Celebration of the 100th Birthday of Alan Turing

This year computer scientists around the world will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Alan Turing, which occurs on June 23, 2012. Alan Turing formulated the "Turing machine", the widely mathematical model of the computer; he has been called the "father of computer science." Turing's ideas enabled the leap from calculators to the modern universal computer which could store and modify its own programs. But he is also well known for his role in developing the Collossus machine which was used to break the Enigma Code during World War II, as well as work in artificial intelligence and mathematical biology. His legacy is recognized by the annual award in his name, the Turing Award, given by the Association for Computing Machinery and considered the equivalent to a Nobel prize for computer science. 

We would also like this opportunity to celebrate the foundations of computer science with students and the wider Victoria community. 

On Friday, June 22, University of Victoria will hold an all-day seminar in which current and emeritus professors will present Turing's work including the Undecidability of the Halting Problem, the Turing Test, and methods of cryptanalysis. A film "Breaking the Code", an acclaimed film about Turing, will be shown. There will be a coffee and birthday cake reception