Jos wrote:
- Is it just my impression, or is any problem I can
tackle with an
EC-1
much faster handled with a pocketcalculator or a slide
rule?
The true value of analog computers comes in when you stop dealing
with "static" math and start dealing with "dynamic" math.
In particular, capacitors as circuit elements let you build integrators
and
differentiators. These let you simulate and solve differential and
integral
equations. These are VERY MUCH of interest in the real world.
Much work on chaos theory etc. was initially done on analog computers.
(e.g. Lorenz Equation).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the EC-1 does NOT contain a general purpose
4 quadrant multiplier, right? This will limit you to rather dull (but
still quite
common) differential and integral equations and make it difficult to do
the
Lorenz equation for example.
And recording the output of an analog computer is most easily done with
a scope or pen-plotter. These can be added to an EC-1 quite easily but
are not the basic setup.
Tim.