Mathematics is fundamentally the search for truth.
This year marks 100 years since Alan Turing's birth.
Who was Alan Turing?
Mathematician, cryptographer, and pioneer of computer science.
Known for breaking the German Enigma Code during WWII.
Life was a mix of secret triumphs and public tragedies.
Early Life
Born on June 23, 1912.
Childhood spent in Hastings and Sherborne.
Demonstrated talent in math and science early on (e.g., condensed Einstein’s theory of relativity at age 15).
Received a scholarship to King's College, Cambridge, in 1931.
Turing's Contributions to Mathematics
Focused on the Entscheidungsproblem (decision problem).
Introduced the concept of a Turing Machine in 1935:
A hypothetical machine that reads symbols and acts based on rules.
Demonstrated that you cannot determine whether the machine will stop or run indefinitely.
Disproved Hilbert's question of decidability showing limits in mathematics.
Turing Machine model became a cornerstone of computer science.
Career and Codebreaking During WWII
Worked for the Government Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park.
The Enigma Machine:
A device used by the Germans to encrypt messages.
Had vast settings and complexity due to its rotors.
A challenge for Allied codebreakers.
Turing's vital contributions:
Made initial breakthroughs with naval Enigma codes.
Designed a machine called the Bomb with Gordon Welchman to decode Enigma messages.
Used common phrases to assist in breaking codes, reducing the time to find Enigma settings to about 15 minutes.
Impact of Turing's Work
His work is believed to have shortened WWII by two years, saving countless lives.
Received OBE in 1945 for services, though the reasons were classified for many years.
Post-War Contributions
Continued work at the University of Manchester, contributing significantly to computing and biology until his death in 1954.
Credited with laying the foundations for computer technology and artificial intelligence.
Turing's Personal Life and Legacy
The British government issued a public apology in 2009 for Turing's treatment post-war.
He was gay during a time when homosexuality was illegal, leading to tragic consequences:
Endured hormone treatment and lost his job.
Committed suicide in 1954.
Turing's focus was always on knowledge, truth, and solving problems, rather than just technology itself.
Conclusion
Alan Turing's legacy continues to shape our world dominated by technology, illustrating the importance of his quest for truth and understanding in mathematics.