NYC Gazette

Modern computers, first conceptualized by Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace in the 19th century, continue to be a subject of study for their innovative use of gaming theories. Samuel Pizelo, a visiting assistant professor at NYU Steinhardt, highlights the influence of games on these early designs.

Pizelo states, "Modern computers were first imagined by mathematicians Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace in the mid-19th century, but we’re still learning more about how they did so." He emphasizes that games served as powerful modeling tools, which helps us view them as agents of historical change. This perspective provides historians and computer theorists with new ways to understand computation's capabilities.

In his research, Pizelo draws from journal entries, publications, drawings, and correspondence by Babbage and Lovelace. He argues that they applied gaming theories to model complex mathematical algorithms and calculations. These methods contributed to Babbage’s design of the analytical engine—a steam-powered mechanical computer that laid the groundwork for digital computers developed later.

Babbage’s designs aimed to create a machine capable not only of performing calculations but also of playing games against humans. The machine could receive information and calculate various outcomes to inform its strategies.

For further details on this research, readers can refer to Pizelo's publication in Game Studies.