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[LEIBNIZ, Gottfried Wilhelm (1646-1716).] “Brevis descriptio machinae arithmeticae, cum figura” [in:] Miscellanea Berolinensia ad incrementum scientiarum. Berlin: Johann Christian Papen, 1710.
First edition of Leibniz’s description of his famous calculating machine, contained in pp. 317-319 of the first volume of the journal he founded, for the Berlin Academy of Science. The volume contains several other important papers by Leibniz on mathematics and physics (see Ravier 305 for a full list). Leibniz’s machine, the first stepped-drum calculator, was the first machine that could perform multiplication and division.
“Leibniz studied Morland’s and Pascal’s various designs and set himself the task of constructing a more perfect and efficient machine. To begin with, he improved Pascal’s device by adding a stepped-cylinder to represent the digits 1 through 9. He almost captured one of the most important aspects of modern-day computing, but failed to see its application to mathematics. The binary system so important in present computers was envisioned by Leibniz, but he saw it in terms of religious significance ... In 1694, Leibniz built his calculating machine, which was far superior to Pascal’s and was the first general purpose calculating device able to meet the major needs of mathematicians and bookkeepers” (Rosenberg, The Computer Prophets, p 48). Although Leibniz demonstrated his machine before the Royal Society and elsewhere, no description of it appeared in print until in the present work. The Brevis descriptio is illustrated by one folding engraved plate. Additionally, the machine is illustrated at the bottom of the frontispiece to the volume. Ravier 305; Parkinson p. 113.
Quarto (212 x 160mm). Engraved allegorical frontispiece, and 31 folding engraved plates (lightly browned as usual, heavier on some gatherings but not the Leibniz paper); one of the engraved plates depicts Leibniz's machine. Contemporary polished vellum, spine gilt-lettered.