Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace (also known as Ada Lovelace) is considered one of the founders of scientific computing. Ada moved in elite London society. Ada met Babbage at the age of 17 in 1833, and they began corresponding on Mathematics and Logic.

Babbage's diagrams and plans for his Analytical Engine, a predecessor to the modern computer, up to this point, did not clearly communicate the potential of the engine. This machine, which at that time only existed only in theory, was to operate on the punch card principle. Byron immediately saw how these cards could be re-used to access and compute data.

Babbage asked Byron to translate and interpret his ideas for the Engine. In particular, Babbage agreed to Byron's request to add "Notes" to his text. These "notes," comprised of seven essays, 40 pages long, became an invaluable set of complex instructions for the operation of the Analytical Engine. More importantly, the notes included Byron's own speculations on the potential of such a machine.

Ada foresaw what today we could call the "software" applications of the Analytical Engine. Byron was a true visionary, for she was able to foresee that Babbage's engine could have vast applications in the area of graphics, artificial intelligence, and the composition of complex computer music.