John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing (History of Computing)

John Von Neumann (1903-1957) Was Unquestionably One Of The Most Brilliant Scientists Of The Twentieth Century. He Made Major Contributions To Quantum Mechanics And Mathematical Physics And In 1943 Began A New And All-too-short Career In Computer Science. William Aspray Provides The First Broad And Detailed Account Of Von Neumann's Many Different Contributions To Computing. These, Aspray Reveals, Extended Far Beyond His Well-known Work In The Design And Construction Of Computer Systems To Include Important Scientific Applications, The Revival Of Numerical Analysis, And The Creation Of A Theory Of Computing. Aspray Points Out That From The Beginning Von Neumann Took A Wider And More Theoretical View Than Other Computer Pioneers. In The Now Famous Edvac Report Of 1945, Von Neumann Clearly Stated The Idea Of A Stored Program That Resides In The Computer's Memory Along With The Data It Was To Operate On. This Stored Program Computer Was Described In Terms Of Idealized Neurons, Highlighting The Analogy Between The Digital Computer And The Human Brain. Aspray Describes Von Neumann's Development During The Next Decade, And Almost Entirely Alone, Of A Theory Of Complicated Information Processing Systems, Or Automata, And The Introduction Of Themes Such As Learning, Reliability Of Systems With Unreliable Components, Self-replication, And The Importance Of Memory And Storage Capacity In Biological Nervous Systems; Many Of These Themes Remain At The Heart Of Current Investigations In Parallel Or Neurocomputing. Aspray Allows The Record To Speak For Itself. He Unravels An Intricate Sequence Of Stories Generated By Von Neumann's Work And Brings Into Focus The Interplay Of Personalities Centered About Von Neumann. He Documents The Complex Interactions Of Science, The Military, And Business And Shows How Progress In Applied Mathematics Was Intertwined With That In Computers. - Publisher. Archival Sources And Abbreviations -- Series Forward -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. A Mathematical Research Career. Early Life, 1903-1921 -- A European Research Career, 1921-1930 -- Princeton Mathematics, 1930-1942 -- 2. An Education In Computing. War Work -- Learning About Computing -- Eniac And Edvac -- 3. Planning A Computer For Scientific Research. Postwar Plans -- Designing A Computer For Scientific Research -- Logical Design -- Computer Programming -- 4. Engineering A Computer. Early Testing And Design -- Solving The Memory Problem -- Construction And Maintenance -- Technology Transfer -- 5. The Transformation Of Numerical Analysis. Accomodating Numerical Analysis To High-speed Computers -- Matrices And Systems Of Linear Equations -- Partial Differential Equations -- The Problem Of Shocks -- Random Numbers And Monte Carlo Methods -- Linear Programming -- Conclusions -- 6. The Origins Of Numerical Meteorology. Early Numerical Meterology --^ The Origins Of The Numerical Meterology Project -- The Barotropic Model -- The Baroclinic Model -- The Beginnings Of Operational Numerical Weather Prediction -- General Circulation Of The Atmosphere -- The Computer As A Meterological Tool -- 7. The Computer As A Scientific Instrument. Experimentation On Numerical Methods -- Mathematical And Statistical Research -- Astrophysics -- Fluid Dynamics -- Atomic And Nuclear Physics -- Automating Applications Research -- From History Of Science To Traffic Simulation -- Limitations On The Computer As A Scientific Instrument -- 8. A Theory Of Information Processing. Early Experiments With Information -- Contacts With The Biomedical Community -- The General And Logical Theory Of Automata -- Complicated Automata -- Building Reliable Automata From Unreliable Parts -- Cellular Automata -- The Computer And The Brain -- The Cybernetic Program -- 9. Scientific Consultant And Statesman. Government Consulting -- Ibm -- Final Plans -- Notes --^ General Bibliography -- Writings Of John Von Neumann -- Index. William Aspray. Writings Of John Von Neumann: P. [357]-367. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [337]-355) And Index.