85 lines
4.9 KiB
Text
85 lines
4.9 KiB
Text
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From: "Alan J. Perlis" <alan.perlis@example.com>
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Date: Sat, 01 Jan 1966 12:00:00 -0400
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Message-ID: <turing1966@example.com>
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Subject: The Synthesis of Algorithmic Systems
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To: Alan Turing <alan.turing@example.com>
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Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=047d7b450b100959e604d85a5320
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--047d7b450b100959e604d85a5320
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
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Both knowledge and wisdom extend man's reach. Knowledge led to computers,
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wisdom to chopsticks. Unfortunately our association is overinvolved with
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the former. The latter will have to wait for a more sublime day.
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On what does and will the fame of Turing rest? That he proved a theorem
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showing that for a general computing device--later dubbed a "Turing
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machine"--there existed functions which it could not compute? I doubt it.
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More likely it rests on the model he invented and employed: his formal
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mechanism.
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This model has captured the imagination and mobilized the thoughts of a
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generation of scientists. It has provided a basis for arguments leading to
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theories. His model has proved so useful that its generated activity has
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been distributed not only in mathematics, but through several technologies
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as well. The arguments that have been employed are not always formal and
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the consequent creations not all abstract.
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Indeed a most fruitful consequence of the Turing machine has been with the
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creation, study and computation of functions which are computable, i.e., in
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computer programming. This is not surprising since computers can compute so
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much more than we yet know how to specify.
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I am sure that all will agree that this model has been enormously valuable.
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History will forgive me for not devoting any attention in this lecture to
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the effect which Turing had on the development of the general-purpose
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digital computer, which has further accelerated our involvement with the
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theory and practice of computation.
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Since the appearance of Turing's model there have, of course, been others
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which have concerned and benefited us in computing. I think, however, that
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only one has had an effect as great as Turing's: the formal mechanism
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called ALGOL Many will immediately disagree, pointing out that too few of
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us have understood it or used it.
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While such has, unhappily, been the case, it is not the point. The impulse
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given by ALGOL to the development of research in computer science is
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relevant while the number of adherents is not. ALGOL, too, has mobilized
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our thoughts and has provided us with a basis for our arguments.
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--047d7b450b100959e604d85a5320
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Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Both knowledge and wisdom extend man's reach. Kno=
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wledge led to computers, wisdom to chopsticks. Unfortunately our associatio=
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n is overinvolved with the former. The latter will have to wait for a more =
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sublime day.=C2=A0</div>
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<div>On what does and will the fame of Turing rest? That he proved a theore=
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m showing that for a general computing device--later dubbed a "Turing =
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machine"--there existed functions which it could not compute? I doubt =
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it. More likely it rests on the model he invented and employed: his formal =
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mechanism.=C2=A0</div>
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<div>This model has captured the imagination and mobilized the thoughts of =
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a generation of scientists. It has provided a basis for arguments leading t=
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o theories. His model has proved so useful that its generated activity has =
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been distributed not only in mathematics, but through several technologies =
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as well. The arguments that have been employed are not always formal and th=
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e consequent creations not all abstract.=C2=A0</div>
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<div>Indeed a most fruitful consequence of the Turing machine has been with=
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the creation, study and computation of functions which are computable, i.e=
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., in computer programming. This is not surprising since computers can comp=
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ute so much more than we yet know how to specify.=C2=A0</div>
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<div>I am sure that all will agree that this model has been enormously valu=
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able. History will forgive me for not devoting any attention in this lectur=
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e to the effect which Turing had on the development of the general-purpose =
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digital computer, which has further accelerated our involvement with the th=
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eory and practice of computation.=C2=A0</div>
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<div>Since the appearance of Turing's model there have, of course, been=
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others which have concerned and benefited us in computing. I think, howeve=
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r, that only one has had an effect as great as Turing's: the formal mec=
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hanism called ALGOL Many will immediately disagree, pointing out that too f=
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ew of us have understood it or used it.=C2=A0</div>
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<div>While such has, unhappily, been the case, it is not the point. The imp=
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ulse given by ALGOL to the development of research in computer science is r=
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elevant while the number of adherents is not. ALGOL, too, has mobilized our=
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thoughts and has provided us with a basis for our arguments.=C2=A0</div>
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</div>
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--047d7b450b100959e604d85a5320--
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