From Roots to Frontiers
From ancient counting methods to modern computational thinking - exploring how humanity's systematic approach to organizing information evolved into the digital age
~100,000 BCE - 1700 CE
Early humans used marks and tokens to record counts—an implicit array of tallies. This section shows how grouping ideas and ordering items in sequences laid the groundwork for the array concept.
~600 BCE – 1900 CE
Formal math introduced notation and structures that inform array theory. Here we cover how number systems, set concepts, and early algebra shaped how we index, partition, and manipulate collections.
~1679 CE – 1950 CE
Transitioning math into machines required concrete layouts for data. This part focuses on binary encoding, memory layouts, and the earliest models of arrays in hardware and theory.
~1837 CE – 1970 CE
Hardware designs and instruction sets rely on arrays for registers, memory buffers, and data paths. We examine how architectures implement and optimize array access in early computers.
1950 CE - 1990 CE
The core exploration of arrays: linear, multidimensional, dynamic. We cover array operations, indexing strategies, and how these patterns became central in programs and data structures.
~2000 BCE – 2000 CE
Building on arrays, this section outlines how lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs extend the basic indexed collection. We focus on array-based implementations and their performance implications.
1950 CE – 2010 CE
When data grows, arrays must be split, shared, or processed concurrently. This part reviews parallel array algorithms, distributed data layouts, and system designs that scale array operations.
2000 CE - Present & Future
Arrays remain central as computing evolves: from GPU kernels to tensor processing, from AI data batches to quantum registers. We tie past lessons to emerging array paradigms and future challenges.