The Birth of Cordic

The very earliest history of the CORDIC computing technique—a highly efficient method to compute elementary functions—is presented. The CORDIC technique was born out of necessity, the incentive being the replacement of the analog navigation computer of the B-58 aircraft by a high accuracy, high-performance digital computer. The revolutionary development of the CORDIC technique is presented, along with details of the very first implementations: the CORDIC I prototype and the CORDIC II airborne digital navigation computer.