PRECEPT: BOB SOARE '63 - ALAN TURING *38 - June 11, 2015
Alan Turing *38, the subject of the recent movie The Imitation Game, is universally recognized as the "father of computer science." Bob Soare '63, has given lectures around the world on Turing and computability. Hosted by Peter Baugher '70.
When the Princeton Alumni Weekly did its assessment of the most influential Princeton alumni of all time, Turing placed second behind only James Madison.
It was not entirely obvious to Princetonians that this brilliant but shy graduate student would have such a legacy. As Turing himself noted in a letter home to his mother, it was hard to be recognized when Einstein and von Neumann were just down the hall.
Please join us for this “precept” with Bob Soare ’63:
In 1936, Alan Turing *38, a twenty-three year old student at Cambridge University, invented the universal computer to solve a famous mathematical problem. Mathematics is an art as well as a science. Turing’s brilliant solution was artistically and mathematically beautiful, as we explain by comparison with slides from Michelangelo’s famous statue of David and other art from the Rennaisance. When Britain entered World War II in 1939, Turing built a physical model of his theoretical computer and used it to decipher the seemingly “unbreakable” Nazi Enigma cipher machine, thereby shortening WWII by two years and saving millions of lives. We tell the dramatic real story of Turing behind the recent movie, The Imitation Game, as an historical lecture with no technical background required.
Robert Irving Soare ’63 is the Paul Snowden Russell Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Chicago. He was the founding Chairman of the Department of Computer Science in 1983–1987 and has super-vised the dissertations of nearly twenty Ph.D. students. His paper on automorphisms of computably enumerable sets was chosen by Gerald Sacks of Harvard University as one of the most important papers in mathematical logic in the 20th century. As an undergrad- uate at Princeton University, Soare studied mathematical logic and computability theory with Alonzo Church, Turing’s Ph.D. thesis adviser.
This will be a fascinating and educational evening as well as a nice opportunity to mix with fellow Tigers!
Chicago, IL 60606
Many thanks to Peter Baugher '70 for hosting us!
Click HERE to reserve by Tuesday, June 9th at midnight!
PCC Members FREE; Non-Members $10.
If you experience any technical difficulties with registration, please e-mail Charlene directly at the address below OR call the Princeton Club at 847-256-5800 before 5:30 pm to register via phone.
*** NOTE the "companion" event on June 3rd - your optional precept "homework" - screening of the Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch & Keira Knightly.
Questions? Contact Charlene Huang Olson '88 @ cholson@alumni.princeton.edu