Mathematical Tables and Other Aids to Computation [MTAC]

Washington, D. C.: The National research Council, 1943. First Edition. Wraps. Near Fine. First Edition. We offer a nearly complete run of this important early computer serial: Numbers 1, 2, 5-59, 66-70, each in the original wrappers as published. Small quarto and octavo sizes, approx 12 inches shelf space. Occasional minor soiling. From the library of Frank M. Verzuh, with his name on some covers. Wraps. MTAC is the first period journal devoted entirely to the literature of computation. The journal had a very small subscription base in the early years. Through 1946, it's subscription list was less than 350 readers. Many were discarded as computing advanced at a rapid pace. As of this writing, Worldcat shows less than 80 institutions with even partial runs.

The first volume contains lists and descriptions of printed tables, where they were published, as well as new errors discovered in the published sources. These errors, introduced by humans whose job description were "computers", continued to appear until mechanical computers significantly reduced and eventually eliminated them. Large businesses, military and financial operations used these tables to save time - so error notices were important. Later issues particularly in Volume 2 of this serial) contained interesting and groundbreaking material related to the development of computers as we know them today.

Previous owner Professor FM Verzuh attended the Moore School lectures and was a participant in early computering at MIT. The fact that this serial was still present on his shelf at his retirement is an indication of it's importance.

Scarce in the marketplace. See Origins of Cyberspace 777 for a detailed description and history of the serial, which was published in a total of 14 volumes until a title change in 1960. Important articles included in this run include Origins of Cyberspace 577, 579, 1077, and 1078. "MTAC remains the primary periodical source of information on the electromechanical and electronic digital computers designed and built during the late 1940s and early 1950s, as well as on the scientific uses of punched-card machines, mechanical desk calculators, etc" It also served as a journal of record for the newly formed Association of Computing Machinery until the founding of their own journal in January 1954.