Analog versus Digital Techniques for Engineering Design Problems

Nearly every problem encountered in engineering at some time proceeds from the qualitative to the quantitative phase where the results of mathematical analysis must be applied in actual computation. Most often the computation is short enough that automatic means are not necessary. However, more and more problems are requiring powerful aids to calculation. This increase is due as much to expanded thinking encouraged by the mere availability of computers as to any actual backlog of work. Therefore it is to the engineer's advantage to know what computers can do for him, even though he may take his problem to'someone else for final preparation and programming. The following text presents some examples in which automatic calculation is being used. The logic, used in choosing the computing methods is shown based on the characteristics of problem and computer. As background for the examples the most important of these characteristics are presented briefly in the next section.