ADAM - A problem-oriented symbol processor

Abstract

Digital computers have evolved in their own technical environment, and to a large degree independently of the problem environment. Thus it was necessary to have computing centers with staffs of programmers as intermediaries between machines and users. As the inadequacy of the arrangement became apparent, problem-oriented languages were written, with compiler programs to allow the machines themselves to do the conversion to their own (machine) language. Accommodating to the nature of the computer in this way still was not the answer from the scientist's or experimenter's point of view, for there remained an enormous commitment of processing (compiling) and debugging prior to the first feedback of results. Furthermore, it proved necessary to write compilers for many problem fields, which gave this mode of solution a patchwork look. For these reasons, we decided to attack the problem at its roots by changing the fundamental nature, i.e., the organization of the computer itself. We took it as the aim of our work to allow the experimenter to use the computer as directly as possible as an experimental tool.