(excerpts from my proposal for the book)
Anyone who has explored the history, technology, or theory of computers has likely encountered the concept of the Turing Machine. The Turing Machine is an imaginary — not even quite hypothetical — computer invented in 1936 by English mathematician Alan Turing (1912–1954) to help solve a question in mathematical logic. As a byproduct, Turing also founded the field of computability theory — the study of the abilities and limitations of digital computers.
Although the concept of the Turing Machine is well known, Turing’s original 1936 paper is only rarely read. This neglect may have something to do with the paper’s title — “On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem” — and perhaps the paper’s extensive use of a scary German gothic font. That’s too bad, because the paper is not only a fascinating read but a milestone in the history of computing and 20th century intellectual thought in general.
This book presents Turing’s original 36-page paper (and a follow-up 3-page correction) with background chapters and extensive annotations. Mathematical papers like Turing’s are often terse and cryptic. I have elaborated on many of Turing’s statements, clarified his discussions, and provided numerous examples.
Interwoven into the narrative are the highlights of Turing’s own life: his years at Cambridge and Princeton, his secret work in cryptanalysis during World War II, his involvement in seminal computer projects, his speculations about artificial intelligence, his arrest and prosecution for the crime of “gross indecency,” and his early death by apparent suicide at the age of 41.
The book is divided into four parts: Parts I and II together are about 200 pages in length and cover the first 60% of Turing’s paper, encompassing the Turing Machine and computability topics. This part of the book is entirely self-contained and will be of primary interest to most readers.
Part III is a faster paced look at the remainder of Turing’s paper, which involves the implications for mathematical logic. Some readers might want to skip these chapters.
Part IV resumes the more "popular" presentation showing how the Turing Machine has become a vital tool in understanding the workings of human consciousness and the mechanisms of the universe.
Although I expect the primary readers of the book to be programmers, computer science majors, and other “techies,” I have tried my best to make the book accessible to the general reader. There is unavoidably much mathematics in the book, but I have tried to assume that the reader only has knowledge of high-school mathematics, and probably a foggy one at that.
發表於2024-06-23
The Annotated Turing 2024 pdf epub mobi 電子書 下載
之所以沒有選力薦不是因為書不夠好,而是這本書對於大部分人來說很難全部讀懂,我算是一個數學愛好者,雖然自己數學能力已經完全處於大學以下水平瞭。讀這本書需要很多思考,畢竟他不是傳記,不是故事,而是對一個完整的知識體係的詳盡分析和解讀,多謝作者在前麵寫瞭大量的補...
評分這本書的可讀性真的很低,趣味性也不強,除瞭一開始看到的圖靈測試的解釋以外,其他的就是基於圖靈的一篇關於圖靈測試的論文的解釋,數學太多,不好讀,反正不適閤一般人讀,當我失去瞭耐心,從頭拖到尾都已經覺得是浪費時間,因為學不到什麼瞭,前麵的幾十頁,大量列舉瞭一些...
評分在這之前因為簡單看過一些哲學普及書,一直糾結於唯物論->因果論->機械論和自由意誌之間的矛盾。我是相信唯物論的,但是又覺得自由意誌這個東西並不能由簡單的因果關係決定,直到看到瞭這本書。 這本書詳細分析瞭圖靈機的不可判定性問題和哥德爾的不確定性原理,在我看起來,雖...
評分最近一年斷斷續續在讀《圖靈的秘密》,現在終於有點眉目瞭。讀圖靈機時,第一颱圖靈機打印010101……倒好明白,第二颱圖靈機打印0010110111011110……就不太明白瞭,反復讀瞭若乾遍,終於有點明白瞭。但作者介紹的計算2的平方根的圖靈機不懂。就跳過去瞭。直接看子程序,其中大...
評分看到瞭第七章後部,發覺似乎不是IT行業的人翻譯的這本書,在遇到函數overload,翻譯成“過載”而非“重載”
圖書標籤: 計算機科學 圖靈 計算機 turing AlanTuring Computer.Theory 數學 科普
還是挺科普的。不得不說圖靈太天纔瞭。
評分整閤宇宙會是一個圖靈機麼
評分看瞭整個人都不好瞭
評分看瞭整個人都不好瞭
評分還是挺科普的。不得不說圖靈太天纔瞭。
The Annotated Turing 2024 pdf epub mobi 電子書 下載