Download or read book The Universal Computer written by Martin Davis and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-10-08 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The breathtakingly rapid pace of change in computing makes it easy to overlook the pioneers who began it all. Written by Martin Davis, respected logician and researcher in the theory of computation, The Universal Computer: The Road from Leibniz to Turing explores the fascinating lives, ideas, and discoveries of seven remarkable mathematicians. It tells the stories of the unsung heroes of the computer age – the logicians. The story begins with Leibniz in the 17th century and then focuses on Boole, Frege, Cantor, Hilbert, and Gödel, before turning to Turing. Turing’s analysis of algorithmic processes led to a single, all-purpose machine that could be programmed to carry out such processes—the computer. Davis describes how this incredible group, with lives as extraordinary as their accomplishments, grappled with logical reasoning and its mechanization. By investigating their achievements and failures, he shows how these pioneers paved the way for modern computing. Bringing the material up to date, in this revised edition Davis discusses the success of the IBM Watson on Jeopardy, reorganizes the information on incompleteness, and adds information on Konrad Zuse. A distinguished prize-winning logician, Martin Davis has had a career of more than six decades devoted to the important interface between logic and computer science. His expertise, combined with his genuine love of the subject and excellent storytelling, make him the perfect person to tell this story.
Download or read book The Universal Computer written by Martin Davis and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-02-28 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The breathtakingly rapid pace of change in computing makes it easy to overlook the pioneers who began it all. The Universal Computer: The Road from Leibniz to Turing explores the fascinating lives, ideas, and discoveries of seven remarkable mathematicians. It tells the stories of the unsung heroes of the computer age – the logicians.
Download or read book The Universal Machine written by Ian Watson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-05-17 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The computer unlike other inventions is universal; you can use a computer for many tasks: writing, composing music, designing buildings, creating movies, inhabiting virtual worlds, communicating... This popular science history isn't just about technology but introduces the pioneers: Babbage, Turing, Apple's Wozniak and Jobs, Bill Gates, Tim Berners-Lee, Mark Zuckerberg. This story is about people and the changes computers have caused. In the future ubiquitous computing, AI, quantum and molecular computing could even make us immortal. The computer has been a radical invention. In less than a single human life computers are transforming economies and societies like no human invention before.
Download or read book Build Your Own Universal Computer Interface written by Bruce A. Chubb and published by McGraw-Hill Companies. This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Turing and the Universal Machine Icon Science written by Jon Agar and published by Icon Books. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of the computer is entwined with that of the modern world and most famously with the life of one man, Alan Turing. How did this device, which first appeared a mere 50 years ago, come to structure and dominate our lives so totally? An enlightening mini-biography of a brilliant but troubled man.
Download or read book Universal Algebra for Computer Scientists written by Wolfgang Wechler and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new model-theoretic approach to universal algebra is offered in this book. Written for computer scientists, it presents a systematic development of the methods and results of universal algebra that are useful in a variety of applications in computer science. The notation is simple and the concepts are clearly presented. The book concerns the algebraic characterization of axiomatic classes of algebras (equational, implicational, and universal Horn classes) by closure operators generalizing the famous Birkhoff Variety Theorem, and the algebraic characterization of the related theories. The book also presents a thorough study of term rewriting systems. Besides basic notions, the Knuth-Bendix completion procedure and termination proof methods are considered. A third main topic is that of fixpoint techniques and complete ordered algebras. Algebraic specifications of abstract data types and algebraic semantics of recursive program schemes are treated as applications. The book is self-contained and suitable both as a textbook for graduate courses and as a reference for researchers.
Download or read book Universal Usability written by Jonathan Lazar and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2007-06-05 with total page 645 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Universal Usability is the concept of designing computer interfaces that are easy for all users to utilize. It is a concept which many decry as elusive, impossible, or impractical, but this book, which addresses usability issues for a number of diverse user groups, proves that there is no problem in interface design that cannot be solved, or at least improved upon. Individuals with cognitive, motor, and perceptual impairments, as well as older, younger, and economically disadvantaged users, face a variety of complex challenges when interacting with computers. However, with user involvement, good design practice, and thorough testing, computer interfaces can be successfully developed for any user population. This book, featuring key chapters by Human-Computer Interaction luminaries such as Jonathan Lazar, Ron Baecker, Allison Druin, Ben Shneiderman, Brad Myers and Jenny Preece, examines innovative and groundbreaking research and practice, and provides a practical overview of a number of successful projects which have addressed a need for these specific user populations. Chapters in this book address topics including age diversity, economic diversity, language diversity, visual impairment, and spinal cord injuries. Several of these trailblazing projects in the book are amongst the first to examine usability issues for users with Down Syndrome, users with Amnesia, users with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and users with Alzheimer's Disease, and coverage extends to projects where multiple categories of needs are addressed. These chapters represent real-world projects, being carried out on different continents. The authors of the chapters also represent diversity—interface researchers and software developers in university, industrial, and government settings. In the practical spirit of the book, chapter authors provide guidelines and suggestions for those attempting similar projects, as well as implications for different stakeholders such as policymakers, researchers, and designers. Ideal for students of HCI and User Interface Design, and essential reading for usability practitioners, this fascinating collection of real-world projects demonstrates that computer interfaces can truly be designed to meet the needs of any category of user.
Download or read book Turing s Cathedral written by George Dyson and published by Pantheon. This book was released on 2012 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Documents the innovations of a group of eccentric geniuses who developed computer code in the mid-20th century as part of mathematician Alan Turin's theoretical universal machine idea, exploring how their ideas led to such developments as digital television, modern genetics and the hydrogen bomb.
Download or read book Universal Artificial Intelligence written by Marcus Hutter and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-29 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Personal motivation. The dream of creating artificial devices that reach or outperform human inteUigence is an old one. It is also one of the dreams of my youth, which have never left me. What makes this challenge so interesting? A solution would have enormous implications on our society, and there are reasons to believe that the AI problem can be solved in my expected lifetime. So, it's worth sticking to it for a lifetime, even if it takes 30 years or so to reap the benefits. The AI problem. The science of artificial intelligence (AI) may be defined as the construction of intelligent systems and their analysis. A natural definition of a system is anything that has an input and an output stream. Intelligence is more complicated. It can have many faces like creativity, solving prob lems, pattern recognition, classification, learning, induction, deduction, build ing analogies, optimization, surviving in an environment, language processing, and knowledge. A formal definition incorporating every aspect of intelligence, however, seems difficult. Most, if not all known facets of intelligence can be formulated as goal driven or, more precisely, as maximizing some utility func tion. It is, therefore, sufficient to study goal-driven AI; e. g. the (biological) goal of animals and humans is to survive and spread. The goal of AI systems should be to be useful to humans.
Download or read book A New History of Modern Computing written by Thomas Haigh and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the computer became universal. Over the past fifty years, the computer has been transformed from a hulking scientific supertool and data processing workhorse, remote from the experiences of ordinary people, to a diverse family of devices that billions rely on to play games, shop, stream music and movies, communicate, and count their steps. In A New History of Modern Computing, Thomas Haigh and Paul Ceruzzi trace these changes. A comprehensive reimagining of Ceruzzi's A History of Modern Computing, this new volume uses each chapter to recount one such transformation, describing how a particular community of users and producers remade the computer into something new. Haigh and Ceruzzi ground their accounts of these computing revolutions in the longer and deeper history of computing technology. They begin with the story of the 1945 ENIAC computer, which introduced the vocabulary of "programs" and "programming," and proceed through email, pocket calculators, personal computers, the World Wide Web, videogames, smart phones, and our current world of computers everywhere--in phones, cars, appliances, watches, and more. Finally, they consider the Tesla Model S as an object that simultaneously embodies many strands of computing.
Download or read book Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science written by Klaus Denecke and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 20 years, the emergence of clone theory, hyperequational theory, commutator theory and tame congruence theory has led to a growth of universal algebra both in richness and in applications, especially in computer science. Yet most of the classic books on the subject are long out of print and, to date, no other book has integrated these theories with the long-established work that supports them. Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science introduces the basic concepts of universal algebra and surveys some of the newer developments in the field. The first half of the book provides a solid grounding in the core material. A leisurely pace, careful exposition, numerous examples, and exercises combine to form an introduction to the subject ideal for beginning graduate students or researchers from other areas. The second half of the book focuses on applications in theoretical computer science and advanced topics, including Mal'cev conditions, tame congruence theory, clones, and commutators. The impact of the advances in universal algebra on computer science is just beginning to be realized, and the field will undoubtedly continue to grow and mature. Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science forms an outstanding text and offers a unique opportunity to build the foundation needed for further developments in its theory and in its computer science applications.
Download or read book The Universal History of Computing written by Georges Ifrah and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A brilliant follow-up to a landmark international bestseller "Suppose every instrument could by command or by anticipation of need execute its function on its own; suppose that spindles could weave of their own accord, and plectra strike the strings of zithers by themselves; then craftsmen would have no need of hand-work, and masters have no need of slaves." –Aristotle Called the Indiana Jones of arithmetic, Georges Ifrah embarked in 1974 on a ten-year quest to discover where numbers come from and what they say about us. His first book, the highly praised Universal History of Numbers, drew from this remarkable journey, presented the first complete account of the invention and evolution of numbers the world over–and became an international bestseller. In The Universal History of Computing, Ifrah continues his exhilarating exploration into the fascinating world of numbers. In this fun, engaging but no less learned book, he traces the development of computing from the invention of the abacus to the creation of the binary system three centuries ago to the incredible conceptual, scientific, and technical achievements that made the first modern computers possible. He shows us how various cultures, scientists, and industries across the world struggled to break free of the tedious labor of mental calculation and, as a result, he reveals the evolution of the human mind. Evoking the excitement and joy that accompanied the grand mathematical undertakings throughout history, Ifrah takes us along as he revisits a multitude of cultures, from Roman times and the Chinese Common Era to twentieth-century England and America. We meet mathematicians, visionaries, philosophers, and scholars from every corner of the world and from every period of history. We witness the dead ends and regressions in the computer’s development, as well as the advances and illuminating discoveries. We learn about the births of the pocket calculator, the adding machine, the cash register, and even automata. We find out how the origins of the computer can be found in the European Renaissance, along with how World War II influenced the development of analytical calculation. And we explore such hot topics as numerical codes and the recent discovery of new kinds of number systems, such as "surreal" numbers. Adventurous and enthralling, The Universal History of Computing is an astonishing achievement that not only unravels the epic tale of computing, but also tells the compelling story of human intelligence–and how much farther we still have to go. GEORGES IFRAH is an independent scholar and former math teacher. E. F. Harding, the primary translator, is a statistician and mathematician who has taught at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Cambridge Universities. SOPHIE WOOD, cotranslator, is a specialist in technical translation from French. Ian Monk, cotranslator, has translated the works of Georges Perec and Daniel Pennac. ELIZABETH CLEGG, cotranslator, is also an interpreter who has worked on a number of government and international agency projects. Guido Waldman, cotranslator, has translated several classic literary works. In this engaging successor to The Universal History of Numbers, you’ll discover the entire story of the calculation of yesteryear and the computation of today. From the invention of the abacus to the creation of the binary system three centuries ago to the conceptual, scientific, and technical achievements that made the earliest computers possible, highly acclaimed author and mathematician Georges Ifrah provides an illuminating glimpse into humankind’s greatest intellectual tale: the story of computing. PRAISE FOR GEORGES IFRAH’S The Universal History of Numbers "Georges Ifrah is the man. This book, quite simply, rules. . . . It is outstanding . . . a mind-boggling and enriching experience." –The Guardian (London) "Monumental . . . a fascinating journey taking us through many different cultures."–The Times (London) "Ifrah’s book amazes and fascinates by the scope of its scholarship. It is nothing less than the history of the human race told through figures."–International Herald Tribune "Dazzling."–Kirkus Reviews "Sure to transfix readers."–Publishers Weekly
Download or read book Turing s Vision written by Chris Bernhardt and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2016-05-13 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1936, when he was just twenty-four years old, Alan Turing wrote a remarkable paper in which he outlined the theory of computation, laying out the ideas that underlie all modern computers. This groundbreaking and powerful theory now forms the basis of computer science. In Turing's Vision, Chris Bernhardt explains the theory, Turing's most important contribution, for the general reader. Bernhardt argues that the strength of Turing's theory is its simplicity, and that, explained in a straightforward manner, it is eminently understandable by the nonspecialist. As Marvin Minsky writes, "The sheer simplicity of the theory's foundation and extraordinary short path from this foundation to its logical and surprising conclusions give the theory a mathematical beauty that alone guarantees it a permanent place in computer theory." Bernhardt begins with the foundation and systematically builds to the surprising conclusions. He also views Turing's theory in the context of mathematical history, other views of computation (including those of Alonzo Church), Turing's later work, and the birth of the modern computer. In the paper, "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem," Turing thinks carefully about how humans perform computation, breaking it down into a sequence of steps, and then constructs theoretical machines capable of performing each step. Turing wanted to show that there were problems that were beyond any computer's ability to solve; in particular, he wanted to find a decision problem that he could prove was undecidable. To explain Turing's ideas, Bernhardt examines three well-known decision problems to explore the concept of undecidability; investigates theoretical computing machines, including Turing machines; explains universal machines; and proves that certain problems are undecidable, including Turing's problem concerning computable numbers.
Download or read book The Universal History of Numbers written by Georges Ifrah and published by Wiley. This book was released on 2000-10-09 with total page 660 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Georges Ifrah is the man. This book, quite simply, rules. . . . It is outstanding . . . a mind-boggling and enriching experience." –The Guardian (London) "Monumental. . . . a fascinating journey taking us through many different cultures."–The Times (London)"Ifrah’s book amazes and fascinates by the scope of its scholarship. It is nothing less than the history of the human race told through figures." –International Herald Tribune Now in paperback, here is Georges Ifrah’s landmark international bestseller–the first complete, universal study of the invention and evolution of numbers the world over. A riveting history of counting and calculating, from the time of the cave dwellers to the twentieth century, this fascinating volume brings numbers to thrilling life, explaining their development in human terms, the intriguing situations that made them necessary, and the brilliant achievements in human thought that they made possible. It takes us through the numbers story from Europe to China, via ancient Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia, Latin America, India, and the Arabic countries. Exploring the many ways civilizations developed and changed their mathematical systems, Ifrah imparts a unique insight into the nature of human thought–and into how our understanding of numbers and the ways they shape our lives have changed and grown over thousands of years. "Dazzling."–Kirkus Reviews "Sure to transfix readers."–PublishersWeekly
Download or read book Engines of Logic written by Martin Davis and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2001 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pioneer in computer development chronicles the history of the machine, and the software that makes it tick, elucidating the core principles driving every calculation, stored record, and mouse click. Originally published as The Universal Computer. Reprint.
Download or read book What Can Be Computed written by John MacCormick and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible and rigorous textbook for introducing undergraduates to computer science theory What Can Be Computed? is a uniquely accessible yet rigorous introduction to the most profound ideas at the heart of computer science. Crafted specifically for undergraduates who are studying the subject for the first time, and requiring minimal prerequisites, the book focuses on the essential fundamentals of computer science theory and features a practical approach that uses real computer programs (Python and Java) and encourages active experimentation. It is also ideal for self-study and reference. The book covers the standard topics in the theory of computation, including Turing machines and finite automata, universal computation, nondeterminism, Turing and Karp reductions, undecidability, time-complexity classes such as P and NP, and NP-completeness, including the Cook-Levin Theorem. But the book also provides a broader view of computer science and its historical development, with discussions of Turing's original 1936 computing machines, the connections between undecidability and Gödel's incompleteness theorem, and Karp's famous set of twenty-one NP-complete problems. Throughout, the book recasts traditional computer science concepts by considering how computer programs are used to solve real problems. Standard theorems are stated and proven with full mathematical rigor, but motivation and understanding are enhanced by considering concrete implementations. The book's examples and other content allow readers to view demonstrations of—and to experiment with—a wide selection of the topics it covers. The result is an ideal text for an introduction to the theory of computation. An accessible and rigorous introduction to the essential fundamentals of computer science theory, written specifically for undergraduates taking introduction to the theory of computation Features a practical, interactive approach using real computer programs (Python in the text, with forthcoming Java alternatives online) to enhance motivation and understanding Gives equal emphasis to computability and complexity Includes special topics that demonstrate the profound nature of key ideas in the theory of computation Lecture slides and Python programs are available at whatcanbecomputed.com
Download or read book The Annotated Turing written by Charles Petzold and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-06-16 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Programming Legend Charles Petzold unlocks the secrets of the extraordinary and prescient 1936 paper by Alan M. Turing Mathematician Alan Turing invented an imaginary computer known as the Turing Machine; in an age before computers, he explored the concept of what it meant to be computable, creating the field of computability theory in the process, a foundation of present-day computer programming. The book expands Turing’s original 36-page paper with additional background chapters and extensive annotations; the author elaborates on and clarifies many of Turing’s statements, making the original difficult-to-read document accessible to present day programmers, computer science majors, math geeks, and others. Interwoven into the narrative are the highlights of Turing’s own life: his years at Cambridge and Princeton, his secret work in cryptanalysis during World War II, his involvement in seminal computer projects, his speculations about artificial intelligence, his arrest and prosecution for the crime of "gross indecency," and his early death by apparent suicide at the age of 41.
