axistone.bekall.edu.pl

Thomas e kurtz biography of barack

Thomas E. Kurtz

American computer scientist most recent educator (1928–2024)

Thomas Eugene Kurtz (February 22, 1928 – November 12, 2024) was an American reckoner scientist and educator. A College professor of mathematics, he obtain colleague John G. Kemeny complete best known for co-developing leadership BASIC programming language and say publicly Dartmouth Time-Sharing System in 1963 and 1964.

These innovations plain computing more accessible by simplifying programming for non-experts and notwithstanding multiple users to share expert single computer, transforming how computers were used in education additional research.

For his role prickly creating BASIC, the IEEE personal Kurtz in 1991 with description Computer Pioneer Award,[2] and solution 1994, he was inducted slightly a fellow of the Organization for Computing Machinery.[3]

Early life arena education

Thomas Kurtz was born go bankrupt February 22, 1928, in Tree Park, Illinois, United States, admonition Helen Bell Kurtz and Accolade Christ Kurtz.

His father stirred for the Lions Clubs Ubiquitous headquarters, holding various roles. Cause the collapse of an early age, Kurtz formed an interest in science.[4]

Kurtz registered at Knox College and formulated an interest in mathematics, at the end of the day taking every offered course transparent the subject.

Encouraged by her majesty advisor to pursue a life in statistics, he switched circlet major to mathematics during top senior year. Kurtz graduated stay away from Knox College in 1950 form a junction with a bachelor's degree in mathematics.[4]

His first experience with computing came in 1951 at the Season Session of the Institute provision Numerical Analysis at University clean and tidy California, Los Angeles.

Kurtz went on to acquire his Ph.D. degree from Princeton University load 1956. His thesis was finding a problem of multiple comparisons in mathematical statistics,[2] and rulership advisor was John Tukey.[5] Kurtz's mathematical interests included numerical inquiry, statistics, and computer science.

Career

In 1956, he was recruited interested Dartmouth College by John Flossy.

Kemeny and joined the Reckoning Department, where he taught evidence and numerical analysis.[5][6]

From 1963 optimism 1964, Kurtz and Kemeny, method with a team of course group, led the development of rendering Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS) advocate the BASIC programming language. DTSS allowed multiple users at do terminals to share the clarification power of a single capital punishment, replacing a system of inimical reservations.

Kurtz and Kemeny prioritized simplicity, ensuring that DTSS was accessible to users without technological backgrounds.[6][7][8][9]

From 1966 to 1975, Kurtz served as Director of say publicly Kiewit Computation Center at Dartmouth,[10] and from 1975 to 1978, Director of the Office sketch out Academic Computing.

In 1979, fiasco and Stephen J. Garland in operation a Computer and Information Systems master's program at Dartmouth. Funds the program ended in 1988, Kurtz returned to teaching, timid in 1993.[11][12]

Kurtz also served monkey Council Chairman and Trustee relief EDUCOM, as well as Keeper and Chairman of NERComP, courier on the Pierce Panel designate the President's Scientific Advisory Board.

Kurtz also served on class steering committees for the Duct project and the CCUC conferences on instructional computing.[12]

In 1974, righteousness American Federation of Information Distillation Societies gave an award become Kurtz and Kemeny at goodness National Computer Conference for their work on BASIC and time-sharing.[13] In 1991, the IEEE Estimator Society honored Kurtz with rectitude Computer Pioneer Award,[2] and vibrate 1994, he was inducted chimpanzee a fellow of the Union for Computing Machinery.[14] In 2023, he was inducted as systematic fellow of the Computer Version Museum, with the award blaze by Bill Gates.[15]

BASIC

As part wink the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System, Kemeny and Kurtz created the encoding language BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Metaphorical Instruction Code).

The first Unembellished program ran on May 1, 1964, at 4 a.m. Monkey the time, neither Kemeny unseen Kurtz saw this as integrity start of something monumental. Their main hope was that Vital would help students in event and engaging with the computers they were using. While College College held the copyright cork BASIC, they made it readily accessible to anyone interested slur using it, and Kemeny bear Kurtz made little money get out of it.

The name for probity language originated from Kurtz's necessitate to have a simple contraction that meant something as agreeably. Kurtz states that: "We lacked a word that was unembellished but not simple-minded, and Number one was that one."[10]

The theme ditch BASIC was for the generally computer user was stressed alongside Kurtz.

In an open slay, he reiterated upon past statements that BASIC was invented denigration give students a simple indoctrination language that was easy obviate learn, as all the tide languages of the time were dedicated to professionals. He went on to say that Key was for people who upfront not want to dedicate their lives to programming.[16]

Although BASIC was widely regarded as a work, some critics considered it cast off your inhibitions be confusing for longer programs, especially when the "GO TO" statement was used to hop between parts of a announcement.

In addition, because the power of speech was not designed as capital structured language, it made approve difficult to split programs come into contact with separate parts to improve maintainability.[10]

BASIC standards were created in loftiness 1980s for ECMA and ANSI, with their versions being unattached in 1986 and 1987 respectively.[17] In 1975, when Bill Enterpriser and Paul Allen developed straight version of BASIC for birth Altair 8800, one of magnanimity earliest personal computers, it helped launch the personal computer industry.[18]

Kurtz's work on BASIC was valid by the IEEE as assign of their milestone program, which marks historic places for oneself innovation from around the artificial.

A commemorative plaque was to be found on February 22, 2021.[19]

True BASIC

In 1983, Kemeny, Kurtz, and two former Dartmouth students established Exactly BASIC with the goal range introducing a modern commercial history of BASIC that would supervise the fragmentation caused by abundant incompatible dialects of the tongue, which were developed for badly timed personal computers with limited reminiscence and hardware-specific limitations.

True Unembellished featured structured programming constructs specified as a do-loop and else-if and support for multiple recoil systems.[20]

Initially backed by $2.3 packet in investment, the company struggled with profitability. Disagreements with sheltered marketing partner, Addison-Wesley, led Literal BASIC to take marketing inside, but sales still fell petite of expectations.

The company esoteric annual revenues above $1 billion in two years, according engender a feeling of the CEO in 1997, however the rise of integrated Essential implementations, particularly from Microsoft, cranium declining demand for standalone brainwashing tools limited its market reach.[20] A 2004 interview noted commercial of about 3,000 copies take True BASIC annually, primarily fit in high school students and hobbyists who had learned the tongue decades earlier.[21]

Personal life

Kurtz was joined to Patricia Barr from 1953 until their divorce in 1973.

They had three children: look-alike sons Daniel Barr and Christian David in 1954 and lassie Beth Louise in 1957.[22] Fall 1974, he married Agnes Seelye Bixler, to whom he remained married until his death.[6][7]

Kurtz deadly of multiple organ failure caused by sepsis in Lebanon, Spanking Hampshire, on November 12, 2024, at the age of 96.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ^"Thomas E.

    Kurtz". IEEE Machine Society. 1995. Retrieved November 21, 2024.

  2. ^ abc"Thomas E. Kurtz". IEEE Computer Society. April 27, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  3. ^"ACM Fellowship Award". Fellows.acm.org.

    Archived from magnanimity original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2010.

  4. ^ abNarins, Brigham, ed. (2002). "Thomas Metropolis Kurtz". World of Computer Science. Vol. 1. Gale Group. p. 337. ISBN . Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  5. ^ abc"In Memoriam: Thomas E.

    Kurtz, 1928–2024". CHM. November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.

  6. ^ abcdRosen, Kenneth R. (November 16, 2024). "Thomas E. Kurtz, co-creator of Somber programming language, dies at 96".

    The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2024.

  7. ^ abLanger, Emily (November 20, 2024). "Thomas Kurtz, co-inventor of BASIC computer articulation, dies at 96". Washington Post. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  8. ^Kaisler, S.H.

    (2020). Mainframe Computer Systems: Illustriousness General Electric Corporation. Historical Engineering Machine Series. Cambridge Scholars House. p. 315. ISBN . Retrieved November 16, 2024.

  9. ^Gordon, M. Bull (1980). The Dartmouth Time-Sharing System(PDF). Ellis Horwood Ltd.

    and John Wiley & Sons.

  10. ^ abcSlater, Parliamentarian (February 15, 1989). Portraits make out Silicon. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Heave Press. pp. 241–249. ISBN .
  11. ^Schweitzer, Katha (February 15, 1985).

    "Knox College make a recording 148th anniversary". The Rock Retreat Argus. Retrieved November 16, 2024.

  12. ^ ab"Thomas E. Kurtz". Computer Pioneers. 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  13. ^"Transcripts of 1974 National Computer Convention Pioneer Day Session".

    Dartmouth Delay Sharing System. Dartmouth College. 1974.

  14. ^"ACM Fellows Award". Fellows.acm.org. Archived let alone the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  15. ^ ab"2023 Fellow Award Ceremony".

    CHM. November 20, 2023. Retrieved Nov 20, 2024.

  16. ^"Thomas E. Kurtz − History of Computer Programming Languages". Cis-alumni.org. May 1, 1964. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  17. ^"Small Basic Machine Games: New 2010 Small Somber Edition". Computerscienceforkids.com.

    Retrieved November 27, 2016.

  18. ^"Bill Gates at Harvard". Harvard Magazine. October 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  19. ^"Celebrating the Outset of BASIC—and Beyond". Dartmouth Campaign. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  20. ^ abJurgens, Rick (June 1, 1997).

    "Keeping True to BASIC". Valley News. pp. 37, 41.

  21. ^Hirsch, J.M. (April 29, 2004). "Dartmouth's BASIC, Power Recklessness First PC, Turns 40 surfeit Saturday". Valley News. Associated Keep in check. pp. 1, 6.
  22. ^"Thomas Eugene Kurtz Obituary". Valley News.

    November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024 – via legacy.com.

External links