UCLA Differential Analyzer Components - Two Wheel and Disc Integrators (1 and 2)
date: label: date made
content: 1947
name: label: maker
content: General Electric Company
notes: label: Description
content: When the School of Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles was chartered in 1945, Dean Llewellyn M. K. Boelter (1898 –1966) sought to purchase a computing device that would immediately be useful in solving complex engineering problems. Looking over existing choices, the UCLA engineers decided to purchase a mechanical analog instrument called a differential analyzer. They contracted with General Electric to purchase the room-sized instrument for slightly over $125,000. The machine was in use by 1947, tackled a variety of university and industrial problems (for information about these see 1995.3001), and was supplemented by other analog and then digital computers. It was finally largely dismantled in 1961 and came to the Smithsonian, disassembled, in 1977. It remains in parts, which are described briefly.
label: Description
content: This component consists of two wheel and disc integrators that are housed in separate cases and have a common metal frame which is not attached to any support. Motors are at the top back. Several cords hang near the bottom, for attachment to potentiometers when in place. The integrator on the left is marked "2," the one on the right is marked "1." Both are marked: General Electric (/) Differential Analyzer (/) Integrator.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Mechanical Integrators and Analyzers
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content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0023.001
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0023.001
label: accession number
content: 1983.0023
objectType: label: Object Name
content: differential analyzer components
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 61 cm x 89 cm x 75 cm; 24 1/32 in x 35 1/32 in x 29 17/32 in