NYC Gazette

In a recent analysis, an NYU researcher has concluded that classic games like tic-tac-toe have significantly influenced the design of modern computers. Samuel Pizelo, a visiting assistant professor at NYU Steinhardt, states that "modern computers were first imagined by mathematicians Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace in the mid-19th century," highlighting how games served as powerful modeling tools for these early pioneers.

Pizelo's study draws on various historical documents, including journal entries and correspondence between Babbage and Lovelace. He suggests that gaming theories were integral to developing complex algorithms and predictive reasoning used in Babbage’s analytical engine—a precursor to digital computers. This machine was designed not only for mathematical calculations but also to play games against humans by analyzing outcomes and strategies.

The research, published in Game Studies, connects the work of Babbage and Lovelace with features of modern computers such as algebraic computation and logic modeling. In a letter to Babbage, Lovelace writes about peg solitaire: “There must be a definite principle...which can be put into symbolic language,” indicating her belief in the computational potential of games.

Pizelo categorizes the influence of three primary types of games:

1. **Games of Chance**: Babbage studied dice games and lotteries to develop approaches where probability theory fails. He noted new variables introduced in decision sequences which are "not themselves dependent on chance."

2. **Puzzle Games**: Games like peg solitaire helped Babbage and Lovelace develop mathematical equations for sequencing necessary moves—informing algorithms for their calculating engine.

3. **Games of Skill**: Chess allowed exploration into logic modeling. Babbage modeled possible knight moves on a chessboard to understand spatial relationships over time.

Babbage wrote about his approach: “Is the position of the men…consistent with the rules? If so...can he win it at the next move?”

Pizelo emphasizes that these findings reveal how often historians overlook games' influence on technological innovations. By tracing this impact, we gain insights into other fields like mathematics and artificial intelligence. "Computers are a technology the whole world helped to create," he notes, underscoring their global historical roots.