Alan Turing, the Enigma – Computer Pioneer
The Man, His Life and Work; Ultimate Biography by Andrew Hodges
Sep 15, 2009
Alan Mathison Turing became news in 2009 when computer scientist John Graham-Cumming and other eminent scientists supported by gay rights’ activists called for an apology from the British government for Turing’s treatment as an openly gay man. An unusually speedy response came from the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, with an apology in the Daily Telegraph.
Alan Mathison Turing: Scientist, Mathematician, Pioneer of Computing and Artificial Intelligence
Alan Turing was born in London on 23 June 1912. He was an independent minded boy, and man, who followed his own interests in science. He got a good Mathematics degree at King’s College, Cambridge University Although his research was wide ranging, including biology, his best known works are in the field of mathematics and formed the basis of modern computing through the Turing Universal Machine and the Turing Test for proving artificial intelligence.
He was also a leading light at Bletchley Park in the breaking of the German Enigma code during the Second World War. He continued to provide part-time consultancy on cryptography to the British government and designed and programmed the first general purpose British computer at Manchester University. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and awarded the Order of the British Empire for his work.
In 1952 he was prosecuted for his homosexual relationships with a young man in Manchester. He had long been open about his sexuality but he was prosecuted under the same legislation as used against Oscar Wilde in the previous century.
His later work brought together mathematics and biology especially with regard to how physical forms occur in nature.
He committed suicide on 7 June 1954.
Substantial and Wide Ranging Read
Alan Turing, the Enigma is a major work and is a good read but it should be borne in mind that much of the content is detailed descriptions of Turing’s work and concepts. Whilst there is little detailed mathematics the ideas may be challenging for readers without a mathematical or scientific background, or at least an interest.
It also provides an insight into the history of Bletchley Park and the use of intelligence (initially half hearted and with a nineteenth century mindset) in the conduct of the Second World War.
That apart Alan Turing, the Enigma is an enthralling story and, if they wish, general readers can skip through the heavier sections and concentrate on the human story. But that would be to miss the breadth and =variety of Alan Turing’s contribution to cryptanalysis, mathematics, computing and artificial intelligence.
A Fascinating Life Story and a Great Mind
However the Alan Turing, the man and his life is fascinating. He was incredibly gifted and his interests ranged widely from pure and applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronic engineering, even biology and philosophy of science. He lacked social skills which would have enabled him to have achieved greater prominence but even so he had one of the best scientific minds of twentieth century. His work led directly to what we would now call computer science or information technology.
Even in his lifetime Alan Turing did not go unrecognised; despite his lack of political skills he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1951 and made an OBE in 1946 for his war time work.
The author, Andrew Hodges, uses frequent literary allusions throughout particularly Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories. Lewis Carroll’s realname was Charles Dodgson and he was a mathematician himself. Other references include Wizard of Oz, Animal Farm and The Loom of Youth but they are used in a sophisticated way that supports the complexity of both the science and Turing’s life.
The Author: Andrew Hodges
Andrew Hodges was prompted to write this book in 1977 as a mathematician involved with the gay liberation movement of the 1970s. The full length biography was initially published in 1983 and the UK paperback edition in 1992. Andrew Hodges then returned to mathematics as a Research Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford University.
The Book – Alan Turing, the Enigma
Alan Turing, The Enigma (1992, ISBN: 978-0-099-11641-7) by Andrew Hodges is published in paperback by Vintage at £10.99 (Can$27.95)
Andrew Hodges has produced a substantial volume of 568 pages with comprehensive referencing of his sources. Indeed it could have been bigger as the print size is rather small but it would have resulted in a paper back that would have quickly fallen apart.
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