The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Lovelace was the only legitimate offspring of the poet Lord Byron (1788-1824). A quiet, studious child, she especially liked mathematics . In 1833 she attended a series of lectures on Charles Babbage 's difference engine and was so impressed she asked for a meeting with Babbage himself. The meeting soon developed into a lifelong friendship, and with her contacts with Scottish scientist Mary Somerville (1780-1872) and logician Augustus De Morgan (1806-1842), who instructed her in calculus , Lovelace became a respected mathematician. In 1842 she began translating a study of Babbage's analytical engine (originally published in French by Luigi Menabrea). This work was published the following year as The Sketch of the Analytical Engine and included notes and commentary by Lovelace. Many scholars acknowledge Lovelace's book as an important treatise on Babbage. In addition, Lovelace used her own mathematical talents to encourage Babbage, even suggesting improvements in the design of the analytical engine.
Unfortunately, Lovelace and Babbage ran into financial problems that led to some desperate schemes. To raise money, they built machines capable of playing chess and tic-tac-toe. Their most unusual venture, however, was an attempt to create an infallible system for betting on horse races--an experiment that failed and left both of them heavily in debt. Lovelace died in 1852 of cervical cancer.