., Hawthorne, Calif I
A digital servomotor.
December 18. 1956: 2,774,429 I Edward J. Rabenda, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. I I. B. M. Corp.,
New York, N. Y. I A magnetic core converter
and storage unit.
2,774,534 I Roland H. Dunn, London, Eng. I International Standard Electric Corp., New York,
N. Y. I Electrical counting and like devices.
2,774,535 I Lloyd D. Anderson, Tacoma Park,
Md. I - I A variable amplitude signal ana,lyzer.
2,774,825 I Soloman Sherr, Tuckahoe, N. Y. I
General Precision Lab., Inc., N. Y. I A logarithmic amplifier.
2,774,868 I Byron L. Havens, Closter, N. J. I
I. B. M. Corp., New York, N. Y. I A binarydecade counter.
2,774, 957 / George H. Towner, San Diego, Calif.
/ Northrop Aircraft Inc., Hawthorne, Calif. /
An analog to digital function converter.
December 25, 1956: 2,775,122 / Robert E. Smith,
Downey, and John M. Wuerth, Whittier, Calif.
/ North American Aviation, Inc., Calif. / A
vertical velocity computer.
2,775,124/ Frederick H. Gardner, Long Beach,
James C. Elms, Newport Beach, and David
Rosenstock, Long Beach, Calif. / North American Aviation, Inc., Calif. I An angle of
attack computer.
2,775,402 / Eric Weiss, Los Angeles, Calif. / - /
A coded decimal summing circuit.
2,775,404/ Harold R. Lahr, Chicago, Ill. / United
Air Lines, Inc., Chicago, Ill. / A computer for
the solution of navigation problems.
2,775,694 I Alan D. Blumlein, Ealing, London,
Eng. / Electric and Musical Industries, Ltd.,

Eng. I An electrical circuit arrangement for
effecting integration and applications thereof.
2,775,726 I Jan Louis de Kroes and Alphonsus
Heetman, Hilversum, Netherlands / Hartford
National Bank and Trust Co., Hartford, Conn.
I An apparatus for registering pulses.
2,775,727 I John J. Kernahan, Livingston, and
John C. Lozier, Short Hills, N. J. / Bell Telephone Lab., Inc., New York, N. Y. / A digital
to analog converter with digital feedback control.
2,775,754 / Robert L. Sink, Altaoona, Calif. / Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp., Pasadena,
Calif. I An analog-digital converter.
2,775,755 I Robert L. Sink, Altadena, Calif. I Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp., Pasadena,
Calif. I An angular position transducer.
2,775,756 / Sylvanus B. Bracy, Eatontown, N. J.
and Paul M. Levy, New York, and Rocco L.
Sarlo, Mamaroneck, N.Y. I U. S. A. / A facsimile recorder computer.
January 1, 1957: 2,766,418 I Ralph Townsend,
Letchworth, Eng. I The British Tabulating
Machine Co., Ltd., Letchworth, Eng. I Apparatus for comparing a first and second binary
pulse train using an electronic storage device.
2,776,419 I Jan A. Rajchman, Princeton, and
Milton Rosenberg, Trenton, N. J. I Radio Corp.
of America, Del. I A magnetic memory system.
2,776,422 I Eugene A. Slusser, Arlington Heights,
Mass. I U. S. A. I A range tracking system.
2,776,423 I Frank L. Richardson, Carle Place,
N. Y. I Sperry Rand Corp., Del. I A moving
range indicator for automatic tracking radar.
2,776,426 I Frederick J. Altman, Ridgewood, N. J.
I International Telephone and Telegraph Corp.,
Maryland I A moving target range tracking unit.
January 8. 1957: 2, 776,794 I Frederick C. Williams, Timperley, and Arthur A. Robinson,
Scunthorpe, Eng. I National Research Development Corp., London, Eng. I An electronic circuit for multiplying binary numbers.
2,777,098 I Paul Duffing, Berlin-Siemensstadt,
and Gerhard Conradi, Berlin-Tegel, Germany
I Siemens-Schuckertwerk Aktiengesellschaft,
Berlin-Siemensstadt, Germany I A magnetically controlled electric counting apparatus.
2,777,103 I Arthur E. Reed, Schenectady, N. Y. I
General Electric Co., N. Y. I A drift stabilized
velocity servo.
2,777,109 I ArIon G. Sangster, Leominster, Mass.
I - I An electromechanical servo positioning
mechanism.
January 15, 1957: 2,777,354 I Michael E. Stickney,
Alhambra, Calif., Royal Glen Madsen, Greenwich, Conn., and Lawrence R. Pugh, Monrovia,
Calif I Beckman Instruments, Inc., So. Pasa(cont'd on page 27)

-15 -

GROUP BEHAVIOR OF ROBOTS

Manfred Kochen
International Business Machines Corp.
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

(The contents of this article wer~ presented as part of a lecture entitled
"Networks of Multipole Sequence Transducers", at the meeting of the
Association for Computing Machinery in Philadelphia, Sept. 1955.)

Introduction
The behavior of people in social groups is
very complex, even if the behavior of each individual could be accurately and consistently described. The construction and analysis of models,
mathematical and otherwise, presents difficult
conceptual, logical, and empirical problems. The
simulation of group behavior with the use of large
high-speed digital computers may serve to bring
these problems into relief, and it may help the
social scientist to formulate his basic concepts
amd assumptions more precisely. Furthermore,
this use of computers may be of help in the solution of the mathematical problems encountered by
the model-builder, which have frequently been beyond the scope of presently available analytical
knowledge. Most important, however, is the
possibility of "testing" models by mirroring an
experimental situation within the computer (e. g.
Monte Carlo Methods), when actual experimentation or observation is much more costly, or even
impossible. The numerical experiments to be reported here illustrate the concrete realization of
a highly idealized model of social interaction by
means of a computer program.

Conceptual Framework
In order to describe the experiments, as
well as to illustrate how computer simulation can
guide the scientist in the development of precise,
testable concepts, it will be necessary to summarize some of the basic concepts of a model on which
the experiments are based. The model is more
fully and rigorously developed elsewhere. 1,2
.,The main ideas in this model are discussed below:
Each component or individual in a group of
such members is specified by the manner iIi
which its "response" and present "internal state"

1.

-16 -

is codetermined by a "stimulus" and "internal
state" at the preceding instant. For instance,
if the "internal state" of an organism at a certain time is interpreted as a state of sleep,
and a stimulus in the form of a pin prick is
applied at that time, 'there is a high probability
that the internal state at the next ins tan t 0 f
time will be a waking state, accompanied by a
response in the form of a yell or a jerk. In
the idealized description, it is assumed that
there are only two possible r'esponses, which
are abstractly denoted by 0 and 1. This was
assumed because of the mathematical simplliication which results, because of the binary
nature of most digital computers, and 'also because this is suitable for certain applications,
such as switching circuits. The internal state
was also supposed to be specified by a finite
number of binary digits, for the same reasons
as above. The stin'lulus or input to each component is composed of the outputs or responses
of the other components. (Possibly,the output
of a component may be fed back to be part of
its own input one time unit later.) Hence, the
input also consists of a finite number of binary
variables, or bits. The values of all these binary variables can change only at regular intervals; this assumption is again related to the
synchronous cha.+acter of computers and the
simplicity. of the mathematics. The joint conditional probability of the response (output) and
the state variables at any instant of time, given
1 Kochen, M., "An Information-Theoretic Model
of Organizations", Transactions of Ie R. E., P. G.
I. T. - 4, p. 67, Sept. 1954
'
2Kochen, M., "Organized Systems with Discrete
Information Transfer", Journal of the Association
for Compt!ting Machinery, forthcoming.

Group Behavior

the stimulus (input) and state-variables at the
instant of time corresponding to the preceding
clock pulse, is called the behavior function of
the component in question. Thus, in a switching circuit, a response of 1 might denote the
presence of a pulse at the output terminal, and
o the absence of a pulse; a set of O's and 1 's in
the input denote the absence or presence of pulses at the input terminals; the set of O's and l's
in the state variables represent the state of the
internal switches or secondary relays (open or
closed). The behavior function is determined
by the topology of the switching network, the
physical laws governing the behavior 0 f the
sWitching elements and their reliabilities. An~ther simple example is furnished by a type of
counter, where an output of 0 means that th,e
number of l' s in both the input and the "0 I d It
state together is even, and an output of 1 means
that it is odd; the "new" state consists 0 f the
"old" state with the variables of the input replacing certain variables which were previously
allO. In human individuals, the stimuli may be
interpreted as que stions encoded into binary
form, and the response as No (0) or Yes (1)
answers, with the internal state being interpreted as the accumulated state of knowledge
or experience. Note the similarity of the components as described here with the "robots" introduced by Murray 3 .
2. It is assumed that the outputs and internal
states of all the N components in a group are
sampled at the same time, at regular intervals.
That is, all the components' actions are regarded as synchronized with a system clock, with
all the outputs occurring simultaneously. The
group behavior is specified by the variation of
the set of outputs from all the components with
time. Whereas each input bit is the output of
some component in this system, the internal
variables of a given component are not directly
affected by the internal variables of any other
component. Thus, an example of a system, or
group of components is furnished by several
switching circuits, with the output terminal of
each connected to the input terminals of one or
more of the others; the entire system has no input or output terminals.
3. The organizational structure of the system (network topology) is specified by describing from
which other components each component receives the ouput from one component other than
himself, a directed circle network is obtained.
3Murray, F. J., "Mechanisms and Robots", Jn'l
of the Ass'n for Comput. Mach. , April 1955
-17 -

If there is one component who receives informa-

tion from all others, with the others receiving
information only from him, a type of star network is obtained. Another example is the case
in which each component is connected to:.~ every
other one.
4. Each individual is "rewarded rl or "punished"
for his response to the stimulus (or a time sequence of these extending into the past) according to a specified reward schedule, called the
Value functions. In one of the experiments which
will be described, the Value functions can be
described as follows: Let Pi denote the ith in a
in a group of N individuals. Pi is rewarded at
the present instant if he responds with a 1 (pulse,
Yet, etc.) to a 0 by Pi-l at the previous instant,
or if he responds with a 1 at present to a 0 by
Pi-l previously; Pi is punished at present if he
does not so respond. Pi can control whether or
not he shall be rewarded only if he can receive
information from Pi-l (about what Pi's response
was at the preceding instant); this information
must be part of Pi's input. If Pi'S behavior
function is such that whenever he can control his
reward, he will respond in such a manner as to
assure himself of reward rather than punishment, this behavior function is said to be selforiented with respect to the Value fWlCtion for
Pi. In the following experiments, the Value
functions are specified, and the only assumptions about the behavior functions are that they
are self-oriented. This may, in some applications, be a more realistic procedure than to
make definite assumptions about the behavior
functions themselves.

In the early stages of the interaction process
under discussion, Pi may be thought of as selecting
his response at random, 1. e.: tossing a coin and
making the response 1 in case of heads, 0 in case
of tails. Pi does, however, record the outcome.
More preCisely, he records what response he chose
(at random) together with the associated stimulus
and the fact whether this response was rewarded
or punished. The internal state, or "memory" of
Pi' thus is changed from "blank" (storing no information) to the storage of this one item of experience (consisting of three variables). The ne xt
time that a stimulus is presented to Pi, Pi's memory will be searched for a previous occurrence of
this stimulus. If this stimulus has not 0 c c ur red
previously, it will not be found in the memory, and
the response is ~ain determined at random, and
the outcome is stored again as a new item of experience ready for future reference. If, however, the
incoming stimulus has occurred before, it will have
been stored; the Value (reward or non-reward)

Computers and Automation

associated with this previous experience is looked
up; if lt was reward, the present output is the same
as the one made in that previous experience; if the
Value was punishment, the present output is the
opposite of what it was then. This is the s c hem e
which was actually used, but it is only one of several possible behavior functions which are self-oriented. Fcfr example, if the Value associated with the
previous experience was punishment, the pre~ent
response might be made at random rather than oppositely to what it was previously, as· described
above.
Several interesting questions may be raised with
regard to the properties of the conceptual framework which was informally sketched above. The
most important theoretical properties relate to the
existence of self-oriented and other types of behavior functions, and how these, together with the
organizational network, determine the group behavior. If the components are interpreted as the
memory and computing circuits (adders, Scheffer
organs, etc.) organized into a complex information
processing system, questions of system reliability,
efficiency, and asymptotic behavior, may be preCisely formulated and in some cases answered.
The converse problem, of how to select and combine robots according to their behavior functions
so as to realize a specified group behavior is of
great practical and theoretical interest, for instance in complex automata, such as guidance and
control systems, etc. It may be expected that direct simulation procedur~s could be of considerable
value in such synthesis and design problems, and
some practical problems have already been attacked
by this procedure.

Numerical Experiments
The main object of these experiments is to demonstrate a technique of using digital computers as
logical tools to help in the construction of models,
rather than to obtain specific results. It is, therefore, of some interest to describe the pro g ram
used in the design of the experiment, and the manner in which it employs the non-arithmetical features of the machine. This use of computers is related to the simulation procedures which are more
f.requently associated with analogue devices; when
a digital computer is used instead, the name "numerical experiment" has been used. Monte Carlo
Procedures, as used in the testing of learning models, for instance, are/examples of numerical experiments.
Figure 1 gives a verbal flow diagram of the pro-18 -

gram in summary. Initially, responses were
selected from a stored table of random binary
digits. It was necessary to obtain the random
numbers from a table rather than to generate
pseudo-random numbers by means of a subrout-,
ine (e. g. squaring a 20-bit number, extracting
the middle 20 bits from the 40 -bit product, and
repeating the process), because of the frequency
with which they were required; also, it was required that the random choices of PI, ... , PN
were statistically independent of each other, and
also independent of these choices at all other
times. The table was such that the probabilities
of 0 and 1 were nearly equal.
Each Pi is essentially specified by a set of
storage locations containing the·instructions and
variables which are associated with the behavior
function of Pi. 'The computer which was used had
a capacity of 1024 40-bit words of high-speed
memory (Williams tubes), and 2048 words of lower speed memory (Magnet ·drum). Using the entire capacity of the machine, it is possible to
permit each component to "remember" up to 256
items of experience, with a network consisting up
to 32 components (robots), each connected to at
most 8 others. This means that each component
is described by 256 x( 8 + 1 + 1) 2560 binary
state-variables; by 8 binary input variables, and
one binary output variable; in addition, there is
1 binary Value (reward) variable as~ociated·with
each component.
The problem on which these experiments
were focused was as follows: Given a set of N
Value functions, with self-oriented behavior functions as described before, what is the effect of
various organizational networks on the group
behavior? The rewards were assigned by a subroutine which was not associated with any of the
components, and the Value functions were the
same for each component.
Experiment I: N robots were connected in a
circle network, in which each robot received information from only a right. and a left neighbor.
It was desired to study the effect of N upon the
group behavior, 1. e. the variation of the combination of all the N outputs with time. In this case
it is possible to formulate the problem analytically, but the estimation of numerical results still
involve~ tedious computations. It is easy to show
that as N increases, the probability of any particular group output time sequence decreases exponentially. Such conclusions caD. be tested experimentally by repeating each run a large number of times, each time with a different table of

Group Behavior

Start
1

'"
~i

J

I

Form

J~

I~ from ~ •..• ~

Search the 2 channels on the ~ Has I~ been
drum which are assigned to
.
h
an input before?
Pi for the presence of I i '
starting with the quantity
stored last.

and incidence matrix
1\

i

I

+ 1 ~i
.~

Yes

Respond in the
same way as
J: reviouslv.
No

~es

,~

Yes

=

j,

No

I

Store I hi' .~
. ..h + 1 , after
vi + 1 ,oX,!,
1 is computed as a definite

(xf, .. ,X~)

become periodic
yet?

Did the previous response
to I ~
result in v.1
1?
1
Respond oppositely to the response made when If was last
encountered.

IIsi)N? L
r
J,
J I'
Has

-

vf +

function of If and x~

+ 1,

and

store it in the next vacant place
in the state-storage.

-

Select the response
at random. Store it
in the proper place
for the next cycle.
h+1
Xi

Read out the entire history: all the responses of each Pi and the internal state
at each h. The output is on punched cards,
and can be read directly.

Figure 1 -

No

\

Flow Diagram for thE! Program to Simulate the Group Behavior of Robots
represents the output, or response,of Pi at time h. (0 or 1 )
represents the input, or stimulus, to Pi at time h. It consists of the
outputs at time h - 1 of those Pj from which Pi receives information,
as specified by the organizational network (1. e., the incidence matrix)
is t~e Value (1 if reward, 0 if punishment) ass~ned to Pi at time h,
on the basis of response xf to stimulus If .

-19 -

Computers and Automation

Network I

Network II

Netw9rk ill
Figure 2

Network IV

Network V

Network VI
Figure 3

- 20 -

Group llehavior
random numbers, in order to obtain a good sample.
It was not possible to carry out this procedure sat-

isfactorily, because each run took about 10-20 of
machine time. (The time was limited by the access time to the drum via mechanical relays; within
the highspeed memory, the speed is of the order of
minutes.) The following table shows a sample of a
group output sequence for a circle network' wit h
N=4.
Time
1
2
3

4
5
6
7
8

OutEut
1111
1001
0110
1001
0111
0101
0001
0110

Time

OutEut

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

1101
0101
0100
1100
1101
0101
0100
1100'

Time
Network SamEle to Eeriod Period

It can be demonstrated rigorously that after
a certain time the group behavior will become periodic; the periodic cycle in the above run is: (1101,
0101, 0100, 1100). This cycle is o_f length 4, and
first starts on the 9th trial. The four robots, PI,
P 2 , P 3 and P4 stored 3,3,3, and,4 items of experience in terms of their internal state variables
at the time periodicity began. For example, the
first item which was stored by PI was the fact that
its response of 1 to the previous responses of 1 by
both P 4 and P 2 , resulted in punishment, (0). The
reward schedule (Value functions) used in the program was such that if Pi responded with a 1 to a
previous response by Pi _ 1 and by Pi + 1 of 10 or
01, and with a 0 to 11 or 10, the consequence was
reward, and punishment otherwise. Initially, all
the state variables were taken equal to 0, with all
inputs and outputs 0 also.

The following table shows the results of runs
on circle networks with N 6, 7, 8 and 9, with another sample for N 4, and two samples for N = 6.
Instead of presenting the complete output sequence
for each run, the follOWing data are summarized:
Column 2 shows the trial number (time) at which
periodicity first appeared (a complete cycle begins);
Column 3 shows the length of the cycle (the period);
Column 4 gives the number of items of experience
stored by PI' ... , P N in that order.

=

N
4
6
6
7
8
9

Time to
Eeriodici!y
8
25
4
5
13
8

Period
5
15
1
8
12
4

Experiment II: N was kept constant at 5, and the
effects of networks I, II, and III of Figure 2, on
the group behavior were studied. In these network diagrams (oriented linear graphs), an arrow
terminating on a component indicates that this component receives information from that component
from which the arrow originates. Four samples
were obtained for network I, three for network II,
and only one run was made on ill.' The results,
tabulated as above, were:

No. items stored
3.3,3,4
3,2, 2, 3, 3, 1
4,4,4,4,4,4
2,3,4,4,3,4,3
4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4
4,3,2,3,3,2,3,3,4

Number
items stored

I

1
2
3
4

18
23
20
10

7
1
1
1

8,7,7,9,2
13,13,13,13,1
7,8,4,4,5
7,7,8,8,2

II

1
2
3

13
13
5

1
2
2

4,2,3,3,4
3,3,4,4,3
3,3,4,3,4

1

8

1

5,1,2,1,1

ill

ExPeriment ill: The three networks, IV, V, and
VI of Figure 3, with N 7 were tested for their
effect upon group behavior. The results, with a
single run on each network, are shown below:

=

Network
IV
V
VI

Time
to Eeriodicity Period
20
12
43

1
8
7

No. of
items stored
8,10,8,4,4,3,3
5,11, 12,7,7,6, 6
7,22,22,20,20,22,22

Discussion
In these experiments, the capacity of the
machine was only partly utilized. In more complex systems, if the number of trials required to
reach periodicity exceeds 256, no further items
of experience can be stored. An alternate program might erase those items which were stored
in the remote past, and the storage locations thus
liberated could be used to store the newly experienced items at the most recent end. Ordinarily,
the state -variables are scanned, one item of experience at a time, starting with the one w hi c h
was stored most recently, and proceeding to those
which were stored in the more remote past. Another variation of the program which is read!ly introduced is that of weighting the most recently
stored experiences more heavily than the remote
ones. This may be accomplished by decreasing
the density of the number of items to be consulted with progress towards the remote end of the
memory. For example, each of the five most re(cont'd on page 48)

- 21 -

:Automatic

Computing

Machinery -

List

of

Types

(Edition 3, cumulative, information as of February 3, 1957)

The purpose of this list is to report types of
machinery that may well be considered automatic
computing or data processing machinery, that is,
automatic machinery for handling information or
data, reasonably.
We shall be grateful for any comments, corrections, and proposed additions or deletions which
any reader may be able to send us.
Accounting-bookkeeping machines, which take in
numbers through a keyboard, and print them on
a ledger sheet, but are controlled by "program
bars", which, according to the column in which
the number belongs, cause the number to enter
positively or negatively in anyone of several
totaling counters, which can be optionally printed or cleared.
Addressing machines, programmable, which take
in names and addresses, either on metal plates
or punch cards, and print the names and addresses on envelopes, wrappers, etc., and which
may be controlled for selection and in other ways,
by notches, punched holes, and other signals, on
the plates or cards.
Air traffic cootrol equipment (including ground control approach equipment), which takes in information' about the location of aircraft in flight and
gives out information or control signals for the
guidance of the flight ·of the ai~craft.
Analog computers, which take in numerical information in the form of measurements' of physical
variables, perform arithmetical operations,
are controlled by a program, and give out numerical answers.
Analog-to-digital converters, which take in analog
measurements and give out digital numbers.
Astronomical telescope aiming equipment, which
adjusts the direction of a telescope in an observatory so that it remains pointed at the spot
in the heavens which an astronomer intends to
study.
Automatic process controllers, pneumatic, electronic, hydraulic, etc., which take in indications of humidity, temperature, pressure, volume, flow, liquid level, etc., and put out signals for changing positions of valves, altering
- 22 -

speeds of motors, turning switches on and off,
etc.
Automobile traffic light controllers, that take in
indications of the presence of motor cars from
the operation of treadles in the pavement or in
other ways, and give out signals, according to
a program of response to the volume and density of traffic.
Card-to-tape converters, which will take in information on punched cards, and put out corresponding or edited information on punched
paper tape or on magnetic tape.
Control systems for handling connected or flowing
materials, which will take in indications of
flow, temperature, pressure, volume, liquid
level, etc., and give out the settings of valves,
rollers, tension arms, etc., depending on the
program of control.
Control systems for handling separate materials,
which will move heavy blocks, long rods,' or
other pieces of material to or from stations
and in or out of machines, while taking in indications furnished by the locations of previous
pieces of materials, the availability of the
machines, etc., all depending on the program
of control.
Data sampling systems, which will take in a continuous voltage or other physical variables and
give out samples, perhaps once a second or
perhaps a thousand times a second; this machine may be combined with an analog-to-digital
converter, so that the report on the sample is
digital not analog.
Desk calculating machines, including des k
adding machines, which may take in number s
to be added, subtracted, multiplied; and di-·
vided, and put out results either shown in
dials or printed on paper tape; such machines
store one up to several numbers (but not many
numbers) at one time, and m.ay store a simple
program such as automatic multiplication by
controlled repeated addition and shifting.
Digital computers, which take in numerical, alphabetic, or other information in the form of
characters or patterns of yes-noes, etc.,
perform arithmetical and logical operations,
are controlled by a program, and put out in-

Types

formation in any form.
Digital-to-analog converters, which take in digital
numbers and give out analog measurements
Facsimile copying equipment, which scans a document or picture with a phototube line by lin e
and reproduces it by making little dots with a
moving stylus or with an electric cur r e n t
through electrosensitive paper.
File-searching machines, which will take in an abstract in code, and search for and find the reference or references alluded to.
Fire control equipment, that take~ in indications of
targets from optical or radar perception and
puts out directions of bearing and elevation for
aiming and time of firing for guns, according
to a program that calculates motion of target,
motion of the firing vehicle, properties of the
air, etc.
Flight simulators, which will take in simulated
conditions of flight in airplanes, and the actions
of airplane crew members, and show the necessary results, all for purposes of training airplane crews.
Game-playing machines, in which the machine will
play a game with a human being, either a simple
game such as tit-tat-toe or nim (which h a v e
been built into special machines) or a m 0 r e
complicated game such as checkers, chess, or
billiards (which have been programmed on large
automatic digital computers).
Inventory machine s, which will store as many as
ten thousand totals in an equal number of registers, and will add into, subtract from, 'clear,
and report the contents of any called-for register (these machines apply to stock control, to
railroad and airline reservations, etc.).
Machine tool control equipment, which takes in a
program of instructions equivalent to a blueprint, or a small size model, or the pattern of
operations of an expert machinist, and 'controls
a machine tool so that a piece of material is
shaped exactly in accordance with the program.
Navigating and piloting systems, which will take
in star positions, time, radio beam signals,
motion of the air, etc., and deliver steering
directions.
Network analyzers, which take in analog information about the resistances, inductances, and
capacitances of an electric power plant's network of electrical lines and loads, and enable
the behavior of the system to be calculated,
and the system to be appropriately designed
and rendered safe and economical.
Printing devices of high speed, which will take in
punched cards or magnetic tape and put out
printed information at rates from 600 to 2000
characters per second.

Punch card machines, which will sort, classify,
list, total, copy, print, and do many other
kinds of office work.
Railway signaling equipment, which for example
enables a large railroad terminal to schedule
trains in and out every 20 seconds during rush
hours with no accidents and almost no delays.
Reading and recognizing machines, which scan a
printed digit or letter, observe a pattern of
spots, route the pattern through classifying
circuits, recognize the digit or letter, and activate output devices accordingly.
Sale recorders, also called point-of-sale recorders, which take in the amount, the type, and
other information about sales of goods, and
produce records in machine language, w hi c h
'can later be automatically analyzed and summarized by punch card or computing equipment.
Spectroscopic analyzers, which will vaporize a
small sample of material, analyze its spectrum,
and report the presence and the relative quantities of chemical elements and compounds in
it.
Strategy machines, which enable military officers
in training to play war games and test strategIes, in which electronic devices automatically
apply attrition rates to the fighting forces being used in the game, growth rates to the industrial potential of the two Sides, etc.
Tape-to-card converters, which will take in information on punched paper tape or on magnetic tape, and put out corresponding or edited information on punched cards.
Telemetering transmitting and receiving devices,
which enable a weather balloon or a guided
missile to transmit information detected by
instruments within it as it moves; the information is recorded usually on magnetic tape in
such fashion that it can later be used for computing purpose s.
Telephone equipment including switching, which
enables a subscriber to dial another subscriber and get connected automatically.
Telephone message accounting systems, which
record local and long distance telephone calls,
assign them to the proper subscriber's account, and compute and print the telephone bills.
Test-scoring machines, which will take in a test
paper completed with a pencil making electrically conductive marks, and will give out
the score.
Toll recording equipment, which will r e cor d,
check, and summarize tolls for bridges, highways and turnpikes.
Training simulators, which will take in simulated conditions affecting the training of one or
more persons in a job, and their responses
(cont'd on page 25)

- 23 -

Components

of

Automatic
List

of

Computing

Machinery

Types

(Edition 3, cumulative, information as of February 3, 1957)

The purpose of this list is to report types of
components of automatic machinery for computing
or data processing.
We shall be grateful for any comments, corrections, and proposed additions or del e t ion s ,
which any reader may send us •
LIST

10 Storage mediums, for both internal and external storage:
Punch cards
Punched paper tape
Magnetic tape
Magnetic Wire
Metal plates
Plugboards, i. e., panels of patch cords
(All these physical forms express machine
language; when inserted into a machine, they
give the machine information and instruction;
when left in a filing cabinet, they hold information and instructions in reserve for later use.
Sometimes it is the whole area of the storage
medium which is used, as in the ordinary
punched card. Sometimes it is only the edge
which is used, as in edge-punched cards or
edge-slotted metal plates. )
2. Storage mediums, internal only:
Magnetic drums
Magnetic tape devices
Magnetic disc devices
Magnetic belt devices
Magnetic cores, arranged either one-dimensionally as in a magnetic shift register,
or in two or three dimensions as a magnetic core matrix memory; they may be
made of special iron alloys, iron oxide
ceramics called ferrites, etc.
Electrostatic storage tubes, in particular
cathode ray storage 'tubes and glass-metal honeycomb-type storage tubes
Delay lines, of mercury, quartz, nickel,
electrical elements, etc.

Relays, in relay registers and stepping
switches
Electronic tubes, in registers of flip-flops,
counting rings, etc.
Cryotrons, on-off devices operating at liquid
helium temperatures
Barium titanate crystal devices
Switches: toggle switches and dial switches
Buttons
Keyboards
Rotating shafts
Voltages
3. Calculating and controlling devices:
Mechanical computing elements: latches,
gears, levers, ratchets, ''Program bars",
cams, etc.
Relay, stepping switch, and other switching
circuits
Electronic tube circuits
Rectifier circuits, using diodes: electronic
tube, germanium, selenium, silicon
Other solid state device circuits
Transistor circuits
Cryotron circuits
Auxiliary circuit elements: amplifiers,
pulse transformers, voltage regulators,
etc.
Analog computing elements: resolvers,
synchros, integrators, adders, etc.
Automatic process controllers as such,
pneumatic, electronic, hydraulic, etc.
4. Input devices:
Buttons
Switches
Paper tape readers: mechanical, electrical,
photoelectric
Punch card readers: mechanical, electrical,
photoelectric
Magnetic tape readers
Automatic curve followers: photoelectric
Scanners: electric, photoelectric
Sensing instruments of all kinds
(The category "sensing instruments" verges
(cont'd on page 25)

- 24 -

LIST
(cont'd from page 23)

under these simulated ,?onditions,. and show the
results, all for the purpose of teaching them;
SEE also flight simulators.
Typing machines, programmable, which will store
paragraphs and other information, and combine
them according -to instructions into correspondence, form letters, orders, etc., stopping and
waiting for manual "fill-ins" if so instructed.
Vending machines, which will take in various coins
and designations of choices, and then give out
appropriate change, coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches, candy, stockings, and a host of other
articles, or else allow somebody top I a y a
game for a certain number of plays, etc.
- END-

*--------- *----------*
mMPONENTS
(cont'd from page 24)

into the science of instrumentation, w her e
humidity, temperature, pressure, v 0 I u me,
flow, liquid level, etc., and m~y othe r
physical variables can be measured and reported to a machine in machine language.)
5. Output devices:
Visual displays, such as lights, dials, oscilloscope screen, etc.
Electric typewriter, or other electricallyoperated office machine
Line-at-a-time printer
Matrix printer, that forms each character
by a pattern of dots
Automatic plotter, which will trace or VI!>t
a curve according to information -delivered by the machine
Facsimile printer
Photographic recording
Paper tape punch
Magnetic tape recorder
Punch card punch
Microphones, telephones, loud speakers,
alarms, etc.
Article delivery mechanisms as in vending
machines
Positioning devices, that may operate a
valve, roller, tension arm, etc., resulting ~ control of a manufacturing opera:tion or process, the aiming of-a gun, etc.

- 25 -

News Release
COURSES IN AUTOMATIC CONTROL
Univ. of Michigan
College of Engineering
Ann Arbor, Mich.
The University of Michigan, College of Engineering, has announced two summer Intensive
Courses in Automatic Control. The first is scheduled for June 17 to 22 inclusive, and the second for
June 24 to 26, 1957, inclusive. The courses are
intended for engineers who find it necessary or who
wish to obtain a basic understanding of the field,
but who cannot spare more than a few days for this
purpose. The aim of the courses is to make it
easier to learn by a coherent presentation of the
fundamentals of modern automatic control and by
providing a comprehensive set of notes to serve as
a framework for further study.
- The courses are built around the principles
and application of measurement, communication
and control. Course I will consist of the fundamentals in each of these fields and will inc Iud e
some basic work in nonlinear systems. Course n
will take up applications of the fundamentals to
more advanced problems. There will be four hours
of lecture each morning and three hours of laboratory demonstration in the afternoon. Extensive use
will be made of computing, instrumentation and
servo laboratories on the campus. The role of
analog computing methods will be emphasized.
These courses have been given previously in the
summers of 1953, 1954, and 1955.
April 15 is the closing date for registration.
Further information may be obtaiD.ed by writing to
Professor L. L. Rauch, Room 1521, East Engineering Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
- END-

•Research and development at Lockheed
Missile Systems Division laboratories
in Palo Alto is of a most advanced nature.
Particular areas of interest include microwaves,
telemetering, radar, guidance, reliability, data
processing, electronic systems, instrumentation,
servomechanisms. Inquiries are invited
from those qualified by ability and experience
for exploratory efforts of utmost importance.
Here members of the Electronics Division
discuss systems radar problems related to
measurement of missile trajectories. Left to right:
K. T. Larkin, radar and command guidance;
Dr. S.B. Batdorf, head of the Electronics Division;
Dr.H. N. Leifer (standing), solid state,' Dr.R.I.
Burke, telemetering; S.lanken, product engineering.

MISSILE SYSTEMS DIVISION

research and engineering staff
LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
PALO ALTO • SUNNYVALE. VAN NUYS
CALIFORNIA

I·R·E
"NATIONAL

CONVENTION

.'

AND

RADIO SHO"'W'"
Significant developments at Lockheed
Missile Systems Division have created
new openings for:
, Controls Systems Engineers - to analyze
and synthesize complex automatic
control systems.
Inertial Guidance Engineers - to perform
systems analysis and design of inertial
guidance systems.
Infrared Specialists - to perform
preliminary systems design and
parametric optimization of advanced
infrared dc::tection systems.
Data Processing Systems Specialists - to
perform advanced system development
and design in new techniques of
automatic data processing.
Weapons Systems Specialists - to perform
basic analysis and systems evaluation
of advanced weapons systems.
Electronic Product Engineers - to
translate laboratory electronic systems
into prototype models meeting the
rigid requirements of modern weapons
systems.
Radar Systems Engineers-to develop
advanced radar systems as~bciated with
guided missiles.
Theoretical Physicists -to analyze
propagation of electromagnetic waves .
through the ionosphere and through
dielectric materials and study radiation
problems pertaining to advanced
antennas in the microwave and
millimeter dontain. including scattering
problems related to the reflection of
electromagnetic waves from simple
and compl,ex boundaries.
Experimental Physicists -to investigate
microwave circuit components including
ferrites and various millimeter wave
techniques such as MAZUR.
Antenna Specialists - to design and
develop airborne antennas and radomes
for high speed missiles for
telemetering, radar, and, guidance
systems application.
Video Specialists -to develop advanced
systems for the transmission of visual
data by electronic means.
,Circuit Design Speeialists -to design
telemetering and guidance systems
utilizing advanced circuit components.
Positions are open at the Palo Alto Research
Center and Sunnyvale and Van Nuys
. Engineering Centers. M. H. Hodge,
M. W. Peterson and senior members of
the technical staff will be available .
for consultation at the convention hotel.
'Phone PLaza 14860 or 14861.'

NEW PATENfS

(cont'd from page 15)

dena, Calif. / An apparatus for recording and
reproducing variables.
2,777,634 / Frederic C. Williams, Timperley,
and Tom Kilburn, Manchester, Eng. / National
Research Development Corp., London, Eng. /
An electronic digital computing machine.
2,777,635 / Geoffrey C. Tootill, Shriveham, near
Swindon, Frederic C. Williams, Timperley, and
Tom Kilburn, Manchester, Eng. / National Research Development Corp., London, Eng. / An
electronic digital computing machine.
2,777,637 / Morton P. Matthew, Takoma Park,
Md. / The Ahrendt Instrument Co., College
Park, Md. / A shaft revolution counter for
counting the number of revolutions of an input shaft.
2, 777, 945 / Henri Gerard Feissel, Paris, France
/ Compagnie des Machines Bull, Paris, France
/ A pulse producing system with interrelated
repetition frequencies •.
2,777, 946 / John C. Owen, Palisades Park, N. J.,
and Alfred Bennett, Bronx, N. Y. / Bendix
Aviation Corp, Teterboro, N. J. / An electronic integrator.
2, 777, 947 / Conrad H. Ho~ppner, Washington,
D. C., and Carl Harrison Smith, Inc., Arlington, Va. / - / A pulse width discriminator.
2,777, 959 / Johmn E. Richardson, Los Angeles,
Calif. / The Magnavox Co., Los Angeles, Calif.
/ A control apparatus for producing pulses.
2,777, 971 / Frederic' C. Williams, Timperley,
and Tom Kilburn, Davyhulme, Eng. / International Business Machines Corp., New York,
N. Y. / A method of writ ing information into
or reading information from a cathode ray tube
storage means in which the information is stored
on a raster of lines.
2, 777, 981 / John D. Rector, Edgar H. Fritze, and
Leo P. Kommerer, Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Collins Radio Co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa / An A. C.
to D. C. converter
2,778,009 / Jack E. Bridges, Franklin Park, lli.
/ Zenith Radio Corp., m. / An encoding mechanism for a subscription type of communication
system.
2,778,011 / Robert E. Frank, New York, N. Y.
/ Sperry Rand Corp., Del. / An apparatus ~or
time-delay measurement.
2,778,012/ Philip W. Crist, Hempstead, N. Y. /
Sperry Rand Corp., Del. / A pulse synchronizer
January 22, 1957: 2, 778,472 / James E. Young,
Los Angeles, Calif. / The Garrett Corp., Los
Angeles, Calif. / A multi-stage actuating mechanism.
2,778,623 / Louis D. Statham, Beverly Hills, Calif.
/ Statham Laboratories, Inc., Los Angeles,
Calif. / An angular accelerometer.
- END-

MISSILE SYS'rEMS .DIVISION

- 27 -

The

Computer

(or

Sale

or

Field:

Products

Rent-·List

toll owing is the prelimiIiary list of headings
which we expect to use for products and services
in the list of them in "THE COMPUTER OmECTORY AND BUYERS' GUIDE, 1957", the June 1957
issue of "Computers arid Automation".
If you notice headings tha~ you wish your products or services to be included under, pie as e
send us entries at once (see details on p.43). Although the closing date for this section is April 10,
we expect to be able to squeeze in additional entries
up to April 30 or the first few days in May.

Adding Machines
Addressing, Machines
Analog Computers
Analog-to-Digital Converters
Arithmetical Circuits (for Digital Computers)
Automatic Control Equipment

£:

Capacit~s (computer types)
Card-to-Thpe Converters
Computer Components (see also specific types)
Computers (see also: Analog Computers, Digital Computers),
Computers, Test Equipment
Computing Services
Connector's (computer types)
Consulting Services
Courses by Mail (computer field)

D:

Data Processing Machinery (see also Digital
Computers)
Delay Lines (computer types)
Desk Calculators
Differential Analyzers (see also Analog Computers)
Digital Computers
Digital-to-Analog Converters
Diodes (computer types)

E:

Electric Typewriters, controlled
Electronic Tubes (computer types)

of

Services

Headings

F:

Fire Control Equipment

I:

Information Retrieval

K:

Keyboards

L:

Line-a-Time Printers
Logical Circuits (for Digital Computers)

M:

MagI'!etic Core~ (computer types)
Magnetic Drums
Magnetic Heads
Magnetic Storage Systems
¥agnetic Tape
Magnetic Tape Handlers (see also Magnetic
Tape Recorders)
Magnetic Tape Recorders (see also Magnetic
Tape Handlers)

0:

Ofiice Machines (computer types) (see also
specific types)

P:

Paper Tape Filing Systems
Paper Tape Punches
Paper Tape Readers
Patchcords
Photoelectric Card Readers
Photoelectric Decoding Readers
Photoelectric Tape Readers
Photographic Recorders (computer types)
::plotters
Potentiometers
Printers (see also Line-a-Time Printers,
Electric Typewriters, controlled)
Publications
~se Transformers
Punch Card Machines

R:

Recording Papers
Rectifiers
Relays (computer types)
Resistors

If your products and services do not fit under
any of the listed headings, we will gladly consider
your suggestions for other headings.

A:

and

Resolv~rs

Robots, Small
S:

Scanners
Signaling Controls
(cont'd on page 29)

- 28-

News Release

Participating Organizations

SYMPOSIUM ON SYSTEMS
FOR INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
Western Reserve University
Cleveland 6, Ohio
The School of Library Science of Western
Reserve University, and its Center for Documentation and Communication Research, will present on
April 15, 16, and 17, 1957, a comprehensive demonstration of systems presently in use for the organization, storage, and retrieval of recorded in'formation, together with a symposium on information-handling problems and techniques~
A co-sponsor of these activities is the Council on Documentation Research, a group recently
formed by representatives of organizations in government, industry, and education to promote cooperation among those who produce, organize, and
use information of all types in all fields.
This symposium is an outgrowth of the Conference on the Practical Utilization of Recorded
Knowledge held in Cleveland January, 1956. The
April three-day program will bring together 20 or
more information systems devised or adapted by
their users to meet specific problems. Machines
needed to make the presentations most effective will
also be demonstrated, but the emphasis is to be on
working systems.
Verner Clapp, Director of the Council on Library Resources recently formed by the Ford Foundation, will discuss the role of foundations in documentation research.
For the three days of the symposium a model
information center will be set up on the University
campus, and answers to questions asked in Cleveland will be sought in the information resources of
cooperating organizations across the country and
abroad. In this way both high -speed transmission
methods and rapid searching techniques will be
shown in operation.
Following is a list of organizations already
participating in this activity. Further information
may be obtained from:
Jesse H. Shera, Dean
School of Library Science
Western Reserve University
Cleveland 6, Ohio

- 29 -

American Bar Foundation
American Documentation Institute
American Library Association
American Society for Metals
Bakelite Corpor ation
Case Institute of Technology
Center for Documentation and Communication Research, Western Reserve University
Chemical-Biological Coordination Center
Cleveland Public Library
Committee on Technical Aids to the Law, American Bar Association
Eastman Kodak Company
Electro Metallurgical Company
Ethyl Corporation
Filmorex Corporation of France
The John Crerar Library
Lehigh University
Linde Air Products Corporation
Midwest Interlibrary Center
National Bureau of Standards
New Jersey, Law Institute
Office of Ordnance Research, U. S. Army
Smith, Kline, and French
Socony-Mobil Corporation
Watertown Arsenal
Wyandotte Chemical Company
U. S. Patent Office

*----------------------*-----------------------------*
HEADINGS
(cont'd from page 28)

Simulators
Stepping Switches
Storage Systems (see Delay Lines, Magnetic
Storage Systems)
Synchros
T:

Tape-to-Card Converters
Transistors
Translating Equipment

V:

Visual Displays

Forum
EDUCATION AND COMPUTERS - DISCUSSION

I.

From A. Lange,
Wayland, Mass.

cabinet making.

Mr. Truitt's article "Objective Measures of
Education" in the January issue of "Computers and
Automation" is certainly of interest to us all; most
of us are greatly concerned with the general problem of education from several viewpoints; as parents, as engineers or scientists, as educated
people concerned with the social and technological
requirements of a complex society, and soon.
Consequently, the shock we all received from becoming aware of poor Sam's illiteracy would certainly stir us into action, if we only knew how or
where to act. Mr. Truitt has made some positive
suggestions which should certainly prove beneficial, but I tliink he begs the issue of how we are to
convince our fellow townspeople that such steps
are not only desirable but necessary.
While reading Mr. Truitt's article, it seemed
to me that it existed on at least two planes of meaning: one concerned with education, the other concerned with Sam's morals. (The thought occurred
to me that Sam and the smoking essay were supposed to be considered as an allegory; however, in
this event, the illiteracy Sain displayed is an invention of Mr. Truitt's. Regardless of how real
are the facts upon which this invention is bas ed,
the shock loses its impact if it is founded on a fiction. Hence, I rejected the possibility of the incident being an allegory).

In either of these fields, or some related
one, Sam might have over-turned heaven and earth
for' $100: I agree that it would be deplorable if a
person of Sam's capabilities were to limit himself
to the pragmatic (as opposed to the abstract) disciplines, but he is young enough to broaden his interests himself, if suitably encouraged. And it
may be noted that it will take more than $100 bonuses to induce our many Sarns to seek more refined goals than they do now.

Lastly, to this reader (and to most professionals concerned with the effects of smoking and
drinking), Sam's conclusions seem both valid
and logical. In fact, the "statistic" that"4,000,000
people have trouble with drinking" cannot logically
lead one to the conclusion that one shouldn't drink.
There is no evidence in the statistic or in the research behind it, that drinking is the cause of the
"trouble". In fact, the evidence seems to show
that drinking is a result of "trouble".
All of these latter points are important only
in that they point up how much Mr. Truitt has
weakened his central theme, which is important,
and demands the immediate concern of all of us.
II. From D. Truitt,
Nelleston, Conn.

If the latter is true, Mr. Truitt attempted
to bribe Sam, and such an attempt seems doomed
to fail. In fact, one cannot help but feel that Sam
was correct in deciding that the gain of $100 was
an insufficient motive for accepting the personal
domination of another person.

In regard to Mr. Lang's letter, first let me
say that Sam is a real person, and everything that
he wrote in the quoted report is absolutely real.
He is a relative of mine, in fact; the original intention of the arrangement between Sam and me
was to persuade him to put off drinking and smoking until a wise age to decide for himself what he
wanted to do. There was no intention to "bribe"
Sam either way - simply to "reward" him for
waiting. Personally I believe that every young
person, as soon as he is old enough, should make
all his own decisions: the important problem often is to persuade a young person t,o wait to be
old enough in order to make his decisions Wisely.

If Mr. Truitt was encouraging Sam to assume
a program of self -discipline, he might have approached the problem from Sam's viewpoint; Sam
has evidently demonstrated considerable self-discipline in the fields of automotive mechanics and

I am sorry that the example was so vivid
perhaps that it distracted from my main thesis:
that all of us need to be intensely concerned with
the actual quality of ed ucation that our you n g
people are actually receiving.

The question that comes to mind is why did
Mr. Truitt make this particular agreement with
Sam? There seem to be two possibilities~ one,
that Mr. Truitt was encouraging Sam to accept
some sort of self-discipline, or, two, that Mr.
Truitt was induc.ing Sam not to smoke or drink.

(cont'd on page 42)

- 30 -

EQUIPMENT OUTLOOK
(cont'd from page 9)

able typewriter - billed by the company as "the
world's first" - which will go on public sale in
February.
Underwo<;>d An Exception Underwood Corp., alone among the major
companies in the industry, will report a loss for
1956.
A variety of factors have resulted in the concern's sudden reversal, which has carried it from
a 1955 profit in excess of $1,500,000 to a 1956 loss
which may reach $7 million. A big chunk of the
red ink is the result of a non-recurring write-off
of $3,624,079 made in September, and inventory
adjustments to $602,389, made at the same time.
But these additional elements had their part in the
earnings plunge: A strike at Bridgeport, Conn.,
plant which halted output througout September; an
expanded advertising effort; a substantial stepping
up of training programs; large expenditures for
the development of new products.
Just when Underwood will be able to climb
out of the red isn't certain, but Fred M. Farwell,
president, feels confident the concern will show a
profit for 1957 as a whole. He's not so sure, however, that the first two quarters will find Underwood
in the black. The Elecom 125 computer, introduced
last year, is counted on to make the company a factor in the lucrative data processing business; and
new models in other lines, it is hoped, will bolster
sales, too.
One advantage accruing to Underwood from
its bad fortune last year, the company asserts, is
a tax carry-forward of roughly $3,750,000 available for deduction against taxable income in the
years 1957-1962.
At the Water Cooler Sales of dictating equipment are humming,
too. Voicewriter diVision of the newly-formed
McGraw-Edison Co. pegs industry sales at $55
million in 1956, against $50 million a year ago.
Voicewriter's volume jumped 20% to $18 million
last year, reports Charles H. Goddard, vice
president. •.• Dictaphone Corp. (over the
counter) also reportedly chalked up sales gains
during 1956. . . . Clary Corp. (American) sums
up 1956: "Sales up, earnings down." Hugh L.
Clary, president, said he expected second half
1956 earnings equaled first half net, which was 9
cents a share; profits in 1955 totaled 34 cents a
share. He is optimistic about this year. . . .
Marchant Calculators, Inc. , is expected to report
earnings of about $1,770,000, or $3 a share, com-

pared with net of $1,558,000, or $2.75 a share, in
1955. The company's future results may be aided
by a $5 million plant at Oakland, Calif., which
will be ready for partial occupancy late this year.
A 6% to 10% price increase last November is expected to substantially bolster profit margins.
. . . Acquisition of Commercial Controls Corp. ,
a data processing concern, in Apr iI, 1 956 ,
strengthened second half operations of Friden Calculating Machine Co., Inc. (Pacific Coast). The
West Coast company's first-half earnings were
$1,265,823, and second half profits, it is calculated, will be at roughly the same rate. The company earned $2,300,000 in 1955.
- END-

*------------------*--------------------*
News Release
THE SERVICE BUREAU
International Business Machines Corp.
New York, N. Y.
International Business Machines Corporation
has announced that control of its nationwide service
bureau operations has been transferred, effective
January 1, to a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation, to be known as The Service Bureau Corporation.
The company will utilize advanced accounting machine and electronic equipment to handle
commercial and scientific data processing for
customers on an hourly contract or volume basis.
Each branch Service Bureau will be equipped with
the complete line of IBM punched card accounting
machines. In 16 larger cities" they also will operate an IBM 650 electronic magnetic drum computer. These machines solve with ease s u c h
problems as pipeline design, production scheduling, design characteristics for advanced aircraft,
earth movement calculations for road b u il d e r s ,
production control calculations, and cost accounting. Technical and methods assistance will be
provided to customers by a field force of sales
representatives and applied science specialists
following a comprehensive training program.
Applications, both commercial and sci en tific. suitable for processing on giant brains will
be handled by a scientific computing center in New
York City equipped with an IBM 704 electronic data
processing machine. Similar centers are planned
for other locations to provide a nationwide network
of high-speed data processing.

- 31 -

ROBOTS
A

AND

SHORT

AUTOMATA:
HISTORY

James T. Culbertson
California State Polytechnic College
San Luis Obispo, Calif.

(Taken from the first chapter of a forthcoming book "The Minds of Robots:
Behavior and Sense Data in Hypothetical Automata". Numbers in brackets refer to the bibliography; the whole bibliography of the book is included at the end of this article. )

Even before the dawn of history, men have
been interested in trying to explain self-moving
self-acting beings, and for over 2000 years, men
have experimented in making such devices. The
stagE;s of mythology and imagination, simple experiments and ingenious devices, and scientific
investigation and extraordinary technical achievement may all be found.

Again and again in the various legends of
the creation we find this same emphasis on the
necessity of a supernatural animating principle.
In the Gnostic myth, the first man, so far as his
body was concerned, was completely constructed
by the angels who created the world. As thus
created, however, man was unable even to move
until the Supreme Power put into him the "spark
of life" and he became alive.

Legends About Man's Creation

Some accounts tell of several failures before the successful instillation of the human spirit
into created bodies. According to the Central
American version found in the Popul Yuh, or book
of national traditions of Guatemala, the creators
said "earth" and the earth was formed like a
cloud or fog. Then mountains appeared "like
lobsters from the water", after which there
appeared beasts and birds, but these could not
speak the names of the creators. So the creators then tried making men out of clay, butthese
had no vitality or consciousness and melted into
the water. Then the creators tried a race of
wooden automata or mannikins which were not
much better; so they burned these by pouring
pitch down on them. Those that survived became
the present day monkeys. Finally the first four
men with the spark of human life, and their wives,
were properly created and the human race came
into being. Why four couples were required is
not clear.

In philosophical biology there are mechanists,
and vitalists. The mechanists say that the laws of
physics and ,chemistry suffice to explain the operation and also the creation of living things; or at
least these laws will suffice, they say, when we
know more about them.
The vitalists, on the other hand, deny this.
They hold that animals and plants are esseqtially
different from non -living things due to some kind
of principle or capacity not found in inorganic objects. No combination of component parts, they
say, however put together, can result in a living
thing, since in addition to the physical parts correctly put together there must be added the nonphysical living principle, or entelechy the
"spark of life" so to speak. This is the traditional point of view, especially in regard to human
beings. Thus Genesis says that Yahweh-Elohim,
or Jehovah, made the earth and heaven and after
that ''he formed man of dust from the ground and
then blew into his nostrils the breath of life and
then man became a living being". In other words,
not just the right components properly put together can make a man, but only these plus the "breath
of life" or yital principle.

- 32 .,..

Sometimes after the principal creation
there were special creations to satisfy local
needs. In Greek mythology, for example, Cadmus
grew some new military recruits by planting dragon r S teeth. Also, the gods animated Pygmalion r s
statue so that it became his wife, the beautiful

History

Galatea.
The principle of the robots and automata discussed here is non-vitalistic. All automata discussed are definitely mechanistic.

Robots in Literature and Mythology
As early as 1624 Francis Bacon prophesied
various mechanical automata in his description of
"Salomon's House" where they "imitate motions
of living creatures by images of men, beasts, birds,
fishes and serpents". Also, however, he r ash I y
prophesied that they could chemically "make a number of kinds of serpents, worms, flies, fishes, of
putrefaction, whereof some are advanced (in effect)
to be perfect creatures, like beasts or birds, and
have sexes, and do propagate" (4). (Note also the
homunculi made by the alchemists; Paracelsus'
De generatione 'r~~rum; and Goethe's Faust, Part 2. )
In Mrs. Shelley's novel, "Frankenstein or the
Modern Prometheus", the hero, a physiologist,
creates a powerful living monster with human desires and in the form of a man, though very ugly.
Likewise in Capek's play "R. U. R. ", although Rossum's Universal Robots at first merely acted like
intelligent humans but lacked feelings, those later
constructed were able to experience emotions and
for this reason revolted against their enslavement
by man. (The word "robot", first used in this play,
comes from a Czech word meaning "forced labor"
or "work". The Teutonic Christian name "Robert"
derives from "brilliant and famous" and has no connection with this, but the Czech names "Rob at" ,
"Robath", "Roboth", "Rob old " , "Robelt", are all
derived from "worker".)

In Greek mythology there are a few instances
where something like the construction of automata
is suggested. Vulcan, who built the bronze houses
of the gods, their chariots and winged shoes for flying, Jupiter's thunder-bolts, and whatever modern,
or rather divine, conveniences they needed, gave
self-motion to some of his devices. He made the
tables and chairs (tripods) to move about by themselves as required - in and out of the celestial hall
or up to anyone who wished to be seated. Presumably some signal was always given by any expectant
sitter.

Prometheus, one of the Titans, a race of
giants who inhabited the earth before man, constructed a device of manlike shape and act ion, but
then, being an imperfect robotologist, he had to
steal fire from heaven to give it "life" and also
- 33 -

superiority over the other animals. Woman was
not yet made. "The gods were assembled in council, and it was determined that woman should be
created, and sent to man as a punishment for receiving Prometheus's gift" (15) •. Vulcan made the.
first one and she was called Pandora.
Self-moving machines or robots simulating
the form and actions of human beings were called
androides or androids. The mythical Daedalus
made one of these, a bronze man who repelled the
Argonauts, and he also made a wooden cow for
Pasiphae. (We do not know how this cow compared
with the very lifelike mechanical cow at'the Century
of Progress Exposition in Chi~ago. This certainly
looked just like a cow - walked, moved its head,
jaws, eyes, ears, belly and tail, while its sides
went through the motions of breathing. Simulated
milk was pumped through concealed tubes 'to the
udder. The purpose of this realistic bovine was
to demonstrate the use of a milking machine. )
The ancients were very much interested in
automata as evidenced by the fantastic stories
they made up about them, like the story of the
brass fly trained as a watch dog, which was stationed on the gate of the city and kept all the other
flies from entering for eight years.
In Hebrew mythology we find reference to
an android. There is the old Jewish legend of
"Golem", the strong - a man artificially made
but having no soul. The Golem, running amuck,
is destroyed just in time by its maker. A Seventeenth Century version says that the mysterious Rabbi Loew of Prague constructed the gigantic quasi-human, the Golem, to protect the persecuted Jews if things ever got too bad. The
Golem was kept in suspended animation most of
the time. He was much too powerful to be let
loose on ordinary occasions since he twisted iron
beams, pushed over walls and cracked pillars
when up and about.
'

History of Automata
The ancients constructed simple automata
in the form of mechanical devices to imitate spontaneously the movements of. men and animals.
Needless to say these were not believed to be
alive or conscious by those who 'constructed them,
no matter how much they looked like or behaved like living beings. The ancients refer to temple
statues that moved and were considered divinely
animated by the populace.

Computers and Automation

The first authentic automata, though perhaps
quite simple, were the human figures which annoWlCed the hours by means of bells and horns on
the clepsydra or water clocks of the Egyptians about
1500 B. c.

iomontanus which he constructed around 1470 and
which would flutter around the room and return
to his hand. He also made an eagle which flew before the emperor Maximilian when he entered
Nuremberg.

When we examine the early history of automata, we find that the accounts of some of them
seem very surprising. Thus in 400 B. C. Archytas
of Tarentum is said to have made a wooden pigeon
that could take off, fly around, and then land. Surprising as this may be, it is well authenticated since
"Many well-known Greeks and the philospher Favorinus, a very assiduous antiquarian, have definitely
asserted that Archytas constructed a wooden model
of a dove according to certain mechanical principles,
and that the dove actually flew, so delicately balanced was it with weights and propelled by a current of air enclosed and concealed within it" (20).

Around 1500 Leonardo da Vinci, unsuccessful with his flying machine, turned to making animated toys. To some of these he gave a surprising artistic twist, like the "lion constructed with
marvelous subtlety which walked from its place
in a room and then stopped and opened its breast
which was full of lilies and other flowers" (69).
He also made "figures of animals, formed of a
paste made of wax, which flew through the air
when inflated" (69).

Some historical devices were run hydraulically like some of those constructed py Heron of
Alexandria about 300 B. C. He was the man who
made the jet rotated steam engine or eolipile and
wrote treatises on mechanics. He made a figure
of Hercules and the dragon, which was powered
hydraulically. When activated, Hercules launched
an arrow at the dragon which rose with a scream
and then fell. (On a larger and more complex
scale was the famous hydromechanical theater at
the palace of Hellbrun, near Salzburg, built around
1615.)
Heron of Alexandria also made the first
penny-in-the-slot machines. By inserting on e
dinar, the Greek customer could cause such a
machine to give some life-like performance (88).
Leon of Thessalonica, who flourished about
829-867 and was the inventor of an optical telegraph, made similar life-like contrivances; while
the Persian poet Firdawsi (932-1020) made sundry
inventions including various automata (88). Then
about 1200 many Eastern Muslims were concerned
''with the invention or making of automata and contrivances such as were described by Heron of Alexandria and other Hellenistic mechanicians" (88).
During the Middle Ages many instances of
automata are recorded, such as the android butler
of Albertus Magnus. This robot, which took thirty years to construct, advanced to the door when
anyone knocked and then opened it and saluted the
visitor. It was broken to pieces by Thomas Aquinas.
A later example is the little iron fly of Reg-

- 34 -

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the
Swiss and other Europeans made very ingenious
mechanical figures which announced the hours such as those on the famous Nuremburg clock.
Likewise the public clock at Strassburg, constructed in 1574, displayed a sequence of scenes including processions of the apostles and other
persons and a crowing rooster; and a Venice
clock had two bronze giants that struck the hours.

The philosopher Descartes was certainly one
of the first to say that one could find out how the
parts of the body interact, investigating it as if it
were a machine. He compared animals to machines and hence was nluch impressed by automata
such as the above-mentioned hydromechanical
ones at HeIlbrun. He may have constructed automata himself but some accounts of this see m
apocryphal. It is said that he constructed an automaton in the figure of a woman, which he called
his daughter Frances. He took Frances on a sea
trip, but the captain, suspecting magic in her
human-like movements, had her thrown overboard (38). This may not be true, however, since
in another account Frances was not his daughter
at all but a beautiful salamander he kept in alarge
chest - one of those female fire spirits that loved
the alchemists.
The earliest efforts of mechanical ingenuity in Europe were chiefly directed towards the
construction of clocks, watches, and automata.
Men did not think of applying this mechanical ingenuity to any other industrial operations. The
clocks and watches were, of course, very useful;
but the automata were just toys. Yet talented
mechanical artisans sometimes devoted a Whole
lifetime to some ingenious device which, after
all, was of value only as an entertaining curiosity.
I

History
The goal of these early roJ?otologists was
merely to make the simulation of living agencies
by inanimate clockwork as complex, detailed, and
natural as possible. Never did they make any practical applications - it is principally supposed because the steam engL.lC ¥fas not yet invented. The
power available was weak except for the waterfalls
which they could have used.
These automata were seli-acting machines
contrived so as to silnulhte the conduct of living
creatures. Thus Pierre Droz, the Swiss watchmaker, made a large clock and orrery with many
attached automata run by it - a sheep that walkeJ
about bleating, a dog which snarled and bar ked
when anyone trieu to take some fruit from a basket
it was guartlin8;, and some human figures that moved
about in a natural manner, one of which used a pencil to draw pictures of the king and queen of Spain.
The wonderful duck nlade by Jacques de Vaucanson, the famous eighteenth century mechanician,
is often mentioned. This duck waddled about and
was able to eat, drink, and imitate exactly the natural voice of that fowl. Still more remarkable, the
food it swallowed was evacuated in a digested state,
or at least it was altered by chemicals in its artificial stomach. The wings, viscera and bones closely resembled those of a living duck, and its behavior
in eating and drinking showed the strongest resemblance, even to the mudt11in~ of water with its bill.
Later, when exhibited in Paris in 1844, it was broken but was successfully repaired by Robert Houdin,
the celebrated conjurer and robot maker. Vaucanson
also made the mechanical flute player mentioned below, while the renowned Doctor Camus constructed
a little chariot which would run around the edge of
ahy suitable table, various personnel getting in and
out and bowing or saluting from time to time.
In 1738 Vaucanson finally finished his flute
player " ••.•. a figure about five feet and a half in
height situated on a fragment of a rock, fixed upon
a square pedestal. . •• Nine pairs of bellows discharged their air into three different· tubes, which;
asc.ending through the body of the figure, terminated in three small reservoirs in its trunk; these
then united into one, which, ascending to the throat,
formed the cavity of the mouth. To each of the
three pipes, three pairs of bellows were attached.
•.. Another piece of clockwork, contained within
the pedestal, was for the purpose of communicating the proper motions to his fingers, his lips, and
his tongue. • •. This mechanism enable M. Vaucanson to produce all the motions, requisite for an expert flute player, which it executed in su~h a manner as to produce music equal in beauty to that de-

- 35 -

rived from the exertions of a weil-practiced living performer" (36).
Another Swiss made a female piano player ~
She was said to perform eighteen tunes and her
movements were always elegant and graceful, and
"so nearly imitating life that even on a near approach the deception can hardly be discovered.
Her bosom heaves and her eyes move to follow
the keys. " ... (36).
A whole automaton opera in miniature was
constructed by Father Truchet to entertain Louis
XIV, and likewise a number of tiny mechanical
theaters were created.
The se automata, however complex, merely
execute a planned series of actions and, unlike
modern automata, they do not contain "feedback"
devices.
Most non-feedback automata act in a prefixed way regardless of circumstances that arise
during the course of their behavior. Feedback
enables an automaton to adjust its behavior to
circumstances that arise either from its own activity or from some other source. Automata having feedback devices are goal seeking in the following sense. '1;hey receive input or stimuli from the
goal in such a way that their deviation from goal
directed behavior is continuously corrected. This
input is called negative feedback. A m?chanical
"dog" embodying negative feedback correction is
discussed later on in this section.

In the latter half of the 18th century, Pierre
Droz, the Swiss mechanician already mentioned
above, and his son, Henry, made some famou::~
androids which are still preserved in the museum
at Neuchatel, Switzerland. One of these was their
famous writing automaton. This was a figure of a
boy sitting at a desk holding a pen. It would dip
the pen into an inkwell and then carefully write on
a piece of. paper. It would write out a whole p~ge
and then sign." its name at the bottom.
Pierre Droz was one of the most accomplished
of the Swiss watchmakers. It must be admitted,
though, that he sometimes enhanced the amazing
animation of his devices by a little innocent intervention. On his disastrous trip to Spain he took
along one of his clocks.
" •.. This clock was so constructed as to be
capable of performing the. following movements.
There was exhibited on it a negro, a Shepherd, and
a dog. .When the clock struck, the shepherd played
six tunes on his flute, and the dog approached and,

Computers and Automation

fawned upon him. This clock was exhibited to the
King of Spain, who was greatly delighted with it.
'The gentleness of my dog', said Droz, 'is his least
merit. If your majesty touch one of the a p pie s
which you see in the t?,hepherd's basket, you will
admire the fidelity of this animal'. The king took
an apple, and the dog flew at his hand, and barked
so loud that the King's dog, which was in the same
room during the exhibition, began to bark also; at
this the courtiers, not doubting that it was an affair
of witchcraft, hastily left the room, crossing themselves as they went out. Having desired the master
of marine, who was the only one who ventured to
stay behind, to ask the negro what o'clock it was,
the minister asked, but he obtained no reply. Droz
then observed that the ne gro had not yet 1 ear ned
Spanish, upon which the minister repeated the question in French and the black immediately answered
him. At this new prodigy the firmness of the minister also forsook him, and he retreated precipitately, declaring that it must be the work of a supernatural being. It is probable that, in the performance of these tricks, Droz touched certain springs
in the mechanism, although this is not mentioned in
any of the accounts of his clock" (18).
\yith an English manager, Droz s howe d
these robots in Spain where the King was much interested and Droz was very well received at court.
But the superstitious populace resented the lifelike
androids. Droz was cast into the Dungeon of the
Inquisition, over which the King had no jurisdiction.
His manager stole his robots and sold them to a
French count. Droz was released and made an unhappy return to Switzerland. The French owner
died on a trip to America and the androids were left
forgotten in his attic for many years. Art experts
in 1900 estimated the value of the "Pianist", the
"Draughtsman", and the "Musician" at $6·0,000.
No androids like these, in complex mechanical perfection, have ever been made since.
Many others besides Droz were making devices of this ;kind. Bontemps made mechanical
singing birds and other such mechanical contrivances. Friederich Kaufmann made automatic trumpeters that played marches. Maillardet made a
snake which crawled along, hissing while its tongue
darted in and out. Also he made a spider of steel
which ran around in a spiral toward the center of
a table. Miral constructed figures which played
various instruments and gave concerts.

In 1782, Miral completed two mechanical
heads which were said to speak whole phrases Q!l
their own. A long flat wire properly notched just
right with extreme care and drawn rapidly along
- 36 -

the edge of a suitable diaphragm could produce the
sounds and was supposed by some to have been the
means he used. Few nowadays would spend the
many years he did to produce such a merely amusing result.
(Over a century later Edison's talking mannikin was easily and quickly constructed as a pleasing diversion once he had developed the phonograph.
This device was a largc doll with a concealed mechanism. The doll would repeat in a clear voice any
speech addressed to it. )
The largest exhibit recently given of these
h..j.storically interesting grownups' toys was in a
Manhattan gallcry in 1950. The Pretalozza Foundation of America exhibited 165 automata, all still in
working condition - some even from the 16th and
17th centuries but most of them from the 18th and
19th. There were 18th century mechanical mice,
each a unique individual creation. One of these
would become animated if we pulled his tail. He
would rise on his feet, hesitate, dart away, stop
suddenly, turn about three times, and then take
off in a different direction. Also there was a caterpillar that, when wound up, inched along with a
remarkable simulation of nature.
One small 18th century mechanical juggler
was powered by falling sand. A large container
was filled with sand before each performance.
From this the sand fell out through a small hopper
to move paddle wheels connected to the rest of the
mechanism, the whole being constructed entirely
of cardboard and wire. The juggler went through
a long and complex series of maneuvers with little
green and red balls.
As just a single example from the last century consider the celebrated life-size zither player, Isis, constructed by C. E. Nixon, a dentist in
San Francisco. Her works were in her body and
also in the cabinet on which she sat. She played
anyone of sixty-three compositions, in response
to the human voice or the proper note struck on
the piano. If the room got too hot she removed
her veil.
Most of the robots before this century involved practically no feed-back, as we have said.
Their performance was not corrected or adjusted
very much by input during their performance. They
were merely automatic machines which functioned
in a fixed way throughout their cycle of operation
without the intervention of human effort. Thus
they were essentially the same as the less spectacular watches, clocks, orreries, and other

History
clockwork toys of the Renaissance and later times.
Many machines used even now in industrial operations such as wrapping up chewing gum or cigarettes
are just the same except, of course, that they are
useful. Disregarding all informatioI?- except the
throw of the starting switch, their behavior proceeds
with pre-fixed inexorable relentlessness, regardless of further stimuli until they are turned off,
or run down, or become jamnled or broken. The
new engineering emphasis, as is well known, is on
the use of devices with corrective or "negative"
feedback, so that during their performance they can
modify their behavior according to the circumstances
that arise. Two stock examples are thermost3:ts and
engine governors.
A very interesting twentieth century robot
with faed-back was the mechanical dog invented by
J. H. Hammond, Jr., in 1915. This goal-directed
automaton was positively phototropic, that is, it
would move toward the light like a moth. If it began to deviate too much from the direct route to
the light, this deviation caused the steering wheel
(by j'negative feedback~') to turn the moth or "dog",
as it was called, back again onto the direct route
to the light source. It would pursue the light however the light moved (73).
"This 'Orientation Mechanism' consists of a
rectangular box, about 3 feet long, 1-1/2 fee t
wide, and 1 foot high. This box contains all the
. instruments and mechanism, and is mounted on
three wheels, two of which are geared to a driving
motor, and the third, on the rear end, is so mounted that its bearings can be turned by solenoid electro-magnets in a horizontal plane. Two 5-inch
condensing lenses on the forward end appear very
much like large eyes.

nIf a portable electric light, such as a hand
flashlight, be turned on in front of the machine it
will immediately begin to move toward the light,
and moreover, will follow that light all around
the room in many complex maneuvers at a speed
of about ~ feet ~er second. • •.

"The orientation nlechanism .•. possesses
two selenium cells corresponding to the two eyes
of the moth, which when influenced by light effect
the control of sensitive relays. . •. TI10 two -relays
.•• control electro-magnetic switches, which effect the follOWing operat ions: When one cell or
both are illuminated the current is switched on to
the driving motor; when' one cell alone is illuminated an electro-magnet is energized and effects
the turning of the rear steering wheel. The resultant turning of the machine will be such as to
})ring the shaded cell into the light. As sooJ? and
as long as both cells ar.e equally illwninate~. in
sufficient intensity, the machine moves in a straight
line toward the light so~rce. By throwing a switch,
which reverses the driving motors, the machine
can be made to back away from the light in a most
surprising manner •••• "
This automaton, and others like it, exhibited as interesting curiosities, were a little be.fore
their time. They did not excite the great military
inte,rest that their target-seeking descendants now do.
Clearly, however, Hammond's phototropic dog
was the Adam of a new species quite different from
·the previous clockwork automata each executing
its planned series of predetermined actions without benefit of feedback correction.
.
To carry the history of automata further into the present century would be too large a topic
to include in this book, though .some modern .robots
such as Grey-Walter's turtles (47), E. C. Berkeley's
electromechanical squirrel (140), the RAND automata, and Shannon's maze running'rat are referred'
to later.

The bibliography, to which the numbers for
notes refer, will be published in the next issue.

*---------- *---------*

"Upon shading or switching off the light the
dog can be stopped immediately, but it will resume
its course behind the moving light so long as the
light reaches the condensing lenses in sufficient
intensity. Indeed, it is more faithful in this respect than the proverbial ass behind the bucket of
oats. To the uninitiated the performance of the
pseudo dog is very uncanny indeed.
"The explanation is very similar to that
given by Jacques Loeb, of reasons responsible
for the flight of moths into a flame ..•.
- 37 -

SECOND NATIONAL SIMULATION CONFERENCE,
HOUSTON, TEXAS, APRIL 11-13·
The Second National Simulation Conference
and the Ninth Southwestern I. R. 'E • .conference and
Electronic Show will take place at the ShamrockHilton Hotel, Houston, Texas, April 11, 12, and
13. Topics of the sessions include Instrumentation, Computer Devi~es, Geophysics, Physical
Simulation, Communications, Function Generators,
Medical Electronics, and Applications" Approxi- ,
mately 100 exhibitors will take part\ in the show.
For more information write to M. A. Art h 1:l r ,.
Humble Oil, Po O. Box 2180, Houston 1, Texas.

(cont'd from page 6)

The survey form (a copy of it appears
page 39) asks mainly two questions:

0

n

REFERENCE INFORMATION
The reason this magazine exists is "reference
information". In September 1951 we issued a "Roster of Organizations in the Computing Machinery
Field If, a purple ditto list of 12 pages listing some
75 organizations in the field. That turned out to
be vol. 1 no. 1 of "Computers and Automation".
We now publish 16 kinds of reference information,
and we look forward to the day when we shall be
publishing 30 kinds of reference information.

1. What kinds of computer products and

services does your organization buy or rent?
2. Can you estimate roughly how much
your organization is likely to spend on such products and services in the next twelve months? in
the next five years?
The third question in the survey is: What
perplexing subjects would you like us to inquire
about in our surveys? We shall be particularly
glad to hear from our readers in regard to this.
The purpose of the surveys is to help the computer field.

What do we mean by "reference information"?
Such information consists of answers to questions
like "What are all the ••.•.• ? "; it is the kind of
information found in directories, almanacs, tables,
dictionaries, lists, rosters, and all kinds of enumerations.

The survey form is being mailed to our subscribers. But we shall be glad to have a reply from
any computer person, whether subscriber or not,
and take his reply into account also. The survey
form may be copied on any piece of paper, filled
in, and sent to us

53 FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTIONS AT ONCE
One day in the middle of February we were
surprised and pleased to receive a single order
(with check for $304.00) for 53 foreign subscriptions to "Computers and Automation". The 19 suborders were to be sent as follows:
Class

No.
5
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
3
4
8
7
3
9

--±.
53

New (N)
Renewal (R)
R
1 N, lR
N
R
R
N
1 N, lR
R
N
N
1 N, 2R
N

R
R
N
2 N, 7R
R
21N, 32R

Place
Moscow 31
Moscow
Moscow 34

"
"

Leningrad 164

"
"

Moscow
Tbilisi
Moscow

"

Leningrad
Moscow
Moscow 71
Moscow 88

Often when one investigates a subject, the crucial knowledge is reference information. For instance, if you are investigating from whom to buy
a magnetic drum, the crucial knowledge consists
of the names and addresses of suppliers so that
a reasonable choice can be made between them.
This particular kind of information is provided in
a piece of reference information which we publish
called "Roster of Products and Services in the
Computer Field If; the next cumulative list will be
in the June 1957 issue of "Computers and Automation" •
In the present issue of the magazine, we bring
up to date and publish once more three pieces of
reference information that are related to the Roster
of Products and Services. One is "Automatic Computing Machinery -- List of Types" (on page 22);
this list reminds a reader of some of the many ways
automatic machinery for handling information is
now being applied. A second list is "Components
of Automatic Computing Machinery -- List of Types"
(on page 24); this reflects pointedly the progress of
the computer art to date. The third list is "Products
and Services in the Computer Field - List of Headings" (on page 28); this is a list of headings which
we expect to use with minor change s in the next issue of the Roster of Products and Services.
On page 46 of this issue appears a list of the
16 kinds of reference information which we publish.

Any comments, revisions, and suggestions
which anyone may be kind enough to send us, will
be welcome.

"

Moscow
Moscow 37

- END -

This suggests a 65 percent. increase in circulation of "Computers and Automation" in the
U. S. S. R. from 1956 to 1957.

- 38 -

SURVEY-E'STIMATE

- in the next twelve months?

between $

OF

THE

COMPU:TER

The computer field contains many hard-toanswer questions, which can be partly answered
through surveys. The purpose of this first survey
being made by "Computers and Automation" is to
form an estimate of the size of the market for computers, data processors, and related equipment.
Following is the inquiry form for this survey. The
response of any person who considers himself in the computer field is welcome, and will be
much appreciated. The form may be torn out of the
magazine, or may be copied on any piece of paper.
We hope that the results when published will be of
use to all our readers.

- in the next five years?
between $_ _ _ _ _ and $_ _ __
3. What perplexing questions or subjects would
you like us to inquire about in our surveys?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(attach paper if needed)
4. Any remarks?

----------------

And for statistical purposes: Your department?

ESTIMATE OF THE MARKET
FOR COMPUTERS AND DATA PROCESSORS
Questions
1. What kinds of computer products and services
does your organization buy or rent (or is considering buying or renting)?

-

and $_ _ __

M,ARKET

Yes
No
Computers
automatic digital computers? (
()
automatic analog computers?
(
()
simulators?
(
()
other data processing mach(
()
ines?
such as: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Your chief job responsibilities?

-------

Do your recommendations affect purchases?

Your organization I s main products?

------

No. of employees? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Components
-

Yes

Filled in by: Name ______________

No

delay lines?
(
( )
magnetic tape devices?
(
)
(
transistors?
(
(
)
other components?
(
( )
such as: _________________

Title _________________~Date______
Organization_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address.

--------------------

Services
- computing services?
- consulting services?
- other services?
such as:

Yes
(
(
(

No.
)
)
)

(
(
(

When completed to the extent you conveniently
can, please return this sur ve y for m to
E. C. Berkeley, Editor, Computers and Automation, 815 Washington St., Newtonville 60, Mass.

)
)
)

---------------

2. Can you estimate(roughly and approximately)
about how much your 'organization is likely to spend
on products and services in the computer field
- 39 -

ADVERTISING IN "COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION"

Memorandum from Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
Publisher of COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION
815 Washington St., Newtonville 60, 'Mass.

1. What is "COMPUTERS AND AUTOMA TION"?
conta~ing articles, papers,
and reference information related to computing ,
machinery, robots, automatic control, cybernetics,
automation, etc. One important piece of reference
~ormation published is the "Roster of Organizations in the Field of Computers and Automation".
The basic subscription rate is $5,50 a year in the
United States. Single copies are $1. 25, except the
June issue, "The Computer Directory", (1956,
$6 .. 00; 1955, $4.00). For the titles of articles and
papers in recent issues of the magazine, see the
"Back Copies" page in this issue.
It is a monthly magazine

2 ~ What is the circulation? The circulation includes 2650 subscribers (as of Feb. 15); over 300
purchasers of individual back copies, and an estimated 4000 nonsubscribing readers. The logical
readers of COMPUTERS AND AUTOMA TION are
people concerned with the field of computers and
automation. These include a great number of people who will make recommendations to their organizations about purchasing computing machinery,
similar machinery, and components, and whose
decisions may involve very substantial figures.
The print orde~ for the February issue was 3000
copies. The overrun is largely held for eventual
sale as back copies, and in the case of several
issues the overrun has been exhausted through
such sale.
3. What type of advertising does COMPUTERS
AND AUTOMATION take? The purpose of the magazine is to be factual and to the point. For this purpose the kind of advertising wanted is the kind that
answers questions factually. We recommend for
the audience that we reach, that advertising befactual, useful, interesting, understandable, and new
from i,ssue to issue. We reserve the right not to
accept advertising that does not meet our standards.
4. What are the specifications and cost of advertis-

ing? COMPUTERS AND AUTOMA TION is published on pages 81/2" x 11" (ad size, 7" x10") and
produced by photooffset, except that printed sheet
advertising may be inserted and bound in with the
magazine in most cases. The closing date for any
issue is approximately the lOth of the month preceding. If possible, the company advertising should
produce final copy. For photooffset, the cop y
- 40-

should be exactly as desired, actual size, and assembled, and may -include typing, writing, ,line
drawing, printing, screened half tones, and any
other copy that may be put under the photoofiset
camera without further preparation. Unscreened
photographic prints and any other copy requiring
additional preparation for photooffset shoul~ be ,
furnished separately; it will be prepared, finished,
and charged to the advertiser at small additional
costs. PLEASE DO NOT SEND US METAL
PLATES OR ELECTROS; please send reproduction proofs instead. In the case' of printed inserts,
a sufficient quantity for the iss u e s h 0 u I d be
shipped to our printer, address on request. .
Display advertising 'is sold in units of a full page
(ad size 7" x 10", basic rate, $190),two-thirds
page (basic rate, $145), half page (basic r8rt~,
$97), and quarter page (basic rate, $55); back
cover, $'370; inside front or back cover, $230~ Extra for color red (full pages only and only in'certain positions), 35%. Two-page printed insert
(one sheet), $320; four-page printed insert ,two
sheets), $590. Classified advertising is sold by
th.e word (60 cents a word) with a minimum 0;£ 20 ,
words.
5. Who are our advertisers? Our advertisers in
recent issues have included the following companies, among others:
AMP, Inc.
American Bosch Corp.
Ampex Corp.
Armour Research Found.
Arnold Engineering Co.
Automatic Electric Co.
Bendix Aviation Corp.
,Bryant Chucking
Grinder Co.
Cambridge Thermionic
Epsco, Inc.
Ferranti Electric, Co.
Ferroxcube Corp.
General Electric Co.
General Transistor
Corp.
International Business
Machines Corp.

Lockheed Aircraft Corp.
Lockheed Missile
Systems
The Glenn L. Martiri Co.
Monrobot Corp.
Norden-Ketay Corp.
Northrop Aircraft Inc.
George A. Philbrick
Researches, Inc.
Potter Instrument Co.
Ramo-Wooldridge Corp.
R. C. A. Service Co.
Reeves Instrument Co.
Remington Rand, Inc.
Republic Aviation Corp.
'Sprague Electric Co.
Sylvania Electric
Products, Inc.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR

COMPUT'ER PEOPLE?
mathematicians, engineers, programmers, systems analysts, supervisors,
other trained people in the computer field? If so --

an d

• We can help you in three ways:

1 -- Who's Who in the Computer Field 1956-57:
This extra number of "Computers and Automation"
will be published probably in March. We estimate
that it will be over 190 pages long, and will contain
names, addresses, and some information for over
11,000 computer people. Sample full entry (interpreted): Carr" John W, ill / Asst Prof Math, Univ
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich / ADLMP (i. e. ,
main interests: Applia.ations, Design, Logic, Mathematic s, Programming) / (born:) '23, (last c 0 lIege:) Mass Inst of Techn, (entered computer field:)
'48, (occupation:) mathematician / (distinctions:)
pres Assocn for Computing Machinery 1956.;..8.
Sample brief entry: Sutherland, Ivan / 152 Bradley Road, Scarsdale, NY.

$19 a thousand envelopes addressed (less for participants in the list, and for non profit organizations). (Note: Send us your proposed mailing
piece first for approval, then send the envelopes
for addressing NOT TO us in Massachusetts BUT
TO Publishers Mailing Service, 38 First St.,
New York 3, N. Y., where the plates are located.)
• Following is an order form
I hope we can be of help to you --

E~C~~
Edmund C. Berkeley
Editor, Computers and Automation

• Following is an order form
2 -- Advertising in "Computers and Automation".
Many important companies use our pages for their
ads to enlist computer people for their organizations. Our advertisers of employment opportunities include General Electric, International Business Machines, Lockheed, North American Aviation, Ramo-Wooldridge, Remington Rand, and
many more. We have over 2500 subscribers and
an additional (estimated) 5000 readers. Quarter
page rate, $55; full page, $190.
• Our rate card and details will be sent
to you for the asking

-- - - - - MAIL THIS REQUEST or a copy of it - - - -To: COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION
815 Washington St.
Newtonville 60, Mass.
) Please send us
copy(ies) bf "Who's
Who in the Computer Field 1956-57" when published,
at $17.50. Returnable within one week after deliyery (probably in March), if not satisfactory, for
full refund. We enclose $________,
1. (

2. ( ) Yes, we may be interested in advertising
in "Computers and Automation". Please send us
rate card and more information.

3 -- Mailings to Computer People. We have on
metal address plates over 10,000 names of computer people (entrants in the Who's Who, members of computer societies, expiries to "Computers and Automation", registrations at computer
meetings, etc.). They are subdivided geographically. Their number is increasing daily. Cost,

3. ( ) We are interesting in using your address
plates for mailings to computer people. Here is
our' proposed mailing piece for your approval.
Nam_e_____________________TiUe__________

t
I
I

From:
COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION
Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
815 Washington St •.
Newtonville 60, Mass.

..I

Address

I
I
I
I
I
I

-----------------------------------

- 41 -

I

Organization______----_____________________

EDUCATION AND COMPUTERS
(cont'd from page 30)

I think Mr. Lange has put his finger on the
most important of all the points: "how we are to
convince our fellow townspeople that such steps
are not only desirable but necessary." In order to
convince people, you have to have evidence (or information or data or literature) and you have to
have authority (or standing or status or reputation);
then you can be convincing. So there are two steps
that go hand in hand: publications and publicity on
"The Improvement of Education" and an organization "Society for the Improvement of Education".
In other words, we need a pressure group; even the
best causes need pressure groups!
I believe it is up to Mr. Lange and me and any
other people who agree with us to form a society and
put out information in a coordinated, organized way,
leading towards "The Improvement of Education".

*-------------------*------------------*
Forum
INTERNA TIONAL CONFERENCE
ON OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
Operations Research Society of America
The Institute of Management Sciences, U. S. A.
Operational Research Society of Great Britain
An IIl!ernational .Conference on Operational
Research is being organized by the~e ~ee Societies,
and will be li~ld at Oxford, Engl~~, from September
2 to September 6, 1957. The object of the conference will be to unify and extend the science of Operational R~search. Papers will be presented in
several sessions, including: the "Wholeness" . or
Underlying Unity of Operational Research; the
Methodology; Applications; etc.
Further information regarding this conference will be circulated later this ye ar . In the
meantime, proposed papers are invited. Summaries totalling not more than 200 words should be
sent to
Dr. Thornton Page
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, Md.
Opportunities wil.l be made available for
people coming from abroad to visit British Opera'tional Research Establishments studying specific •
problems or using specific techniques. Arrangements are being made to publish the conference
proceedings.

- 42 -

We are interested in artic)es, paper~, reference
information, and discussion relating to computers
and automation. To be considered for any particular issue, the manuscript should be in our hands
by the fifth of the preceding month. Ordinarily,
the length should be 1000 to 4000 words.
Articles. We desire to publish articles that are
factual, useful, understandable, and interesting
to many kinds of people engaged in one part or another of the field of computers and automation.
In this audience are many people who have expert
knowledge of some part of the field, but who are
laymen in other parts of it. Consequently a writer should seek to explain his subject, and show
its context and significance. He should define
unfamiliar terms, or use them in a way that makes
their meaning unmistakable. He should identify
unfamiliar persons with a few words. He should
use examples, details, comparisons, analogies,
etc., whenever they may help readers to understand a difficult point. He should give data
supporting his argument and evidence for his assertions. We look particularly for articles that
explore ideas in the field of computers and automation, and their applications and implications.
An article may certainly be controversial if the
subject is discussed reasonably. A suggestion
for an article should be submitted to us before
too much work is done.
Technical Papers. Many of the foregoing requirements for articles do not necessarily apply to
technical papers. Undefined technical terms,
unfamiliar assumptions, mathematics, circuit diagrams, etc., may be entirely appropriate. Topics
interesting probably to only a few people are
acceptable.
Reference Information. We desire to print or reprint reference information: lists, rosters, .abs trac ts, bibl iographies, etc." of use to computer
people.
Discussion. We desire to print in "Forum" brief
discussions, arguments, announcements, news,
letters, descriptions of remarkable new developments, etc., anything likely to be of substantial
interest to computer people.
Occasionally, we print or reprint science fiction
which explores scientific ideas and possibilities
about computers, robots, cybernetics, automation,
etc., and their implications, and which is at the
same time a good story.
Payments. In many cases, we make small token payments for articles and papers, if the author
wishes to be paid. The rate is ordinarily ~¢ a
word, with a maximum of $20, and half that if it
has been printed before.

ROSTER

ENTRY

4. Types of computing machinery or components
or computer field products and services that
you are interested in?

FORMS

"Computers and Automation" publishes from
time to time over a dozen types of reference information. One type is "Roster of Organizations in
the Computer Field"; the last instance of this Roster appeared in the August, 1956 issue. Here is
a sample entry:
"Potter Instrument Co., 115 Cutter Mill Rd. ,
Great Neck, N. Y. / Great Neck 2-9532 / *C
Electronic counters. Magnetic and perforated paper tape handlers; digital printer. Shift
registers. Magnetic core memory. Random
access memory. High-speed printer ("Flying Typewriter"): 6-1/2 lines of characters
printed per second. Analog-to-digital converter. Ms(115)
Me(1942) Dc RMSa
(MEANING. Medium size, 115 employees.
Established 1942. Interested in digital computing machinery. Research, manufacturing,
and selling activity. ) "
A second type is "The Computer Field: Products
and Services for Sale or Rent"; the last instance
of this appeared in the June, 1956 issue. Here is
a sample entry (together with the heading under
which it appeared):

5. Types
( )
( )
( )
( )

of activity that you engage in:
research
( ) other (please
manufacturing
explain) _ _ _ __
selling
consulting

6. Approximate number of your employees ? _ _
7. Year when your organization was established?

Filled in by_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Title_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Date_ _ __
When filled in, please send this form to COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION, 815 Washington St.,
Newtonville 60, Mass., with $10.00 requested
nominal charge per entry, on or before APRIL 10,
1957.

"21. DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTERS
"ACF ELECTRONICS, INC., 800 N. Pitt St., Alexandria, Va. / ACF Model 1002 Decoder /
DESCR: All-electronic, rack-mountable
converter providing rapid, preCise, and dependable conversion of digital data to analog
voltages. Unit capable of accepting up to
200,000 ten-bit binary codes per second with
a precision one part in 1024. / USE: applications in digital computing systems 0 r d a t a
transmission links / $950 "
The next issue in which these rosters will be
published, cumulative and up to date, is the June
1957 issue, "The Computer Directory and Buyers'
Guide", which closes ~bout April 10.

Product Entry Form
1. Name or identification of produce (or service)?

2. Brief description (20 to 50 words): _ _ _ __

3. How is it used? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

4. What is the price range? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

If you are interested in sending i~ormation
to us for these rosters, following is the form of
entry. To avoid tearing the magazine, the form
may be copied on any piece of paper. The requested nominal charge of $10 per entry applies to the
cumulative listing in the Directory issue, but not
to supplements published in the magazine fro In
time to time.

5.

Under what headings should it be listed?

Or ganizati0 n:...-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address____________________________
Filled in by_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Organization Entry Form

Title_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _....;Date______

1. Your organization's correct name?

When filled in, please send this form to COMPUTERS AND ~UTOMATION, 815 Washington St.,
Newtonville 60, Mass., with $10.00 requested
nominal charge per entry, on or before APRIL 10,
1957.

2. Your address? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. Telephone number? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
- 43 -

Forum
EDUCATION AND COMPUTERS
Bo Brown
Jenkintown, P a.

000000000

o Dc> o~CJc.>o~

o

00
00
,DO

00

~

"Daddy, could you run my homework through again?"

*------------------- *------------------- *
SPEciAL ISSUES OF
·~·~'COMPiJTERS A'ND"

AUrOMATI.ON"
The June issue of "Computers and Automation" in each year commencing with 1955 is a
special issue, "The Computer Directory", containing a cumulative "Roster of Organizations"
and a cumulative "Roster of Products and Services
in the Computer Field", and other reference information.

CORRECTIONS
In the February, 1957 issue of "Computers

and Automation":
Page 24, 1st column, 6th line, replace ''with''
by "wish".

In June 1957 we shall publish the special
issue "THE COMPUTER DmECTORY AND BUYERS'
GUIDE, 1957". For more information about this
issue see page 6.

Page 25, 2nd column, replace "this about" by
"this is about".
Page 41, 1st column, 8th line,
"Trump" by "Trumpet".

In early 1957, we shall publish Edition No.2
of a cumulative "Who's Who in the Computer Field",
as an extra number of "Computers and Automation".
For more information, see page 6 •
- 44 -

rep 1 ace

News Release
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS COURSE
Clemson College
Mathematics Department
Clemson, South Carolina

Physicists and
mathematicians

HOW DO YOUR

Beginning with the second semester, 1957,
the Mathematics Department will offer a course
in "Numerical Analysis (Math 308)." The course
is unique in that it is the first time that a mathematics course will be conducted on a "TheoryLab" baSiS, the 3 hour credit being 2 theory hours
and a 3 -hour lab.. Also, Clemson will be one of
the few colleges or universities offering Numerical Analysis at the undergraduate level. Any student who has completed Integral Calculus (Math
204) will be eligible for enrollment.
The prim~y objectives of the course are to
present the theory of various methods of obtaining
approximate solutions to problems arising in the
physical, biological and social sciences, and to
provide practice in rapid means of obtaining the
approximations through the use of mechanical and
electronic computing devices.

SPECIAL SKILLS
FIT INTO THE
AIRCRAFT
NUCLEAR
PROPULSION
PICTURE
AT

GENERAL

ELECTRIC

Many physicists and mathematicians who recognize the excep.
tional promise of a career in General Electric's fast growing
Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Department have asked if their
skiIls can be used in this significant project.

If you are qualified to work on
THERMODYNAMIC and AIR CYCLE ANALYSIS
REACTOR ANALYSIS
SHIELD PHYSICS
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTATION
APPLIED MATHEMATICS
DIGITAL and ANALOG COMPUTER
THEORETICAL PHYSICS

The course will have three major aspects:
(1) Approximation Methods - to include
"trapping techniques, interpolation and extrapolation methods, successive approximations,
series solutions, etc. These will be applied to
arithmetic problems, high degree algebraic
equations, transcendental equations, differential equations, and certain boundary value
problems.

you can move NOW into major assignments in the develop.
ment of nuclear propulsion systems for aircraft.
You do not need previous nuclear experience. Through General
Electric's fuII-tuition refund plan for advanced university
courses and in plant training conducted by experts, you'II
acquire the necessary nucleonics knowledge.

(2) Theory of Approximations - to include
elements of error analysis, numerical differentiation and integration, principle of least
squares, probability equations, central- difference formulas, etc.
(3) Introduction to High-speed Computer
Methods - to include elementary Boolean algebra and Laws of Logic, principles of data
reduction and programming. If possible, a
small scale digital computer, using relays,
will be constructed and used for' demonstrations and practice in these areas.

The field itself assures you a rewarding future, but, more
than that, the physicist or mathematician who likes to work
in a top-level scientific atmoophere wiII appreciate General
Electric's encouragement of creative thinking, its recognition
of accomplishment.

Comprehensive benefit program • Periodic merit
reviews • Excellent starting salaries • Relocation
expenses paid
OPENINGS IN Cincinnati, Ohio and Idaho Falls, Idaho
Write in confidence stating salary requirements,
to location you prefer:
J. R. ROSSELOT
P. O. Box 132
Cincinnati, Ohio

GENERAL

The course, although elementary, should be
useful to all Engineering and Science majors, and
of particular value to students interested in nuclear
work and certain phases of Industrial Management.
- END-

- 45·

L. A. MUNTBER
P. O. Box 535
Idaho FaIls, Idaho

e

ELECTRIC

COMPUTERS
REFERENCE

AND

AUTOMATION -

Copies

INFORMATION

Sixteen kinds of reference information that computer people can hardly afford to be without (latest issues containing each are indicated):
Organizations:
Roster of Organizations in the Computer: Field
(June, Aug. 1956)
Roster of computing services (June 1956)
Roster of Consulting Services (June 1956)
Computing Machinery and Automation:
Types of Automatic computing Machinery
(March 1957)
Roster of Automatic Computers (June 1956)
Outstanding Examples of Automation (July 1954)
Commercial Automatic Computers (Dec. 1956)
Types of components of Automatic Computing
Machinery (March 1957)'
Products and services in the Computer Field:
Products and .Services for sale (June 1956)
Classes of Products and Serv ices (March 1957)
Words and Terms: Glossary of Terms and
in the Computer Field (Oct. 1956)

Expressi~

Information and Publications:
Books and Other Publications (many issues)
New Patents (nearly every issue)
Roster of Magazines (Dec. 1955)
Titles and Abstracts of Papers Given at Meetings (many issues)
People: Who's Who in the Computer Field (various
issues)

ARTICLES,

Back

PAPERS,

ETC.

June: THE COMPUTER DIRECTORY, 1956 (104 pages)
Part 1: Roster of Organizations in the Computer Field (cumulative)
Part 2: The Market Place -- The Computer Field:
Products and services for Rent or Sale (cumulative)
Part 3: Who's Who in the Computer Field (supplement)
Part 4: Roster of Automatic computers (cumu~~e)
August.: Two Electronic computers Share a Sing Ie
Problem -- National Bureau of Standards
IBM Electronic Data Processing Operations in
the Midwest -- Neil D. Macdonald
Complaint by sperry Rand corp. in Anti-Trust
Suit Against Intern. Bus. Mach Corp., &
Answer and Counterclaim by IBM
September: The IBM Computer AN/FSQ-7 and the
Electronic Air Defense System SAGE -- H.T.
Rowe
Glass and Metal Honeycomb Type of Electrostatic
Storage Memory -- General Electric Research
Laboratory
The Computer Age -- Staff of Business Week
An Ocean-Based Automatic Weather Station -_
National Bureau of Standards
U.S. District Court, U.S.A., Plaintiff, vs.
IBM Corp., Defendant, Final Judgment

October: Glossary of Terms in the Field of Computers and Automation (cumulative)
Systems Engineering in Business Data Processing -- Ned Chapin
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition in Mechanization of Check Handling
November: Use of Automatic Programming -- Walter
F. Bauer
Data Problems of a Grocery chain -- Frank A.
Calhoun
The power of the Computer -- George J.
Huebner, Jr.
An Automatic Micro-Image File -- National
Bureau of Standards
December: Indexing for Rapid Random Access Memory
Systems -- Arnold I. Dumey
Self-Repairing and Reproducing Automata -Richard L. Meier
The Computer's Challenge to Education -Clarence B. Hilberry
January. 1957 (vol. 6, no.l): Modern Large-Scale
Computer System Design -- Walter F. Bauer
Logical and Combinatorial Problems in Computer
Design -- Robert McNaughton
Transistorized Magnetic Core Memory -- Bell
Telepho~e Laboratories
Education for Automation -- Alston S. Householder
_
Social and Public Relations' Responsibilities
of the Computer Industry -- Jay W. Forrester
High School Science Education -- Richard W.
Mel ville
Objective Measures of Education -- Donald
Truitt
February: Computation for an Earth Satellite
Neil D. Macdonald
New Computer Developments Around the World -Everett S. Calhoun
Industry and the Automated Future: Problems
Along the Way -- John Diebold
Electronic Digital Data-Handling -- Howard T.
Engstrom
The Solution of boundary Value Problems on a
REAC Analog Computer -- M. Yanowitch

BACK COpy PRICE: If available, $1.25 each,
except June 1955, $4.00, and June 1956, $6.00
(the June issue is the Computer DirectorY'issue)

To:

- - Mail this ,coupon (or a copy of it)- - - Berkeley Enterprises, Inc.
815 Washington St., R 191
Newtonville 60, Mass.

Please send me the following back copies:
I enclose $
in full payment.
If not
satisfactory, returnable within week for full refund (if in good condition).
My name and address are attached.

- 4ti-

* -------------------------------------------*
*-----------------------------------------tical methods for the solution of this problem.
News Release
INSTRUMENTS AND REGULATORS CONFERENCE,
CHICAGO, APRIL 7 -10, 1957

There will be least one paper on the use of
analog computers in various applications.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
New York 18, N. Y.

- END-

*--------------------*-------------------*
BULK SUBSCRIPTION RATES

The Instruments and Regulators Division of
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers will
hold its Third Almual Conference at Northwestern
University, Evanston, ID. (adjacent to Chicago) ,
on April 8, 9, and 10, 1957. The Conference will.
be devoted to papers concerned with the application of new techniques as reported in previous conferences to actual control problems.
These techniques include the use of frequency
response methods for the analysis of non-linear controls, analog computers, statistical methods, effects
of noise on operation, designing to fit the statistical
properties of actual disturbances, impulse methods,
and the optimizing of industrial processes. A subject of particular interest is the performance of
industrial automatic controls in the presence of'
random disturbances and the application of statis-

These rates apply to prepaid subscriptions caninJ in
together direct to the publisher. For example,
if 7 subscriptions come in together, the saving on each one-year subscription will be 24
percent, and on each two-year subscription will
be 31 percent. The bulk subscription rate s,
depending on the number of simul taneous s u bscriptions received, follow:
Bulk Suhscription Rates
CUni t.ed States)

Rate for Each Subscription., and
Number of
Simultaneous Resulting Saving to Subscriber
One Year
Two Year§
Subscriptions

7 or more
4 to 6
3
2

$ 4.20, 24 %
4.60, 16
5.00, 9
5.25, 5

$7.25, 3l~~
8.00, 24
8.80, 16

9.55,

9

For Canada, add 50 cents for each year; 0 u tside of the United States and Canada, add $1.00
for each year.

- 47 -

\,Jnuur D£.nJ\YJ.Un

(cont'd from page 21)

cently acquired items is consulted; only every
other item which was stored during the ten trials
prior to that is consulted; and only every third item on the 15 items stored previous to that, etc.
Another variation which is easily effected consists
of permitting certain of the robots to skip the i r
turns at specified times. There is a great freedom of choice in selecting the Value functions; relative to each Value function, it is possible to construct behavior functions other than the ones which
were discussed above. For instance, they might
be such that the majority of the robots will be rewarded, even though individual robots may at times
be punished.
There are also some other interesting variations on these experiments, which would involve
a slight revision of the program. Thus, outputs
consisting of more than a single binary variable
could be considered without much difficulty. The
form of the behavior function may be made to vary
with time, by altering the instructions wh i c h
specify the behavior function automatically. One
of the robots might be outside of the computer
(such as a source of random IiUInbers), but this
would slow the program down somewhat.
It may be observed that if the storage capacity allotted to each robot (number of state variables)
is too small, it may happen that the response will
continue to be chosen at random; that is, Pi will
not have been able to acquire and store enough information upon which to base "rational" decisions
which will insure reward. Periodicity begins
when the last robot has ceased to guess his response. It is possible that different strategies for
acquiring items of experience may increase the
speed of learning, and reduce the minimum required memory capacity.

the course of its interactions with the others and
with the reward schedule. The final complexity
of this internal state (number of items of information stored when periodicity is reached) increases
with the complexity of the network, particularly
with the position of that robot in the network. If
the storage capacity alloted to each robot for storing experience is sufficiently small, periodicity
will not obtain, and responses will continue to be
made at random.
These experiments suggest that digital computers could serve as useful tools in the construction of models in the social sciences. A program
of the type discussed can take the place of writing
a very complicated set of difference equations,
not to mention solving these. It may further serve
to help the model-builder in proving the falseness
of conjectures, as guides to the revision of basic
concepts and assumptions, and in the generation
of "data" to be compared with empirical results.
Such programs are in no way substitutes or crutches for mathematical. thinking; on the contrary,
it is intended and expected that they will free the
model-builder from chores which are not his
chief interest, so that he may devote more effort
to that area of thought in which a machine cannot
at present be used: in creative mathematical
thinking, involving the invention and formulation
of fruitful concepts, definitions, assumptions,
conjectures, and methods of proof.
Acknowledgement: The use of the computer and
facilities at the Electronic Computer Project of
the Institute for Advanced Study, at Princeton,
N. J., where these experiments were programmed
and run in the summer of 1955, is hereby gratefully acknowledged.
- END-

*---------* ---------*

Conclusions
The experimental results may be r 0 ugh ly summarized as follows: Mter a certain time,
the time variation of the group responses becomes
periodic. The length of the period, and the time
at which periodicity first appears, are not related to the number of robots involved for the cases
which were tested: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 robots connected
in a circle network. The average time to tbe
start of periodicity increases with the complexity
of the network, although the period is not affected
greatly. When periodicity is reached, the internal
state variables of the robots no longer change.
These state-variables specify the accumulated
and stored experiences acquired by a robot during

- 48 -

SYMPOSIUM ON THE THEORY OF SWITCHING,
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., APRIL 2-5
An International Symposium on the Theory of
Switching will take place at the Computation Laboratory of Harvard University, Cambridge 38, Mass.,
April 2 to 5, 1957. Topics to be discussed include
Abstract Models, Contact Networks, Magnetic and
Transistor Logic, Switching Systems, etc. For
more information, write to Howard Aiken, Director of the Computation Laboratory.

putting

IIDEASI to work-research at IIBMI
•

Powder to parts: light metal powders form solid finished parts
needing little or no machining.

•

Connections are important: new IBM developments in printed
circuitry solve two contact problems.

•

Contact erosion studies: measurements of erosion or bridging by
electric arcs on various contact materials.

Mr. Stosuy's paper was presented at
the Metal Power Association meeting at
Cleveland on April 11, 1956. Write for
IBM Bulletin No. 600.

Powder to parts

Although IBM's modern data processing
machines have been streamlined they are
still complicated affairs. Even a small
machine like the Card Punch is composed
of some 3,000 parts. Many of these parts,
ranging from simple stampings to complex die castings, are fabricated by conventional methods. Others, because of
either their shape or the machine requirements which they must fulfill, are most
satisfactorily and economically produced
by using the sintered metal technique.
This technique involves the pressing of
metal powders in a mold and heat-treating the resulting shape to form usable
parts requiring little or no machining.

Connections are important

"What won't they think of next?" is a
question that can certainly be applied to
electronic computers. At the Product
Development Laboratory, though, we
more often say "What did they think of
this morning?" We keep up with the
newest things this way., Such things, for
instance, as a special three-dimensional
printed wire back panel for interconnecting circuit packages. This new panel
has helped lick two problems in the
application of printed wiring techniques
to complex computing machines. These
problems were the design of individually
printed circuit cards for economical
mass-production, and the interconnection of these printed wiring packages.
IBM's E. R. Wyma explains how this
has been accomplished in his recent
paper, "The Three-Dimensional Printed
Back-Panel." He begins with a section
devoted to "Back Panel Design Requirements," then proceeds to the "ThreeDimensional Array" itself, in which circuit connections are made by terminating
the machine's printed wiring cards at a
large printed panel-a big step, obviously, in machine simplification, cost reduction, and time saving.
"The purpose of this paper is to show
how the three-dimensional printed circuit concept satisfies the requirement for
flexible design of the panel and permits
mechanized production of the connecting
devices." Write for IBM Bulletin No. 601.

Sma I! parts manufactured by
the sintered metal technique.

In his technical paper, "The Use of
Sintered Metal Parts in IBM Products"
Athan Stosuy of the Poughkeepsie Product Development Laboratory cites the
details behind the two major reasons for
the company's interest in sintered metals
-economics and machine improvement.
In addition to illustrating a number of
sintered metal applications, the author
details several special functions of sintered metal products-magnetic cores,
the "memory" units for electronic computers, for example-and outlines the
typical procedures used at IBM to maintain the highest possible standards of
quality and usefulness of sintered metal
parts.

DATA PROCESSING

•

ELECTRIC TYPEWRITERS

tory at Endicott, New York. The group
studied the electrica~ and metallurgical
phenomena affecting contact life and
performance.

Contact erosion studies

To see what could be done to meet the
vital need for more reliable electrical
components such as circuit breakers and
relays, a contact studies team headed by
Dr. William B. Ittner, III, was organized
in IBM's Product Development Labora-

•

TIME EQUIPMENT

•

MILITARY PRODUCTS

200r---------~,-----------

SHOgT
ARC
EROSION

...........

_--- --------5(}%

....

Pd

,
Q

c.OMPOsrnON BY WEIGHT

A STUDY OF CONTACT EROSION BY ENERGY
OISSlPATf.D IN iHE SHORT ARC, DOHED LINE
REt>RESENTS THE01 m

Its Address ?...................................................... _...................................................................................

""D
1

Your Title? .............................................................................................................................................

~

-<

3:

m
Z
-f
m

>

-<

C

z

r

rn

'm

;:
m
~

»
!=OJ

~

""G

~

;;;
m

?!~

I

READER I S

p)

';i

-<

"!"!'

I

3: (I)

m

ya

m

:

~

e.,. m

III

1

I

.,~ -Z

~

I
I

I

OJ

c:
0 (I)

0

Please send me additional information on the following subiects for which I have
circled the CA number:
1
6
11
16
21

~ I,

o:J

Z "'<
fl

2
7
12
17
22

3
8
13
18
23

<4 5
9 '10
14 15
19 20
24 25

26
31
36
41
46

'11
32
37
<42
47

28
33
38
.0
.cs

n

29 30 51 52 53 54 55 76
78 79 80 101 102 103 104 105
34 35 56 57 58 59 60 81 82 83 s.c 85 106 107 108 109 110
39 40 61 62 63 64 65 ~ 87 88 89 90 111 112 113 114 115
.... 45 66 67 68 69 70 91 92 93 94 95 116 117 118 119 120
49;'i() 71 72 73 74 75 96 97 98 99 100 121 122 123 124 125

126
131
136
141
146

1'11 128
132133
137138
142 1.0
147 1.cs

129
134
139
1....

130
135
140
145

149.150

'1

I :<~
1

,

REMARKS:

111111111111111
--- - - - - - - \-

_.:-,..

..- -

..1- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

-

- 50 -

I

In computer or in other applications where current
, must be a!Uplified in'either dfreetion, you can now, '
specify, General Transistor's new GT-34S bi..direc·
tiona) transistor.
As developed by Gf, this symmetrical transjsto~ '"
, cal'), al.so, be used ~s a hi·directional sWitch when

placed in series with the load. For greater reHab 11itYf to s~ve production time, and for compactness
, you 'should exami~e GT's·34S ••. another reason for'
General's leadership in the manufacture and devel·
,'opment of transistors for computers.
"
Write for Bulletin GT·34SJor complete specifications. ' '
~,

GENERAL TRANSISTOR CORP. 91-27 138th Place, Jamaica 35, N. Y.

'

"

",

OLympia 7-9700

AMP'S PATCHCORD PROG AMMING
$/~ confirmation
A wide variety of AMP Taper Technique
product provides long-life assurance of
perfect electrical terminations and is a
contributing factor in keepin9 electronic
equipment compact. The AMP Patchcord
Programming System offers a multiformity
of internal wiring arrangements and connections and permits circuit versatility by
use of pre patched, removable front boards.
A number of major airlines, including
the Long Island City facilities of Pan
American Airlines (shown above), have
installed electronic equipment man ufactured by Teleregister Corporation,
Stamford, Connecticut to eliminate delay
and uncertainty in air travel reservations
procedure. AMP Taper Technique and
AMP Patchcord Programming Systems
are prominent in the design of this equipment.
AMP Taper Technique and AMP Patchcord Programming Systems have been
utilized for years to solve problem5 inherent
in the design of computers, business
machines, . and automatic control equipment.

,

,1

{

~

!

<

,

'

You are cordially invited to visit
our display at the IRE show in
New York City,' March 18th to
21st, 1957.
,
BOOTHS 2427·2429

Complete information is available on request.

Wholly Owned Subsidiaries: Aircraft-Marine Products of Canada Ltd., Toronto, Canada
Aircraft-Marine Products (G.B.) Ltd , London, England
Societe AMP de France, Le Pre SI. Gervais, Seine, France
AMP-Holland N. V. 's-Hertogenbosch, -Holland
Japanese Distributors: Oriental Terminal Products Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

AMP'S PATCHCD

~
A wide variety of AMP Taper Technique
product provides long-life assurance of
perfect electrical terminations and is a
contributing factor in keeping electronic
equipment compact. The AMP Patchcord
Programming System offers a multiformity
of internal wiring arrangements and connections and permits circuit versatility by
use of prepatched, removable fron t boards .
A number of major airlines, including
the Long Island City facilities of Pan
American Airlines (shown above), have
installed electronic equipment man ufactured by Teleregister Corporation,
Stamford, Connecticut to eliminate delay
and uncertainty in air travel reservations
procedure. AMP Taper Technique and
AMP Patchcord Programming Systems
are prominent in the design of this equipment.
AMP Taper Technique and AMP Patchcord Programming Systems have been
utilized for years to solve problem& inherent
in the design of computers, business
machines, and automatic control equipment.
Complete information is available on request.

AMP

INCORPORATED

General Office: Harrisburg, Pa.
Wholly Owned Subsidiaries: Aircraft-Marine Products of Canada Ltd ., Toronto, Canada
Aircraft·Marine Products (G.B.) Ltd" London, England
Societe AMP de France, Le Pre St. Gervais, Seine, France

AMP-Holland N.V. 's.Hertogenbosch, Holland
Japanese Distributors: Oriental Terminal Products Co., Ltd. , Tokyo, Japan



---

Source Exif Data:

File Type                       : PDF
File Type Extension             : pdf
MIME Type                       : application/pdf
PDF Version                     : 1.3
Linearized                      : No
XMP Toolkit                     : Adobe XMP Core 4.2.1-c041 52.342996, 2008/05/07-21:37:19
Create Date                     : 2015:08:24 10:51:08-08:00
Modify Date                     : 2015:08:24 10:11:16-07:00
Metadata Date                   : 2015:08:24 10:11:16-07:00
Producer                        : Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Paper Capture Plug-in
Format                          : application/pdf
Document ID                     : uuid:dae67820-c046-2f4a-a180-b7fd0cf680d8
Instance ID                     : uuid:b9abda8c-3745-5940-ba08-b5fcc9adfe62
Page Layout                     : SinglePage
Page Mode                       : UseNone
Page Count                      : 53

EXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools