Alan Turing(1912 — 1954)

Founding paper of theoretical computer science in which Turing introduces the concept of a universal machine (the Turing machine) and formalizes the notion of computability. This work establishes the mathematical foundations of modern computing.

As a cryptologist at Bletchley Park, Turing contributed to the decryption of German encoded messages during the Second World War, enabling the Allies to access crucial strategic intelligence.

Seminal paper founding the field of artificial intelligence, in which Turing poses the question "Can machines think?" and proposes the famous Turing Test as a criterion for evaluating machine intelligence.

Electromechanical machine designed by Turing to automate the decryption of Enigma, representing one of the first specialized computers and a precursor to digital calculators.

Turing contributed to the conceptual design of this pioneering computer and proposed its architecture. The ACE was one of the first stored-program digital computers.

Theoretical work on the emergence of patterns in biological systems, establishing the mathematical foundations of modern theoretical biology and explaining how order can arise from chemical chaos.

The 'machines' I shall describe may be compared to a man in the process of computing a real number by means of an unlimited paper tape divided into squares, on each of which a symbol is written.

I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?' This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms 'machine' and 'think'.

The machine must be capable of accepting information from the outside world, and of acting upon this information in a way which produces results in the outside world.

It is proposed that a system of chemical substances, called morphogens, reacting together and diffusing through a tissue, is adequate to account for the main phenomena of morphogenesis.

Alan Turing's birthplace on 23 June 1912. London was also the centre of his academic and professional activities, notably at the University of Cambridge and the National Physical Laboratory.

British codebreaking centre where Turing worked during the Second World War. He led the cryptanalysis team there and contributed to breaking the Enigma machine, which profoundly impacted the course of the war.

Institution where Turing studied mathematics and obtained his degree. He also taught there and conducted foundational research in number theory and mathematical logic.

City where Turing worked at the University of Manchester after the war, contributing to the development of the Manchester Mark 1, one of the first programmable digital computers.

Turing stayed at Princeton University between 1936 and 1938 to pursue his research in logic and computability theory, foundational work for theoretical computer science.

Alan Turing's place of residence during his final years and the site of his death on 7 June 1954. It is an important place of remembrance in the mathematician's personal life.