Study of the theory, experimentation, and engineering that form the basis for the design and use of computers—devices that automatically process information. traces its roots to work done by English mathematician Charles Babbage, who first proposed a programmable mechanical calculator in 1837. Until the advent of electronic digital computers in the 1940s, computer science was not generally distinguished as being separate from mathematics and engineering. Since then, it has sprouted numerous branches of research that are unique to the discip ....