computer science

TRASK (computer)

TRASK (computer) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TRASK (computer) rather than just read about it. In short: Trask or TRASK (TRAnsistorized Sequence Calculator) was a semiconductor based computer that begun development by the Swedish Board for Computing Machinery from 1960 and that went into use in 1965. History Swedish Board for Computing Machinery that had developed BESK began in 1960 the work to develop a new semiconductor based computer.

Key takeaways

TRASK (computer) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TRASK (computer) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TRASK (computer) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Trask or TRASK (TRAnsistorized Sequence Calculator) was a semiconductor based computer that begun development by the Swedish Board for Computing Machinery from 1960 and that went into use in 1965.

History Swedish Board for Computing Machinery that had developed BESK began in 1960 the work to develop a new semiconductor based computer. The plan was to create a faster machine with the experiences from BESK as a foundation but built using semiconductors that since the invention of the transistor in 1947 had become useful for this purpose. When the Swedish Board for Computing Machinery were dissolved in 1963, the development were half ways and the project was overtaken by the Nobelinstitutet för fysik in cooperation with AB Datasystem, Gunnar Hellström and the designer Zoltan Horvath. TRASK went into service in 1965 and were used until 1980 when it was donated to the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology where it were rebuilt and was put into operation for demonstrations.

Operating principle TRASK is a fully transistorized mainframe intended for scientific calculations. It consists of central units in cabinets, two Facit ECM-64 carousel memories, Ampex memory unit (in a 19-inch rack, standing on top of the cabinets), paper tape readers, paper tape puncher, typewriter, maneuver panel and a desk. Input- and output units were:

Paper tape reader (in) 500-1000 characters/second. 5-8 channel strip Magnetic tape (in and out) Typewriter (out) circa 10 characters/second Paper tape puncher (out) circa 150 characters/second Teleprinter (out) 11 rows/second, 160 characters/row Control panel (in and out)

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TRASK (computer)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TRASK (computer) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TRASK (computer) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TRASK (computer) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TRASK (computer)

In research: TRASK (computer) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TRASK (computer) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TRASK (computer) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-related introductions in 1964, Information technology in Sweden, Swedish inventions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TRASK (computer) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TRASK (computer) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TRASK (computer) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TRASK (computer) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TRASK (computer) in simple terms?

Trask or TRASK (TRAnsistorized Sequence Calculator) was a semiconductor based computer that begun development by the Swedish Board for Computing Machinery from 1960 and that went into use in 1965. History Swedish Board for Computing Machinery that had developed BESK began in 1960 the work to develo…

Why does TRASK (computer) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TRASK (computer)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TRASK (computer).