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Rating: 
Summary: okay
Review: good general discussion of the mathematical foundations of computation, but very little material on how the theoretical
work in the early 20th century was transferred to working machines.
Rating: 
Summary: Limits in computers
Review: 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 together at Princeton (and this picture is included in the book), or his own 1954 computer program of a mathematical proof. On the question of who invented the computer, Dr. Davis sides toward Turing and the influence of Turing on von Nuemann (contrast with Herman Goldstine: the Computer from Pascal to von Neumann). Davis points out that the difference in architecture between Turing and von Nuemann is still evident today in the difference between RISC and full instruction set computers. In the final chapter, Davis debates John Searle's understanding of the mind and consciousness. I hope Davis writes a book about the logical connections after Turing. These include Maurice's Karnaugh's method of minimizing boolean expressions, Jay Forester's memory and Industrial Dynamics, and perhaps Ted Codd and C.J. Dates database thinking.
Rating:
Summary: Limits in computers
Review: 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 together at Princeton (and this picture is included in the book), or his own 1954 computer program of a mathematical proof. On the question of who invented the computer, Dr. Davis sides toward Turing and the influence of Turing on von Nuemann (contrast with Herman Goldstine: the Computer from Pascal to von Neumann). Davis points out that the difference in architecture between Turing and von Nuemann is still evident today in the difference between RISC and full instruction set computers. In the final chapter, Davis debates John Searle's understanding of the mind and consciousness. I hope Davis writes a book about the logical connections after Turing. These include Maurice's Karnaugh's method of minimizing boolean expressions, Jay Forester's memory and Industrial Dynamics, and perhaps Ted Codd and C.J. Dates database thinking.
Rating: 
Summary: Paperback edition of "The Universal Computer"
Review: This book has deservedly been reviewed in glowing 5-star terms in its hardcover version ("The Universal Computer"). This paperback edition is the same book. If you want to understand the ideas behind computers, this is the book for you!
Rating:
Summary: Paperback edition of "The Universal Computer"
Review: This book has deservedly been reviewed in glowing 5-star terms in its hardcover version ("The Universal Computer"). This paperback edition is the same book. If you want to understand the ideas behind computers, this is the book for you!
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