Approximately when did Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz first conceive of the mechanism for his groundbreaking calculating machine?
Answer
Mid-1670s
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz conceived the design for his sophisticated calculating machine, including the concept for the direct mechanical multiplication capability, during a specific period in the 1670s. This conception predated the successful physical realization of the complex multiplication and division mechanisms by a significant margin. While he began work on the design shortly after 1672, the conceptual framework for the machine capable of complex operations was established in the middle of that decade, demonstrating the visionary gap between mathematical abstraction and 17th-century engineering capability.
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Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, 1672, demonstration video - YouTube
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