Talk:Analog computer
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[editorial commentary moved from main page:} A computer is defined by a turing machine. The turing machine must have a stack. The slide rule has nothing which can be used as a stack. Furthermore the markings on a slide rule are discrete, not analog, making it digital. However, it would be nice to have a replacement here...!!
- There are many definitions of 'computer' which do not involve Turing machines.. and the markings are only guidelines; one can still estimate infinite gradations between the markings.
Hello. This is an interesting article. There is an assertation towards the end that analog computers are used in earthquake prediction, and that they're superior to digital computers for that purpose. That is an interesting assertion. I wonder if someone has some references about that. I searched the web but all I found were two refs (no. 166 and 167) at [1] (http://books.nap.edu/books/0309065623/html/19.html); these two date from the 1940's. Thanks for any info, Wile E. Heresiarch 01:24, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)
I put that in there and admittedly I don't recall where I learned it, but I am certain that it is true. I am quite certain that there are also many other applications in which a specialized analog computer is superior to a digital computer.
I don't however, find this interesting. I find it interesting, rather, that it is in general found interesting. After all, a digital computer is just a special type of analog computer, and it has been known for a long time that hybrid computers are far more powerfull than digital computers, at least for sceintific problems. (Try your local library.)
In any case, I assure you that the assertion can be confirmed. -- Kevin Baas 03:21, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)
- The article gives an indication to why this would be true though. Computation on an analog computer is much more dynamic than on a digital computer - computation is almost instantaneous on an analog computer, whist a digital computer must repeatedly recalculate things on changes in the calculation. Dysprosia 03:27, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)
How can I remove the table of contents? 666 20:23, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC)
- You shouldn't. If you don't like it showing up, click [hide] on the TOC. Dysprosia 22:34, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC)