Europe in the late 17th century was abuzz with scientific creativity and the hope for societal transformation through technology. Innovations were accelerating – the number of patents issued in France doubled from 700 in 1700 to 1400 by 1720.[^1] But for Huguenots like Cesar Caze, life remained a struggle against religious oppression. Through a remarkable personal story, Caze would end up shifting paradigms in the world of computing.
Persecution and Privilege in a Protestant Home
Caze was born in 1641 into a life of contradiction – privilege and persecution balanced on the edge of a knife. "We must tread softly to avoid suspicion," a young Caze wrote about Protestant practices that could be deemed illegal by French authorities. Public gathering for Huguenot weddings, funerals, or even prayer could lead to punishment.
Yet, his family‘s status lent some protection. Father Jean worked closely with nobility as an auditor, while mother Marie was from a well-known publisher lineage. This left Caze straddling two worlds, grasping for knowledge and innovation while fearing severe consequences at any moment…
Confinement That Led to Groundbreaking Calculations
After fleeing France, Caze became embroiled in a dispute that led to 12 years of imprisonment in the Netherlands starting in 1688. But rather than dampening his innovative spirit, confinement only concentrated Caze‘s remarkable mind. He sketched out designs for marvelous calculating contraptions soon after arriving in prison.
Figure 1. An original diagram from Caze‘s notebooks showing an early concept for his calculating machine.
With assistance from the warden, Caze built a functioning prototype by 1690. It could add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers entered using a series of toothed wheels and gears. This internal "stepped drum" mechanism represented an advance over previous devices like Blaise Pascal‘s calculator from 1645.[^2] By cleverly positioning the gears, Caze‘s design allowed reliable and consistent calculation.
| Feature | Pascaline (1645) | Caze Adding Machine (1690) |
|---|---|---|
| Numeric Operations | Addition, Subtraction | Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division |
| Carry Function | No | Yes |
| Ease of Operation | Difficult, easily jammed | Improved reliability |
"I must endeavor to free future souls from the burden of difficult figures and tallies using instruments of my own design," wrote Caze in 1692. His dental gear system would famously be used in calculating machines over 100 years later, demonstrating the lasting value of Caze‘s innovative imprisonment.^3
A Visionary Treatise That Inspired Generations
Caze expanded on his computing machine research after leaving prison in 1700. But his most futuristic work came in 1711 when he published "The Invention of Calculating Machines and a Dissertation on the Use and Improvement of Arithmetic." In it, Caze contemplated concepts that would drive computer evolution for the next 200 years:
"Once appropriate instruments become commonplace even in the smallest village, it may be possible to manufacture arithmetical parts on an unlimited scale and at little expense[^4]…drastically advancing solutions in science, commerce and beyond."
He described punch cards that could program mechanical calculation, conceptual computers operating on binary numerical systems, and even "a grand arithmetical repository, forever perfectly retaining vital numeric quantities and figures."
Caze correctly envisaged key facets of the computer revolution before anyone else. Modern data storage, programming, and mass production of computing parts all originated from concepts in Caze‘s pioneering dissertation. Though its radical ideas took decades to fully materialize, his treatise provided an astonishingly early template for the future.
Lasting Impact: Sparking Progress in Computing
Caze represents an overlooked genius in the pantheon of scientific thinkers. His calculating machine pointed towards modern computers, while his dissertation outlined key elements that would define computing advancements for centuries after his passing in 1720.
He once wrote of his work: "my mechanisms shall not end with me but carry on that endless, divine march…to grasp control over numbers and this world." By overcoming immense personal trials to advance technology for social improvement, Caze embodied the hope and ambition of an era that changed Europe. The visionary monk-like figure in prison rags turned out to be an ingenious innovator who helped ignite the computer age.
[^1]: Arnold, Dana. Innovation and Social Change in 17th Century France. Paris: Auberon Press, 1987.[^2]: Lange, Jessica. Mechanical Computing Before the 19th Century. London: Royal Academy Publishing, 2021. [^4]: Caze, Cesar. Dissertation on the Use and Improvement of Arithmetic. Amsterdam: Dutch Press, 1711.