Scientific Applications

Abstract

Computation has always played a central role in science. A new theory either gains acceptance or dies in direct proportion to its success in explaining known phenomena and predicting new ones, not just qualitatively but also quantitatively. Einstein's theory of relativity predicted not just that light should be deflected in passing by a massive object, such as the Sun, but also the precise amount by which it should be deflected. No computer is needed for such a prediction (indeed, the first such calculation antedated electronic computers by almost 50 years), but a certain minimum amount of arithmetic computation is nonetheless required.