5.2 The Stored-Program Concept
A major defining point in the history of computing was the realization in 1944–1945 that data and instructions to manipulate the data were logically the same and could be stored in the same place. The computer design built upon this principle, which became known as the von Neumann architecture, is still the basis for computers today. Although the name honors John von Neumann, a brilliant mathematician who worked on the construction of the atomic bomb, the idea probably originated with J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, two other early pioneers who worked on the ENIAC at the Moore School at the University of Pennsylvania during the same time period.
Get Computer Science Illuminated, 7th Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
