Editing Analytical engine (section)

{{Short description|Proposed mechanical general-purpose computer}}
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[[File:Babbages Analytical Engine, 1834-1871. (9660574685).jpg|thumb|Portion of the calculating machine with a printing mechanism of the analytical engine, built by Charles Babbage, as displayed at the Science Museum (London)<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://collection.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/co62245/babbages-analytical-engine-1834-1871-trial-model-analytical-engines|title=Babbage's Analytical Engine, 1834–1871. (Trial model)|publisher=Science Museum|access-date=23 August 2017}}</ref>]]
{{History of computing}}

The '''analytical engine''' was a proposed [[Computer#Digital computers|digital]] [[machine|mechanical]] [[general-purpose computer]] designed by English mathematician and computer pioneer [[Charles Babbage]].<ref>{{cite web|first=John |last=Graham-Cumming |url=https://radar.oreilly.com/2010/10/the-100-year-leap.html |title=The 100-year leap  |publisher=O'Reilly Radar|date=4 October 2010 |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="computerhistory.org">{{cite web |title=The Babbage Engine: The Engines |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/engines/ |publisher=[[Computer History Museum]] |year=2016 |access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's [[difference engine]], which was a design for a simpler mechanical calculator.{{sfn|Bromley|1982|p=196}}

The analytical engine incorporated an [[arithmetic logic unit]], [[control flow]] in the form of [[conditional branching]] and [[program loop#Loops|loops]], and integrated [[computer memory|memory]], making it the first design for a general-purpose computer that could be described in modern terms as [[Turing completeness|Turing-complete]].<ref name="babbageonline">{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/stories/babbage.aspx?page=5 |title=Babbage | work = Online stuff |publisher=Science Museum |date=19 January 2007 |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827915.500-lets-build-babbages-ultimate-mechanical-computer.html |title=Let's build Babbage's ultimate mechanical computer |department=opinion |work=New Scientist |date=23 December 2010 |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref> In other words, the structure of the analytical engine was essentially the same as that which has dominated computer design in the electronic era.<ref name="computerhistory.org"/> The analytical engine is one of the most successful achievements of Charles Babbage.

Babbage was never able to complete construction of any of his machines due to conflicts with his chief engineer and inadequate funding.<ref name="meccano" /><ref name="nineteenth century science">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m4SB4BHzFeIC&pg=PA84 |title=19th Century Science, an Anthology | first = Alan S | last = Weber |date= 10 March 2000|publisher=Broadview Press |access-date=1 August 2012|isbn=9781551111650 }}</ref> It was not until 1941 that [[Konrad Zuse]] built the first general-purpose computer, [[Z3 (computer)|Z3]], more than a century after Babbage had proposed the pioneering analytical engine in 1837.<ref name="computerhistory.org"/>