December 10, 2012 is the 197th birthday of Ada Lovelace, known as the "Enchantress of Numbers" -- isn't that the most fabulous homage you can think of? The Enchantress of Numbers ... now that's a Disney princess I would want to see a movie about! Today's Google Doodle pays tribute to this great woman in STEM and today's blog does the same.
Unless you've taken a class in History of Mathematics (or perhaps Introduction to Computer Science), you may not be familiar with Ada Lovelace. Allow me to introduce you. She was the daughter of Lord Byron, a poet and writer who was active in social reform and politics and created his fair share of scandals about his love life. A few of my favorite Lord Byron quotes follow.
Adversity is the first path to truth.
If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad.
Ada, technically Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace, became known as simply Ada Lovelace as her story has come to us through the years. She was born in London in 1815 and, because she was wealthy and had the support of her affluent family name and title, was allowed to do things most women of her time weren't: get an education. Even more shocking, she was allowed to study MATH! Perhaps most shocking of all, at least to today's student's, is that she WANTED to study math. Ada was interested in many things, but likely her interest in math was because her mother, Lady Anne Isabella Byron, was a mathematician. As a child Ada's mom was quite gifted, especially in geometry, and her parents encouraged her gift by hiring a Cambridge professor to be her mentor and guide. In essence, Lady Byron received a Cambridge university education in mathematics during a time when most women were not even learning to read and write. Lord Byron adored the mathematical mind of his wife and nicknamed her his "Princess of Parallelograms" (another Disney princess I would love to see in toy stores and movie theaters!). So, it is perhaps not surprising with parents like these that Ada began her contributions to the field of mathematics at the young age of 17.
As a teen, Ada met Charles Babbage, a mathematician and inventor who had also worked with her mother, and learned of his newest project: a "difference engine". The machine, patterned after the punch-card method used in looms to create patterns in rugs, was able to perform mental mathematics calculations like subtraction (thus, the "difference engine"). There was a problem with the machine though and it did not work properly. At least, not until Ada came along with the idea of "programming" the machine (using the punch cards like the loom) with the series of steps it needed to perform and the order in which they must be completed. As such, Ada became the world's first computer programmer! She was also the first to see the potential of the computer to create more than mathematics answers. She was honored by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1980 when they named their computer programming language "Ada".
I love Ada's story and refer to her at least once a semester in my classes as most of my students are not aware that:
- The first computer programmer was a woman.
- A computer programming language was created by the DoD and named "Ada" to honor this amazing woman.
- The reason the first calculator / computer worked was because a woman saw the connection between weaving and math, then was able to use that connection in a way no one else thought of to solve a problem (THE skills we want to instill in today's students).
I also like to talk with my students about Ada's life because, despite her famous parents, wealth, and success, she did not have an easy life. Her father died when she was only 8 and she never really knew him. Ada had many health problems throughout her life, including vision problems and even being paralyzed because of measles for a time. Her mother died of breast cancer. Ada also died of cancer, at age 37. Despite her short life, the obstacles she faced, and the troubles she endured, Ada persevered and, because of her persistence, we all benefited. (Imagine life without computers!)
I leave you with a lovely video overview of Ada and ask you to join me in wishing a very "Happy Birthday" to this wonderful woman and giving thanks for her pioneering work in mathematics, technology, and equity for all.
References:
Brief history of Ada Lovelace
Biography of Ada Lovelace
Lord Byron quotes
The Solver Blog
Author: Dr. Diana S. Perdue