[CrashCourse CS] #15 Alan Turing

Entscheidungsproblem (Decision problem)

"Is there an algorithm that takes, as input, a statement written in formal logic, and produces a "yes" or "no" answer that's always accurate?

Turing machine

A hypothetical computing machine, Turing's approach to solve the decision problem.

• Turing machines provided a simple, yet powerful mathmatical model of computation. Becomes popular in computer science for its simplicity.
• A computer that is as powerful as turing machine is called Turing complete (modern computers and electronic devices are all turing complete).
• The halting problem - "Is there an algorithm that can determine, given a description of a turing machine and the input from its tape, whether the machine will run forever or halt?" - Unsolvable!

The Bombe

An electromachanical computer to decode encrypted message produced from German enigma machine during WWII.

Contribution to artificial intellitence

• His most famous post-war contribution as to artificial intelligence.
• Turing postulated that a computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human.
• This became the basis of a simple test, now called the turing test.
• The modern version of this test is called CAPTCHA, a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.
• CAPTCHA is frequently used on the internet to prevent automated systmes from doing things like posting spam on websites.

Turing Award

Highest distinction in the field of computer science.

Vocabulary

• aptitude - talent
• Encryption - 암호화
• hone - 연마하다
• postulate - suggest something as a basis for a theory, argument, or calculation, or assume that it is the basis.
• delve into - try to discover new information about it.
• inextricable - inseparable
  • extricate - free
• gross indecency (UK, Canada, legal) - Any of sexual criminal offences, including sex with a child and male homosexuality
• probation - 보호 관찰, 수습 기간
  • probe - examine, investigate
• distinction - 차이, 탁월함, 상(award, honor)

Thoughts

• 튜링은 그의 천재성과 업적에도 불구하고 게이였다는 이유로 호르몬 약물치료를 강제당했고 그를 죽음으로 몰고 갔다는게 안타깝다.