https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/5003/Ideas-That-Created-the-FutureClassic-Papers-of Skip to Main Content Umbrella Alt Text Umbrella Alt Text Close * Books + Books Home + Browse Books * Journals + Journals Home + Browse Journals * About MIT Press Direct * Customer Support Search Dropdown Menu header search search input [ ] Search input auto suggest [ ] filter your search [All Books ] Search Advanced Search User Tools Dropdown Register Sign In Books Gateway Toggle MenuMenu * Browse Books * About * For Librarians * Customer Support Skip Nav Destination Ideas That Created the Future: Classic Papers of Computer Science Buy in Print Options Ideas That Created the Future: Classic Papers of Computer Science Edited by Harry R. Lewis Harry R. Lewis Harry R. Lewis is Gordon McKay Research Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar The MIT Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.001.0001 ISBN electronic: 9780262363174 Publication date: 2021 Classic papers by thinkers ranging from Aristotle and Leibniz to Norbert Wiener and Gordon Moore that chart the evolution of computer science. Ideas That Created the Future collects forty-six classic papers in computer science that map the evolution of the field. It covers all aspects of computer science: theory and practice, architectures and algorithms, and logic and software systems, with an emphasis on the period of 1936-1980 but also including important earlier work. Offering papers by thinkers ranging from Aristotle and Leibniz to Alan Turing and Nobert Wiener, the book documents the discoveries and inventions that created today's digital world. A brief essay by volume editor Harry Lewis, offering historical and intellectual context, accompanies each paper. Readers will learn that we owe to Aristotle the realization that fixed rules of logic can apply to different phenomena--that logic provides a general framework for reasoning--and that Leibniz recognized the merits of binary notation. They can read Ada Lovelace's notes on L. F. Menabrea's sketch of an analytical engine, George Boole's attempt to capture the rules of reason in mathematical form, David Hilbert's famous 1900 address, "Mathematical Problems," and Alan Turing's illumination of a metamathematical world. Later papers document the "Cambrian era" of 1950s computer design, Maurice Wilkes's invention of microcode, Grace Hopper's vision of a computer's "education," Ivan Sutherland's invention of computer graphics at MIT, Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman's pioneering work on encryption, and much more. Lewis's guided tour of a burgeoning field is especially welcome at a time when computer education is increasingly specialized. 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Lewis DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.001.0001 ISBN (electronic): 9780262363174 Publisher: The MIT Press Published: 2021 Download citation file: * Ris (Zotero) * Reference Manager * EasyBib * Bookends * Mendeley * Papers * EndNote * RefWorks * BibTex Table of Contents * Preface Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0001 PDF Link PDF * Introduction: The Roots and Growth of Computer Science Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0002 PDF Link PDF * 1: Prior Analytics (~350 BCE) By Aristotle Aristotle Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0003 PDF Link PDF * 2: The True Method (1677) By Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0004 PDF Link PDF * 3: Sketch of the Analytical Engine (1843) By L. F. Menabreca L. F. Menabreca Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0005 PDF Link PDF * 4: An Investigation of the Laws of Thought on Which Are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities (1854) By George Boole George Boole Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0006 PDF Link PDF * 5: Mathematical Problems (1900) By David Hilbert David Hilbert Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0007 PDF Link PDF * 6: On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem (1936) By Alan Mathison Turing Alan Mathison Turing Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0008 PDF Link PDF * 7: A Proposed Automatic Calculating Machine (1937) By Howard Hathaway Aiken Howard Hathaway Aiken Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0009 PDF Link PDF * 8: A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits (1938) By Claude Shannon Claude Shannon Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0010 PDF Link PDF * 9: A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity (1943) By Warren McCulloch, Warren McCulloch Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Walter Pitts Walter Pitts Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0011 PDF Link PDF * 10: First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC (1945) By John von Neumann John von Neumann Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0012 PDF Link PDF * 11: As We May Think (1945) By Vannevar Bush Vannevar Bush Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0013 PDF Link PDF * 12: A Mathematical Theory of Communication (1948) By Claude Shannon Claude Shannon Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0014 PDF Link PDF * 13: Error Detecting and Error Correcting Codes (1950) By R. W. Hamming R. W. Hamming Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0015 PDF Link PDF * 14: Computing Machinery and Intelligence (1950) By Alan Mathison Turing Alan Mathison Turing Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0016 PDF Link PDF * 15: The Best Way to Design an Automatic Calculating Machine (1951) By Maurice Wilkes Maurice Wilkes Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0017 PDF Link PDF * 16: The Education of a Computer (1952) By Grace Murray Hopper Grace Murray Hopper Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0018 PDF Link PDF * 17: On the Shortest Spanning Subtree of a Graph and the Traveling Salesman Problem (1956) By Joseph B. Kruskal, Jr. Joseph B. Kruskal, Jr. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0019 PDF Link PDF * 18: The Perceptron: A Probabilistic Model for Information Storage and Organization (1958) By Frank Rosenblatt Frank Rosenblatt Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0020 PDF Link PDF * 19: Some Moral and Technical Consequences of Automation (1960) By Norbert Wiener Norbert Wiener Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0021 PDF Link PDF * 20: Man-Computer Symbiosis (1960) By J. C. R. Licklider J. C. R. Licklider Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0022 PDF Link PDF * 21: Recursive Functions of Symbolic Expressions and Their Computation by Machine (1960) By John McCarthy John McCarthy Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0023 PDF Link PDF * 22: Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework (1962) By Douglas C. Englebrt Douglas C. Englebrt Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0024 PDF Link PDF * 23: An Experimental Time-Sharing System (1962) By Fernando Corbato, Fernando Corbato Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Marjorie Merwin Daggett, Marjorie Merwin Daggett Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Robert C. Daly Robert C. Daly Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0025 PDF Link PDF * 24: Sketchpad (1963) By Ivan E. Sutherland Ivan E. Sutherland Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0026 PDF Link PDF * 25: Cramming More Components onto Integrated Circuits (1965) By Gordon Moore Gordon Moore Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0027 PDF Link PDF * 26: Solution of a Problem in Concurrent Program Control (1965) By Edsger Dijkstra Edsger Dijkstra Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0028 PDF Link PDF * 27: ELIZA--A Computer Program for the Study of Natural Language Communication between Man and Machine (1966) By Joseph Weizenbaum Joseph Weizenbaum Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0029 PDF Link PDF * 28: The Structure of the "THE"-Multiprogramming System (1968) By Edsger Dijkstra Edsger Dijkstra Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0030 PDF Link PDF * 29: Go To Statement Considered Harmful (1968) By Edsger Dijkstra Edsger Dijkstra Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0031 PDF Link PDF * 30: Gaussian Elimination is Not Optimal (1969) By Volker Strassen Volker Strassen Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0032 PDF Link PDF * 31: An Axiomatic Basis for Computer Programming (1969) By C. A. R. Hoare C. A. R. Hoare Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0033 PDF Link PDF * 32: A Relational Model of Large Shared Data Banks (1970) By Edgar F. Codd Edgar F. Codd Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0034 PDF Link PDF * 33: Managing the Development of Large Software Systems (1970) By Winston W. Royce Winston W. Royce Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0035 PDF Link PDF * 34: The Complexity of Theorem-Proving Procedures (1971) By Stephen A. Cook Stephen A. Cook Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0036 PDF Link PDF * 35: A Statistical Interpretation of Term Specificity and Its Application in Retrieval (1972) By Karen Sparck Jones Karen Sparck Jones Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0037 PDF Link PDF * 36: Reducibility among Combinatorial Problems (1972) By Richard Karp Richard Karp Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0038 PDF Link PDF * 37: The Unix Time-Sharing System (1974) By Dennis Ritchie, Dennis Ritchie Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Kenneth Thompson Kenneth Thompson Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0039 PDF Link PDF * 38: A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication (1974) By Vnton Cerf, Vnton Cerf Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Robert Kahn Robert Kahn Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0040 PDF Link PDF * 39: Programming with Abstract Data Types (1974) By Barbara Liskov, Barbara Liskov Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Stephen Zilles Stephen Zilles Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0041 PDF Link PDF * 40: The Mythical Man-Month (1975) By Frederick C. Brooks Frederick C. Brooks Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0042 PDF Link PDF * 41: Ethernet: Distributed Packet Switching for Local Computer Networks (1976) By Robert Metcalfe, Robert Metcalfe Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar David R. Boggs David R. Boggs Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0043 PDF Link PDF * 42: New Directions in Cryptography (1976) By Whitfield Diffie, Whitfield Diffie Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Martin Hellman Martin Hellman Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0044 PDF Link PDF * 43: Big Omicron and Big Omega and Big Theta (1976) By Donald E. Knuth Donald E. Knuth Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0045 PDF Link PDF * 44: Social Processes and Proofs of Theorems and Programs (1977) By Richard DeMillo, Richard DeMillo Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Richard Lipton, Richard Lipton Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Alan Perlis Alan Perlis Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0046 PDF Link PDF * 45: A Method for Obtaining Digital Signatures and Public-Key Cryptosystems (1978) By Ronald Rivest, Ronald Rivest Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Adi Shamir, Adi Shamir Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Len Adelman Len Adelman Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0047 PDF Link PDF * 46: How to Share a Secret (1979) By Adi Shamir Adi Shamir Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0048 PDF Link PDF * Bibliography Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0049 PDF Link PDF * Index Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12274.003.0050 PDF Link PDF Availability Key * Open Access * Free * Available * No Access Copyright (c) 2021 Harry R. Lewis 2021 Harry R. Lewis All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. 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