Abstracting Away The Machine

Author : Mark Jones Lorenzo
Publisher : Independently Published
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2019-08-22
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1082395943

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Abstracting Away the Machine by Mark Jones Lorenzo Pdf

At the dawn of the computer age, an elite development team at IBM built the most influential computer programming language in history: FORTRAN. Abstracting Away the Machine tells the epic story of how they did it--and what happened next. Over the past six decades, programming languages like ALGOL, BASIC, C/C++, COBOL, Java, LISP, LOGO, Pascal, PL/I, Python, Visual Basic, and many others opened up the field of computer science, and of computer programming in general, to the masses. But all of these high-level languages (HLLs)--computer languages that automate, hide, or otherwise abstract away the underlying operations of the machine--owe a huge debt of gratitude to FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation), the first HLL to achieve widespread adoption. Many programming practices that we take for granted now came about as a result of FORTRAN. Created over a three-year period at IBM by a development team led by a brilliant but wayward mathematician named John W. Backus, FORTRAN was implemented initially on the IBM 704 mainframe computer in the mid-1950s, with dialects of the language quickly spreading thereafter to other platforms. FORTRAN's powerful compiler, which translated human-readable code into code a computer could understand, produced incredibly clean and optimized standalone executable programs, all of which could be run independently of the compiler, setting the standard for decades to come--and overcoming the doubts of many skeptics along the way, who thought the FORTRAN project would never succeed. In the 1960s the language was standardized, with machine-dependent commands excised, and many platform-independent implementations followed. With the language now portable, able to run on any computer (at least in theory), FORTRAN, almost by accident, secured a stranglehold in the fields of science and engineering. The language also came to dominate in the supercomputing industry. But FORTRAN, a blue-collar workhorse more concerned with results than with style, was a victim of its own success--the language sowed the seeds of its own demise. New high-level languages sprouted up, stealing the good bits from FORTRAN while simultaneously defining themselves in opposition to it. FORTRAN had become the foil. As these new languages pierced the cutting edge of the programming landscape, they redefined computing paradigms (e.g., with structured programming, object-oriented programming, and the like), and FORTRAN--though eventually (and repeatedly) modernized and formally renamed Fortran--struggled to keep up through multiple standardization efforts, finally ceding significant ground to its successors as it slowly withdrew from the spotlight. To add insult to injury, even John Backus eventually turned against his creation. This is not a book on how to program in FORTRAN, nor is it a technical manual. Rather, the focus in Abstracting Away the Machine, which chronicles the complete history and development of the FORTRAN programming language, is set squarely on telling three interlocking stories: (1) How an elite group of computing trailblazers built FORTRAN, (2) Why the conditions at the time were ripe for them to succeed, and (3) What happened after they did. Tracing the long arc of FORTRAN's development and maturation is integral to understanding not only the history of programming but also the state of computer science today. The birth of FORTRAN planted a seed that led to the full flowering of high-level languages, since FORTRAN overcame initial skepticism by demonstrating to the world that a well-made HLL really could abstract away the machine.

Author : M. Kara,J. R. Davy,D. Goodeve
Publisher : IOS Press
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Computers
ISBN : 905199267X

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Abstract Machine Models for Parallel and Distributed Computing by M. Kara,J. R. Davy,D. Goodeve Pdf

Abstract Machine Models have played a profound though frequently unacknowledged role in the development of modern computing systems. They provide a precise definition of vital concepts, allow system complexity to be managed by providing appropriate views of the activity under consideration, enable reasoning about the correctness and quantitative performance of proposed problem solutions, and encourage communication through a common medium of expression. Abstract Models in Parallel and Distributed computing have a particularly important role in the development of contemporary systems, encapsulating and controlling an inherently high degree of complexity. The Parallel and Distributed computing communities have traditionally considered themselves to be separate. However, there is a significant contemporary interest in both of these communities in a common hardware model; a set of workstation-class machines connected by a high-performance network. The traditional Parallel/Distributed distinction therefore appears under threat.

Author : Mark Jones Lorenzo
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 190 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-22
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1974277070

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Endless Loop by Mark Jones Lorenzo Pdf

"Endless Loop" chronicles the complete history of the BASIC programming language--from its humble beginnings at Dartmouth College, to its widespread adoption and dominance in education, to its decline and subsequent modern rebirth.In the early morning hours of May 1, 1964, Dartmouth College birthed fraternal twins: BASIC, the Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code programming language, and, simultaneously, the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS). It hadn't been an easy birth, and the gestation period was likewise difficult. BASIC was primarily the idea of one man, mathematics professor John Kemeny, a brilliant Hungarian mathematician who had once been an assistant to Albert Einstein, while the DTSS satisfied the vision of another, mathematics and statistics professor Thomas Kurtz, who had brought a democratizing spirit to Dartmouth's campus in the form of free computing for all.BASIC and DTSS caught on at Dartmouth quickly, with a vast majority of undergraduates (and faculty) making use of the computer system via teletypewriters only several years after its inception. But by the early 1970s, with the personal computer revolution fast approaching, Kemeny and Kurtz began to lose control over BASIC as it achieved widespread popularity outside of Dartmouth. The language was being adapted to run on a wide variety of computers, some much too short of memory to contain the full set of Dartmouth BASIC features. Most notably, Microsoft built its business on the back of ROM-based BASIC interpreters for a variety of microcomputers. Although the language was ubiquitous in schools by the early 1980s, it came under attack by such notables as computer scientist Edsger W. Dijkstra for its lack of structure as well as by Kemeny and Kurtz themselves, who viewed non-Dartmouth "Street BASIC" as blasphemous and saw it as their mission to right the ship through language standardization and the release of True BASIC. But by then it was too late: the era of BASIC's global dominance was over.In "Endless Loop," author Mark Jones Lorenzo documents the history and development of Dartmouth BASIC, True BASIC, Tiny BASIC, Microsoft BASIC--including Altair BASIC, Applesoft BASIC, Color BASIC, Commodore BASIC, TRS-80 Level II BASIC, TI BASIC, IBM BASICA/GW-BASIC, QuickBASIC/QBASIC, Visual Basic, and Small Basic--as well as 9845 BASIC, Atari BASIC, BBC BASIC, CBASIC, Locomotive BASIC, MacBASIC, QB64, Simons' BASIC, Sinclair BASIC, SuperBASIC, and Turbo Basic/PowerBASIC, among a number of other implementations.The ascendance of BASIC paralleled the emergence of the personal computer, so the story of BASIC is first and foremost a story--actually, many interlocking stories--about computers. But it is also a tale of talented people who built a language out of a set of primal ingredients: sweat, creativity, rivalry, jealousy, cooperation, and plain hard work, and then set the language loose in a world filled with unintended consequences. How those unintended consequences played out, leading to the demise of the most popular computer language the world has ever known, is the focus of "Endless Loop."

Author : Matthias Blume,Naoki Kobayashi,Germán Vidal-Oriola
Publisher : Springer
Page : 355 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2010-04-11
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9783642122514

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Functional and Logic Programming by Matthias Blume,Naoki Kobayashi,Germán Vidal-Oriola Pdf

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Functional and Logic Programming, FLOPS 2010, held in Sendai, Japan, in April 2010. The 21 revised full papers presented together with 3 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 49 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on types; program analysis and transformation; foundations; logic programming; evaluation and normalization; term rewriting; and parallelism and control.

Author : Wolf Zimmermann,Bernhard Thalheim
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2004-05-11
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9783540220947

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Abstract State Machines 2004. Advances in Theory and Practice by Wolf Zimmermann,Bernhard Thalheim Pdf

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Abstract State Machines, ASM 2004, held in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, in May 2004. The 12 revised full research papers presented together with 4 invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. The papers reflect state-of-the-art research and development of the abstract state machine method for the design and analysis of complex software and hardware systems. Besides theoretical results and methodological progress, applications in various fields are studied as well.

Author : Egon Börger,Robert Stärk
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 438 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9783642182167

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Abstract State Machines by Egon Börger,Robert Stärk Pdf

Author : Emerson W. Pugh,Lyle R. Johnson,John H. Palmer
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 860 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : Computers
ISBN : 0262161230

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IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems by Emerson W. Pugh,Lyle R. Johnson,John H. Palmer Pdf

No product offering has had greater impact on the computer industry than the IBM System/360. This book describes the creation of this remarkable system and the developments it spawned, including its successor, System/370.

Author : Chris J. Johnson
Publisher : Springer
Page : 221 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2003-06-30
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9783540455226

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Interactive Systems: Design, Specification, and Verification by Chris J. Johnson Pdf

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on the Design, Specification, and Verification of Interactive Systems, DSV-IS 2001, held in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, in June 2001. The 12 revised full papers presented have gone through two rounds of reviewing, selection, and revision. The book offers topical sections on mobile interface design, context-sensitive interfaces, supervision and control systems, temporal and stochastic issues, and new perspectives.

Author : Thomas M. Powers
Publisher : Springer
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2017-10-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783319610436

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Philosophy and Computing by Thomas M. Powers Pdf

This book features papers from CEPE-IACAP 2015, a joint international conference focused on the philosophy of computing. Inside, readers will discover essays that explore current issues in epistemology, philosophy of mind, logic, and philosophy of science from the lens of computation. Coverage also examines applied issues related to ethical, social, and political interest. The contributors first explore how computation has changed philosophical inquiry. Computers are now capable of joining humans in exploring foundational issues. Thus, we can ponder machine-generated explanation, thought, agency, and other quite fascinating concepts. The papers are also concerned with normative aspects of the computer and information technology revolution. They examine technology-specific analyses of key challenges, from Big Data to autonomous robots to expert systems for infrastructure control and financial services. The virtue of a collection that ranges over philosophical questions, such as this one does, lies in the prospects for a more integrated understanding of issues. These are early days in the partnership between philosophy and information technology. Philosophers and researchers are still sorting out many foundational issues. They will need to deploy all of the tools of philosophy to establish this foundation. This volume admirably showcases those tools in the hands of some excellent scholars.

Author : Nir Fresco
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2013-10-12
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9783642413759

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Physical Computation and Cognitive Science by Nir Fresco Pdf

This book presents a study of digital computation in contemporary cognitive science. Digital computation is a highly ambiguous concept, as there is no common core definition for it in cognitive science. Since this concept plays a central role in cognitive theory, an adequate cognitive explanation requires an explicit account of digital computation. More specifically, it requires an account of how digital computation is implemented in physical systems. The main challenge is to deliver an account encompassing the multiple types of existing models of computation without ending up in pancomputationalism, that is, the view that every physical system is a digital computing system. This book shows that only two accounts, among the ones examined by the author, are adequate for explaining physical computation. One of them is the instructional information processing account, which is developed here for the first time. "This book provides a thorough and timely analysis of differing accounts of computation while advancing the important role that information plays in understanding computation. Fresco’s two-pronged approach will appeal to philosophically inclined computer scientists who want to better understand common theoretical claims in cognitive science.” Marty J. Wolf, Professor of Computer Science, Bemidji State University “An original and admirably clear discussion of central issues in the foundations of contemporary cognitive science.” Frances Egan, Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Author : Michael Levan
Publisher : Packt Publishing Ltd
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2023-01-30
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781804617496

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50 Kubernetes Concepts Every DevOps Engineer Should Know by Michael Levan Pdf

A must-have Kubernetes book to learn key concepts for succeeding in any production environment, be it a greenfield Kubernetes environment or your cloud-native journey Key FeaturesAdvance in your Kubernetes journey with guidance from a seasoned k8s practitioner and trainerDiscover best practices for implementing Kubernetes in any production environmentGo beyond the basics and work with Kubernetes applications in every environmentBook Description Kubernetes is a trending topic among engineers, CTOs, CIOs, and other technically sound professionals. Due to its proliferation and importance for all cloud technologies, DevOps engineers nowadays need a solid grasp of key Kubernetes concepts to help their organization thrive. This book equips you with all the requisite information about how Kubernetes works and how to use it for the best results. You'll learn everything from why cloud native is important to implementing Kubernetes clusters to deploying applications in production. This book takes you on a learning journey, starting from what cloud native is and how to get started with Kubernetes in the cloud, on-premises, and PaaS environments such as OpenShift. Next, you'll learn about deploying applications in many ways, including Deployment specs, Ingress Specs, and StatefulSet specs. Finally, you'll be comfortable working with Kubernetes monitoring, observability, and security. Each chapter of 50 Kubernetes Concepts Every DevOps Engineer Should Know is built upon the previous chapter, ensuring that you develop practical skills as you work through the code examples in GitHub, allowing you to follow along while giving you practical knowledge. By the end of this book, you'll be able to implement Kubernetes in any environment, whether it's an existing environment, a greenfield environment, or your very own lab running in the cloud or your home. What you will learnFind out how Kubernetes works on-premises, in the cloud, and in PaaS environmentsWork with networking, cluster management, and application deploymentUnderstand why cloud native is crucial for Kubernetes applicationsDeploy apps in different states, including Stateless and StatefulMonitor and implement observability in your environmentExplore the functioning of Kubernetes security at the cluster, user, and application levelWho this book is for This book is for cloud engineers, developers, DevOps engineers, and infrastructure engineers responsible for inheriting a Kubernetes environment or creating a greenfield Kubernetes environment. If you are a professional who wants to get started with cloud-native applications and implement k8s best practices, then this book is a must-read. If you have engineered environments in the cloud and on-premises and understand how to deploy applications with a solid tenure in a developer role, this book will help you further your skills.

Author : Clifford D. Simak
Publisher : Open Road Media
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2015-07-21
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781504013260

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Out of Their Minds by Clifford D. Simak Pdf

A writer finds himself trapped in an isolated village where anything imagined becomes reality in this wildly inventive contemporary fantasy Hoping to write his book in quiet and seclusion, Horton Smith has returned home to Pilot Knob. Here, in the tiny village where he passed so many carefree childhood years, he is untroubled by the pressures of the big city and can freely answer the call of his muse. Of course, back in the city Horton didn’t have to run from dinosaurs. There were no cartoon hillbillies offering him moonshine, Don Quixote was content to confine himself to the pages of a book, and the Devil himself was not on Horton’s tail. Something very, very unusual is going on in Pilot Knob, and Horton Smith is determined to get to the bottom of it—if his own imagination doesn’t kill him first! In Out of Their Minds, science fiction Grand Master Clifford D. Simak changes gears, treating his readers to a delightfully satiric flight of fancy and fantasy. An award-winning author renowned for his remarkable visions of the future, Simak brings creatures and characters from humankind’s collective imagination to breathtaking life in this fast-moving and unforgettable tale.

Author : Saurabh Badhwar
Publisher : Packt Publishing Ltd
Page : 362 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2018-12-28
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781789530636

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Hands-On Enterprise Application Development with Python by Saurabh Badhwar Pdf

Architect scalable, reliable, and maintainable applications for enterprises with Python Key FeaturesExplore various Python design patterns used for enterprise software developmentApply best practices for testing and performance optimization to build stable applicationsLearn about different attacking strategies used on enterprise applications and how to avoid themBook Description Dynamically typed languages like Python are continuously improving. With the addition of exciting new features and a wide selection of modern libraries and frameworks, Python has emerged as an ideal language for developing enterprise applications. Hands-On Enterprise Application Development with Python will show you how to build effective applications that are stable, secure, and easily scalable. The book is a detailed guide to building an end-to-end enterprise-grade application in Python. You will learn how to effectively implement Python features and design patterns that will positively impact your application lifecycle. The book also covers advanced concurrency techniques that will help you build a RESTful application with an optimized frontend. Given that security and stability are the foundation for an enterprise application, you’ll be trained on effective testing, performance analysis, and security practices, and understand how to embed them in your codebase during the initial phase. You’ll also be guided in how to move on from a monolithic architecture to one that is service oriented, leveraging microservices and serverless deployment techniques. By the end of the book, you will have become proficient at building efficient enterprise applications in Python. What you will learnUnderstand the purpose of design patterns and their impact on application lifecycleBuild applications that can handle large amounts of data-intensive operationsUncover advanced concurrency techniques and discover how to handle a large number of requests in productionOptimize frontends to improve the client-side experience of your applicationEffective testing and performance profiling techniques to detect issues in applications early in the development cycleBuild applications with a focus on securityImplement large applications as microservices to improve scalabilityWho this book is for If you’re a developer who wants to build enterprise-grade applications, this book is for you. Basic to intermediate-level of programming experience with Python and database systems is required to understand the concepts covered in this book.

Author : Christopher Mole
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 197 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2016-02-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781317294672

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The Unexplained Intellect by Christopher Mole Pdf

The relationship between intelligent systems and their environment is at the forefront of research in cognitive science. The Unexplained Intellect: Complexity, Time, and the Metaphysics of Embodied Thought shows how computational complexity theory and analytic metaphysics can together illuminate long-standing questions about the importance of that relationship. It argues that the most basic facts about a mind cannot just be facts about mental states, but must include facts about the dynamic, interactive mental occurrences that take place when a creature encounters its environment. In a discussion that is organised into four clear parts, Christopher Mole begins by examining the mathematics of computational complexity, arguing that the results from complexity theory create a puzzle about how human intelligence could possibly be explained. Mole then uses the tools of analytic metaphysics to draw a distinction between mental states and dynamic mental entities, and shows that, in order to answer the complexity-theoretic puzzle, dynamic entities must be understood to be among the most basic of mental phenomena. The picture of the mind that emerges has important implications for our understanding of intelligence, of action, and of the mind’s relationship to the passage of time. The Unexplained Intellect is the first book to bring insights from the mathematics of computational complexity to bear in an enquiry into the metaphysics of the mind. It will be essential reading for scholars and researchers in the philosophy of mind and psychology, for cognitive scientists, and for those interested in the philosophical importance of complexity.

Author : Peter Millican,Andy Clark
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 309 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 1996-11-28
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191001963

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Machines and Thought by Peter Millican,Andy Clark Pdf

This is the first of two volumes of essays in commemoration of Alan Turing, whose pioneering work in the theory of artificial intelligence and computer science continues to be widely discussed today. A group of prominent academics from a wide range of disciplines focus on three questions famously raised by Turing: What, if any, are the limits on machine 'thinking'? Could a machine be genuinely intelligent? Might we ourselves be biological machines, whose thought consists essentially in nothing more than the interaction of neurons according to strictly determined rules? The discussion of these fascinating issues is accessible to non-specialists and stimulating for all readers. Also available in paperback is the companion volume: Connectionism, Concepts, and Folk Psychology, edited by Andy Clark and Peter Millican. While Volume 1 concentrates on Turing's main innovations in artificial intelligence, Volume 2 looks more broadly at his intellectual legacy in philosophy and cognitive science.