Golem (computer)

Golem - the name of the three computers created in the Weizmann Institute .

In 1960, the Faculty of Applied Mathematics began to plan the construction of a new computer, which would replace WEIZAC , working since 1955.

At first they wanted to call him WEIZAC-2, but, on the advice of Gershom Sholom, the computer was named Golem. The golem-alef began work on December 29, 1963 ^{[1] [2]} .

The success of the project led to the creation of another computer of the same type, which began operating in 1966. The design of the computer was based on ILLIAC II , but had a number of improvements due to which it was smaller and consumed ten times less electricity. The computer had a word size of 75 bits (64-bit mantissa in floating-point calculations , 10 bits is an exponent), which at that time was a world record ^[3] ; The speed of calculations exceeded WEIZAC 100 times.

In 1967, the planning of the Golem-bet computer began, which in 1974 replaced the Golem-Alef. The golem bet finished its work in 1983.

Three developers Golem-alef received the Rothschild Prize .