Louis Couffignal, 1902-1966: Informatics Pioneer in France?

Abstract

The author examines the project of Louis Couffignal concerning an electronic calculating machine. This project was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Couffignal was aware of the American and British projects concerning computers but he wanted to profoundly differentiate his project from them. He rejected the place of the memory in the new machines. Couffignal's machine was never finished and this failure caused a delay in computing science in France.