HISTORY OF DEV

1962

Jean Sammet develops FORMAC

Jean Sammet created FORMACFORmula MANipulation Compiler — an early language for symbolic mathematics on computers. in 1962 — one of the first languages for symbolic mathematics on computers.

What it was for

Jean Sammet (1979)Sammet also edited Programming Languages: History and Fundamentals — the standard reference for language historians. Her FORMACFORmula MANipulation Compiler — an early language for symbolic mathematics on computers. work showed computers could manipulate algebra, not just arithmetic.

People

  • Jean Sammet — creator

Why it's here

Sammet bridged symbolic math and programming language design.

Why it mattered

She documented the entire early language landscape for later researchers.

What it solved

Scientists needed automated symbolic manipulation beyond numeric FORTRAN.

Media

  • Jean Sammet (1979)
    ImageJean Sammet (1979)

    Ben Shneiderman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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