TRAVERSE REDUCTION WITH AN ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER

Abstract The article describes work carried out by the authors on the Manchester Universal Digital Computer at Manchester University. The general characteristics of the computer are discussed. The requirements for traverse reduction for Ordnance Survey work are summarised, with the help of a specific example. The technique required to present the details of a traverse to a computer for reduction is then described, and some details of the operation of the programme are given. The article is concluded with some details of the time taken to carry out the reduction, and remarks about special features of computer design which would have proved advantageous for this work.