Claude Shannon
Claude Shannon (1916-2001) was a theoretical mathematician and electrical engineer who is generally considered to be one of the foundational researchers in computer and communications design. He studied at M.I.T., spent much of his career at Bell Laboratories, and later returned to M.I.T. as a professor.
Switching Algebra: Application of Boolean algebra to logic gate design (1938)
Claude Shannon (1916-2001) made a critical step enabling hardware design of a computer in his 1938 MIT master's thesis[1] on the use of Boole's algebra to analyse and optimise relay switching circuits. Shannon associated boolean algebra, a kind of mathematical system that had been known for centuries, with the design of logic gates in digital hardware[2], calling boolean algebra "switching algebra" in the context of digital hardware design. Shannon also later made seminal contributions towards the burgeoning field of information theory.
Pioneer of Information Theory
During World War II, Shannon performed classified research for the U. S. government on cryptography; his 1949 "Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems"[3] became the seminal paper for cryptography as an academic discipline. The field of information theory was launched by Shannon's ground-breaking, two-part paper "A Mathematical Theory of Communication" [4] It was shortly followed by a book [1] which has since been reprinted many times. Information theory is devoted to messages and signals using techniques drawn from mathematical probability, and linking discrete and continuous mathematics in ways that later turned out to be helpful, not just in the fields of communications and computers, but also on thinking about biological processes and linguistics. He was also a pioneer in developing methods for computers to play chess.
Recognized as a premier voice in the engineering community from the 1940's onward, Shannon had become a figure of some public and popular acclaim by the time of his retirement. An enormous number of resources exist about him on the web, and also in the deep web (i.e., online resources which must be paid for). This article will not attempt to create yet another biography of Claude Shannon, but it will provide pointers to multiple existing biographies which already describe his life in great detail. This article will try to outline his seminal accomplishments and provide pointers to additional reading on each topic.
In his twilight years, Shannon suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.
Shannon's publications
See our list of Shannon's publications.
Notes
- ↑ ``A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits, MIT master's thesis published in T.A.I.E.E. Vol. 57 (1938), pp. 713-723. Transactions American Institute of Electrical Engineers (1938). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
- ↑ "Claude Shannon" from Professor Ray C. Dougherty's course notes (V61.0003) Communication: Men, Minds, and Machines (Fall, 1996). Microsoft Corporation (1996). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
- ↑ C. E. Shannon (1949). Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems.
- ↑ Claude Shannon (July & October, 1948). A Mathematical Theory of Communication.