Question

There are three pioneers of Computing: Fred Brooks,  Brian Kernighan and Grace Hopper.

Write a 250-300 word description for each person stating who they are, what are their contributions to Computing, and why these were significant. Include at least 2 good references for each person.

Answer 1

Fred Brooks:

His full name is Frederick Philips Brooks, born on April 19, 1931 in Durham, North Carolina of U.S.

He is an American computer scientist who is the winner of the 1999 A.M. Turing Awar which is the highest honor in COMPUTER SCIENCE for his excellence contribution to

• computer architecture
• operating systems
• software engineering

He has completed his education from Duke University on Bachelor's degree in physics in the year 1953 then doctorate in 1956 in applied mathematics from Harvard University.

After finishing doctorate he joined IBM and there he known as Stretch where he invented a computer's inerrrupt system.

In 1965 th left IBM and founded the computer science department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Brooks

Brian Kernighan:

Well known as Brian W. Kernighan was an Canadian Scientist, who is professor by occassion and earned his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Princeton in 1969 then joined the department in 2000.

Before returning to Princeton he worked for 30 years at the Compuer Science Research Center of Bell Lab. There he was the head of the Computer Structures Research Department from 1981 to 2000.

He is the member of the editorial board for Software practiv\ce and Experience and later the adviser for the Addison- Wesley series on Professional Computing since 1990. His contributions are in development of Unix alongside other creators.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kernighan#:~:text=Brian%20Wilson%20Kernighan%20(%2F%CB%88k,Ken%20Thompson%20and%20Dennis%20Ritchie.&text=He%20authored%20many%20Unix%20programs%2C%20including%20ditroff.

Grace Hopper:

Full name Grace Brewster Murray Hopper was a computer poineer and naval officer. She lived from 1906 to 1992.

She earned a master's degree in 1930 and Ph.D in 1934 in mathematics from Yale. She enjoyed long and influential careers in the U.S. Navy and the computer industry.

After receiving her master's degree in mathematics from Yale she began teaching mathematics at Vassar while pursuing her doctorate and completed her Ph.D in mathematics from Yale in 1934.

Her Trailblazing contribution to computer programming, software development and the design and implementation of programming languages.

Reference: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Grace-Hopper