article · English
GAU's Analog Calculator: Multiply, Divide, Square, and Extract Roots
A reconstruction and machine-translated English version of a July 1968 article from the Italian magazine Sperimentare describing a simple battery-powered analog calculator built from three wire-wound linear potentiometers and a center-zero microammeter. The device performs multiplication, division, squaring, and square root extraction on numbers from 0 to 10 with approximately 5% accuracy by exploiting the potentiometric null-balance principle, making results independent of supply voltage. The article covers circuit theory, component selection, calibration procedures, operating instructions for all four arithmetic functions, and a retrofit modification using a trimmer and resistor to extend the division range by a factor of ten.