Engines of Logic: Mathematicians and the Origin of the Computer
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.93 (730 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0393322297 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 276 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-07-13 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The author illustrates how the answer lies in the fact that computers are essentially engines of logic and that their hardware and software embody concepts developed over centuries by logicians. Computers are ubiquitous yet to many they remain objects of irreducible mystery. "Engines of Logic" gives the reader a clear explanation of how and why computers work.. This text looks at the question of how today's computers can perform such a variety of tasks if computing is just glorified arithmetic
Fascinating as both a 'History of Ideas' and as biographical sketches A truly excellent book. Both as a 'history of ideas' and in its consideration of the personal trials and tribulations faced by Leibniz, Frege, Boole, Hilbert, Cantor, Godel, and Turing. The book traces the development of the computer through the life and work of these logicians/mathematicians, from Leibniz's dream of a language of symbolic logic and a machine capable of producing and testing true propositions in that language. This book is relevant not only to philosophers, mathematicians, and computer scientists, but to writers who seek. Limits in computers Gary Sprandel It may be initially hard to connect Leibniz's series or George Cantor's quest for infinite numbers to the modern computer, but Dr. Davis does a masterful job of showing this logical progression. The progression continues to Godel and Turing, and from Turing to the modern computer.Combining clear discussions of mathematical concepts with short biographical sketches, the intensity of some of these logical debates becomes clear. For the 20th century figures, Davis offers first hand accounts, such as seeing Godel and Einstein walking togethe. Good mathematics history/biography EoL is, precisely as Publisher's Weekly says, "a thoroughly enjoyable mix of biographical portraits and theoretical mathematics." If, in places, the mathematical/logical ideas are not so clearly developed, I don't fault the author. In a book of this size (slim) and scope (broad), one can only hope to find a decent overview of a particular subject matter. EoL is more than decent; it is highly entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking. The great pleasure Davis took in writing EoL springs from every page. Davis is a fine guide throug
-- Dennis Shasha, New York UniversityAn elegant history of the search for the boundaries of logic and the machines that live within them. -- John McCarthy, Stanford UniversityDelightfully entertaining and most instructive! -- Raymond Smullyan, author of The Riddle of Scheherazade and First-Order LogicErudite, gripping and humane, Martin Davis shows the extraordinary individuals through whom the groundwork of the computer came into being. -- Publishers WeeklyAnyone who works with computers today, who seeks to look into the electronic future, can profit greatly from reading this. A thoroughly enjoyable mix of biographical portraits and theoretical mathematicsfull of well-hone
Martin Davis's other books include Computability and Unsolvability. A professor emeritus at New York University, he is currently a visiting scholar at the University of California-Berkeley.