Alan Turing Scientist Unlimited | Turing100@Persistent Systems
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Alan Turing, born in 1912, was a pioneering figure in computer science known for his contributions to computability, code breaking, and artificial intelligence. His work at Bletchley Park during WWII involved deciphering the Enigma code, and he developed the concept of the Turing machine, which serves as a foundational model for computation. Turing's legacy continues to influence computer science, prompting reflections on how different the field might be without his groundbreaking work.
Alan Turing Scientist Unlimited | Turing100@Persistent Systems
- 1. Alan Turing: Scientist Unlimited Mathai Joseph Advisor Tata Consultancy Services
- 2. 1912 • 100 years ago – first theoretical computer scientist born in London • ACM Centenary event in San Francisco in 2012 – attended by 32 of 36 living Turing laureates Quite simply, Turing is why we are here today
- 3. Alan Turing 1912 -- 1954
- 5. Turing’s Contributions Turing led the way: – invented a simple abstract computing machine – redefined computability, decidability – defined the universal computing machine – gave a computational view of many problems TAA Lecture 5
- 6. And … Many interests: • statistical methods for code breaking • artificial intelligence, chess playing programs • computer design • formal program proofs • morphogenesis …
- 7. His school headmaster had complained: “he must aim at becoming educated. If he is to be solely a Scientific Specialist, he is wasting his time at public school”
- 8. Turing ran a marathon in 2hr 46min 3sec (11 sec more than Olympic winner) TAA Lecture 8
- 9. Turing ran a marathon He sometimes ran in 2hr 46min 3sec 40 miles to London for a meeting (11 sec more than Olympic winner) TAA Lecture 9
- 10. Computability Turing machines (1936): – Abstract computation device • Machine has an internal state • Head can read or write one cell • Tape can move one cell left or right • Next state & action depend on current state & tape symbol Record internal state Read/write head Start of tape x … Infinitely long tape Cells TAA Lecture 10
- 11. Turing used this idea to prove basic properties: • computability, Any computable problem can be computed by a Turing Machine • decidability, etc. Example: Halting Problem Given any program and any input to the program, will the program will eventually stop when given that input? This is an undecidable problem. TAA Lecture 11
- 12. Cambridge, Princeton All this work was done in Cambridge before Turing completed his PhD The world’s greatest undergraduate project!
- 13. Church-Turing Thesis • 1936: Turing went to Princeton to work with Alonzo Church • Church had proved the computability result using lambda calculus • Church, Kleene and Rosser had used recursive functions Turing showed it could be done more simply using his abstract machine.
- 14. Princeton PhD at Princeton in 1938 Turing provided: – Mathematical basis for computing – Intuitively understandable solution
- 15. Bletchley Park Turing moved to Bletchley Park in 1938 – arranged by Max Newman Soon became leader of cryptanalysis work – deciphering Enigma messages – Naval Enigma: more difficult Machines used to reduce possibilities – Colossus – Bombe
- 16. Bletchley Park Human analysis still critical – knowledge of possible content – familiarity with previous encryption keys Huge teams used for cryptanalysis
- 17. Bletchley Park Human analysis still critical – knowledge of possible content – familiarity with previous encryption keys Huge teams used for cryptanalysis Reliance on Turing for new methods – suffered from hay fever – sometimes came to work in pyjamas wearing gas mask
- 19. Manchester Worked on – computer design – artificial intelligence – program verification Finally on morphogenesis Reason for death not certain – suicide? – accident?
- 20. Algorithms, complexity Known from the Greeks, later Kerala mathematicians: – e.g. Euclid’s algorithm for GCD (350B.C.) Lame’s Theorem (1845) – Euclid’s algorithm takes at most 4.2 log(n) / log (10) -0.32 steps Long history of mathematical interest in complexity: – Cantor, Hilbert, Pocklington, Post, Church, Gödel, Turing, … Given a new basis in the 1960’s: – Yamaha, Myhill, Smullyan, Cobham, Edmonds … TAA Lecture 20
- 21. 1960’s: Complexity Can all computable problems be solved equally easily? Hartmanis & Stearns(1965): – formally quantified time & space of a computation • Time: number of steps that the tape moves • Space: number of cells of the tape that are used Hartmanis: “We struggled with the mathematics and then saw that Turing machines made it all so simple” TAA Lecture 21
- 22. Complexity Developed into decision problems about classes of algorithms, e.g. • P – polynomial time algorithms • NP – nondeterministic polynomial time algorithms TAA Lecture 22
- 23. Computer Science without Turing? – Time: number of steps that the tape moves – Space: number of cells of the tape that are used What measures would be used if there were no Turing machines? TAA Lecture 23
- 24. Computer Science without Turing? – Time: number of steps that the tape moves – Space: number of cells of the tape that are used What measures would be used if there were no Turing machines? Something would have evolved … but – Taken longer to find – Been harder to understand – Perhaps of less practical use TAA Lecture 24
- 25. Turing Centenary ACM Turing awards started in 1966 – First winner: Alan Perlis 32 past winners attended the function: Charles Bachman (1973) Donald Knuth (1974) Dana Scott (1976), … ACM India sponsored two PhD students to attend More details: http://turing100.acm.org/index.cfm?p=program
- 26. Turing Award Winners Who Lectured in India • Maurice Wilkes • Raj Reddy • John McCarthy • Amir Pnueli* • C.A.R. Hoare* • Joseph Sifakis* • John Hopcroft • Barbara Liskov • Robin Milner • Charles Thacker • Butler Lampson* • … • Juris Hartmanis * In Pune
- 27. Finally, • Turing was 42 when he died. • We can only guess what he might have done if he had lived longer • A remarkable mind: mathematician, scientist, engineer, all genius
- 28. 100 years on Turing would have been 100 in 2012 He showed the world how to look forward: – Gave computing secure foundations – Showed that many problems have a computational basis If he had lived, what would he have been working on today?