Man-machine communication in on-line mathematical analysis

During the past four or five years increasing attention has been paid to providing efficient, direct access to digital computing machines. Interactive or "on-line" systems have been implemented on various machines with a variety of programming techniques. Whether the system uses a small computer which can handle only one user-operator or is part of a time-shared multiple-access computing utility, the goal is to permit the user to have direct communication with an operating program. Among other advantages, such an on-line system permits a user to insert decisions during the course of problem solution, with his judgments benefiting from current results.