1. Digital dynamics: from 1945 to 2023 and beyond

What is "digital"? Many of the principles associated with this technique are quite ancient. Algorithms date back to the 9th century (Arab mathematician Al-Kwarzimi). Binary calculus was developed by Leibniz in the 17th century. Boolean operators are derived from the reflections of George Boole (1815-1864), who sought to identify the fundamental laws of the human mind, initiating a reflection on the links between logic and rationality, which has been renewed by artificial intelligence (AI).

What we call "digital" today was laid out in its generic configuration in the 1940s. This is the "Von Neumann machine", comprising three distinct elements: a memory holding the program and the results of its execution, a processor and an interface for operating it (screen, keyboard, etc.). All digital machines are still built on this principle, although quantum processors differ...