1 / 9

Historical Profile John Von Neumann

Historical Profile John Von Neumann. John Von Neumann. Lived 1903-1957 Born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary Educated in Budapest, Berlin and Zurich Studied math and chemical engineering. He became a Mathematician First born son to an attorney who worked at a bank

rigel-rocha
Download Presentation

Historical Profile John Von Neumann

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Historical ProfileJohn Von Neumann

  2. John Von Neumann • Lived 1903-1957 • Born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary • Educated in Budapest, Berlin and Zurich • Studied math and chemical engineering. He became a Mathematician • First born son to an attorney who worked at a bank • Father received a title from the Hungarian empire early in John’s life hence the name “Von” Neumann • Born during the time of a “booming, intellectual” community and generation of scientists, writers, artists and musicians • Moved to the United States in 1929 at an invitation from Princeton University to participate in a lectureship that was intended to enhance its math sciences college programs. He was one of 6 in the School of Mathematics. Einstein was another http://www.redfish.com/dkunkle/vonNeumann

  3. Career and Scientific Contributions • Von Neumann showed a high interest in Math at an early age. Received a Ph.D. in Math. • His father wanted him to pursue an additional undergraduate degree in chemical engineering thinking this would give him more “viable” career options • His first paper was published in 1922 at age 17, discussing the use of zeros in polynomials. Throughout his career, he published 150 papers (http://www.scid.org/vonneumann/php) • Before completing high school, university professors were already considering him a colleague • His major contributions to math, science and computing included: • Using matrix algebra to describe the motion of the electron in Quantum Mechanics • Game Theory • Nuclear Weapons • Computer Science http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Von_Neumann

  4. Quantum Mechanics • He published his first book in 1932 on Quantum Mechanics; Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (http://www.springer.com) • Earlier Quantum Mechanics theories used physics to deal with the nature of atomic particles and what “laws” govern their movements (http://scidiv.bcc.ctc.edu/math/vonNeumann.html) • His research proved that Quantum Mechanics can be explained using physics and a mathematical approach (http://www.nas.edu/history/members/neumann.html)

  5. Game Theory • Game Theory was designed by Von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern as a way to think strategically when faced with a set of variables. They wrote Theory of Games and Economic Behavior in 1944  • The idea was to be able to act pro-actively versus re-active when making strategic decisions • Game Theory is divided into two groups: non-cooperative • ( strategic) games and co-operative (coalitional) games • This theory was used during uncertainty in economics • A number of other theories have been developed since then using this as a foundation http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/schools/game.htm

  6. Nuclear Weapons • During World War II, he was a mathematician on the Manhattan Project. His contribution to the atomic bomb was his concept and design of the explosive lenses needed to compress the plutonium core of the bomb that was used in Nagasaki • The biggest problem faced by the physicists at Los Alamos, New Mexico was how to produce an extremely fast reaction in a small amount of plutonium. The “need for speed” was to insure a small explosion didn’t blow up the bomb prematurely Goldstein, Heine. The Computers from Pascal to Von Neumann, 1993, pp180-181

  7. Computer Science • In 1943, Von Neumann wrote to a colleague that he had developed an “obscene interest in computation” • He needed to solve numerical equations crucial in understanding explosions • What was important to him at the time were the computations needed to complete his work on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos • He became aware of the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) • As a consultant to enhance this computer and computing in general he worked with others to create the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Arithmetic Computer) • “The First Draft of the Report on the EDVAC” is considered as the most important document on computers ever written • The document describes the design of stored program computers. He also theorized using abstract language without any consideration of the hardware

  8. Computer Science • His abstract theories are “commonplace” in our computer design now • Early computers had to be rewired for each computational needs • Von Neumann was hired on as a consultant by IBM in the 1950’s to review their advanced technology projects Von Neumann, John and MiklosRedei, John Von Neumann Selected Letters, 2005, pg35

  9. Contributions to Current Day Computing • Von Neumann’s theories and early computing clearly paved a way to computing as we know it today • His theories on stored programs alone changed the way computers were built • His genius gave us his computing theories but I think we can also learn from his continuing life-long zest for learning

More Related