Abstract
This chapter focuses on the working of computers. The computer, or the electronic digital computer, is of interest for two reasons. First, it is composed of a mass of electronics. Second, it can be used as a control device of great flexibility. A computer is a machine that can perform arithmetic, can store information, and can take elementary decisions. These properties enable it to perform a great variety of tasks, far greater than for any previous type of machinery. The task to be performed must be specified to the computer in the form of a program that consists of a list of simple orders, which the computer can obey. To specify an arithmetical calculation, however simple, requires information of two types: (1) a statement of the type of calculation required and (2) a statement of the numbers upon which the calculation is to be performed. Thus, to perform a calculation the computer must be provided with these two statements that are referred to as the program and the data respectively.
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