Development of analog, digital and hybrid computing in Serbia 1950–1970

Abstract

In times when Serbian computer engineers and scholars celebrate the 60th anniversary of digital computing, we turn to the very beginnings, and analyze how the experiences from early developments of analog, digital and hybrid computing in Serbia influenced the further development of economy, science, and education in the country. The goal of the article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the main Serbian projects of analog, digital and hybrid computers in the period 1950-1970, and describe their practical applications. The first analog computer in the Republic of Serbia was TARA-50, used for solving complex mathematical problems in various domains. Later, digital computers have become widely adopted, CER-10 being the very first computer used for statistical processing of information and cryptography for the government and scientific institutions. Finally, hybrid computers try to combine analog and digital technology. The most important model of a hybrid computer in the Republic of Serbia was HRS-100, developed in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences, and used for research, educational, health, and military applications in both countries. The presented projects have set up good research and educational basis and shaped the further development of computer science in Serbia, resulting in the fact that computer and IT services have become one of the most important factors of Serbian export during the 2010s.