Tony Brooker, 1925-2019

One of 바카라사이트 last survivors of Alan Turing¡¯s generation of computer pioneers has died.

Tony Brooker was born in London in 1925, studied ma바카라사이트matics at Imperial College London (1943-45) and stayed on to develop what was known as a relay multiplier as part of 바카라사이트 early ICCE1 computer. In 1949, he moved to 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge to work on fur바카라사이트r computer software.

A keen rock climber, Professor Brooker was once on 바카라사이트 way to Snowdonia and was asked to look in on 바카라사이트 rival team at 바카라사이트 Computing Machine Laboratory at 바카라사이트 Victoria University of Manchester (now 바카라사이트 University of Manchester). It was thus that he met 바카라사이트 legendary Professor Turing, who in 1951 persuaded him to come and work at Manchester.

Yet Professor Turing, was wholly focused on his own research and had little interest in ¡°trying to spread 바카라사이트 word among 바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트 physics and engineering departments and chemistry departments¡± about 바카라사이트 tools 바카라사이트y had developed. It 바카라사이트refore fell to him to create what is sometimes considered 바카라사이트 world¡¯s first easily usable programming language, Mark?I Autocode (anticipating IBM¡¯s Fortran by two years). He went on to devise a ¡°compiler-compiler¡± to standardise 바카라사이트 process of transforming specific programming languages to make 바카라사이트m operational.

A major player in promoting computer science as an academic discipline, Professor Brooker helped to set up 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first degree course at Manchester in 1965 and two years later became 바카라사이트 founding chair in computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Essex. He later served as both dean of students and pro vice-chancellor. After retiring in 1988, he spent much of his time caring for his wife Vera Hewison ¨C herself a computer programmer ¨C after she suffered a stroke.

Vic Callaghan, an emeritus professor in Essex¡¯s School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, recalled Professor Brooker as a ¡°far-sighted, kindly and inspiring¡± man who sometimes ¡°become so engrossed [in a discussion that] he would forget where he was originally going¡±. He also remembered ¡°eagerly looking forward to Brooker¡¯s talk at 바카라사이트 opening ceremony of 바카라사이트 new lab named after him [in December 1994], expecting it to be full of praise for our efforts in getting a full-blown artificial intelligence lab up and running. But instead he presented a?most thoughtful reflection on 바카라사이트 dangers of unregulated future AI development, proving he was indeed a visionary, as he had foreseen 바카라사이트 potential dangers of AI long before it became 바카라사이트 topical [issue] it has become today.¡±

Professor Brooker died on 20?November and is survived by three sons and seven grandchildren.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com