The Universal Computer by Martin Davis
Computers are everywhere today--at work, in the bank, in artist's studios, sometimes even in our pockets--yet they remain to many of us objects of irreducible mystery. How can today's computers perform such a bewildering variety of tasks if computing is just glorified arithmetic? The answer, as Martin Davis lucidly illustrates, lies in the fact that computers are essentially engines of logic. Their hardware and software embody concepts developed over centuries by logicians such as Leibniz, Boole, and Godel, culminating in the amazing insights of Alan Turing. The Universal Computer traces the development of these concepts by exploring with captivating detail the lives and work of the geniuses who first formulated them. Readers will come away with a revelatory understanding of how and why computers work and how the algorithms within them came to be.Martin Davis, a renowned prize-winning logician, has dedicated more than six decades of his life to the crucial intersection of logic and computer science. He was born in New York City and obtained his Ph.D. from Columbia University. In 1950, he graduated from Princeton University. He worked for thirty years at New York University, where he was instrumental in the establishment of the computer science department. His knowledge, combined with his genuine enthusiasm for the subject and exceptional narrative skills, make him the ideal person to tell this story. Professor Davis is now Professor Emeritus at New York University and resides in Berkeley, California, with his 66-year-old wife.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780393047851 |
| ISBN 10 | 0393047857 |
| Title | The Universal Computer |
| Author | Martin Davis |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | WW Norton & Co |
| Year published | 2000-11-15 |
| Number of pages | 270 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |