Note G

This article is about the computer algorithm. For the musical pitch, see G (musical note).
Note G, originally published in Sketch of The Analytical Engine Invented by Charles Babbage

Note G[a] is a computer algorithm written by Ada Lovelace that was designed to calculate Bernoulli numbers using the hypothetical analytical engine. Note G is generally agreed to be the first algorithm specifically for a computer,[1][2][3][4] and Lovelace is considered as the first computer programmer as a result.[5][6][7][8] The algorithm was the last note in a series labelled A to G, which she employed as visual aids to accompany her English translation of Luigi Menabrea's 1842 French transcription of Charles Babbage's lecture on the analytical engine at the University of Turin, "Notions sur la machine analytique de Charles Babbage" ("Elements of Charles Babbage’s Analytical Machine").[7][9] Lovelace's Note G was never tested, as the engine was never built. Her notes, along with her translation, were published in 1843.[6][7]

In the modern era, thanks to more readily available computing equipment and programming resources, Lovelace's algorithm has since been tested, after being "translated" into modern programming languages. These tests have independently concluded that there was a bug in the script, due to a minor typographical error, rendering the algorithm in its original state unusable.[10][11]


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  1. ^ Demming, Anna. "Ada Lovelace". New Scientist. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  2. ^ Krysa, Joasia. Ada Lovelace - There Never was a Note G.
  3. ^ "Ada Lovelace, the First Tech Visionary". The New Yorker. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  4. ^ Hertz 2009, p. 59.
  5. ^ "Celebrating Ada Lovelace: the 'world's first programmer' - Short Sharp Science - New Scientist". 2009-03-27. Archived from the original on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  6. ^ a b "Ada Lovelace | Babbage Engine | Computer History Museum". www.computerhistory.org. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  7. ^ a b c "Ada Lovelace | Biography, Computer, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  8. ^ "Ada Lovelace: The First Computer Programmer". Mental Floss. 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  9. ^ Stein 1984, p. 44.
  10. ^ "What Did Ada Lovelace's Program Actually Do?". twobithistory.org. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  11. ^ "Ada Lovelace and the Story of Note G". NYC Media Lab. Retrieved 2022-06-01.