Alan Turing
TL;DR Alan Mathison Turing was a British mathematician, logician, and code-breaker whose brilliant theoretical work laid the foundations of computer science and artificial intelligence.
Alan Turing by Sora
Alan Turing was born in London on June 23, 1912, and died in Wilmslow, Cheshire, on June 7, 1954. He studied mathematics at Cambridge and later at Princeton, where he investigated the theory of computation. His 1936 paper introduced the concept of a universal computing machine, now known as the Turing machine, which formalized the notion of what it means to compute. During the Second World War, he served at the Government Code & Cypher School at Bletchley Park, where he played a pivotal role in breaking the German Enigma cipher system, greatly aiding the Allied war effort.
After the war, he worked on designs for stored‐program computers and became one of the earliest thinkers about artificial intelligence, proposing what is now known as the Turing test for machine intelligence. Despite his scientific achievements, he was persecuted in Britain for his homosexuality and subjected to chemical castration, which preceded his tragic death at age 41.
Proposed and defined the concept of the universal Turing machine, which underpins the theoretical basis of modern computing.
Authored the foundational 1936 paper “On Computable Numbers,” showing that there is no general algorithmic method to decide all mathematical truths.
Led or significantly contributed to the code‐breaking efforts at Bletchley Park, including development of the “bombe” machine for cracking the Enigma cipher.
Designed the first detailed specification for a stored‐program electronic computer (the Automatic Computing Engine at the National Physical Laboratory).
Formulated the concept of the Turing test in 1950, laying the groundwork for the study of artificial intelligence.
Conducted pioneering work in mathematical biology, publishing “The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis,” which explored pattern formation in living organisms.
Posthumously honored by the British government and scientific institutions for his contributions to mathematics and computer science, and as a symbol for justice and equality.
