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In 1936, when he was just twenty-four years old, Alan Turing wrote a remarkable paper in which he outlined the theory of computation, laying out the ideas that underlie all modern computers. This groundbreaking and powerful theory now forms the basis of computer science. In Turing´s Vision, Chris Bernhardt explains the theory, Turing´s most important contribution, for the general reader. Bernhardt argues that the strength of Turing´s theory is its simplicity, and that, explained in a straightforward manner, it is eminently understandable by the nonspecialist. As Marvin Minsky writes, "The sheer simplicity of the theory´s foundation and extraordinary short path from this foundation to its logical and surprising conclusions give the theory a mathematical beauty that alone guarantees it a permanent place in computer theory." Bernhardt begins with the foundation and systematically builds to the surprising conclusions. He also views Turing´s theory in the context of mathematical history, other views of computation (including those of Alonzo Church), Turing´s later work, and the birth of the modern computer.

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"A fascinating account of Alan Turing´s epic research paper, which kicked off the entire computer revolution. I´m particularly impressed by the amount of detail the author includes while keeping everything simple, transparent, and a pleasure to read." - Ian Stewart, author of In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World

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Chris Bernhardt is Professor of Mathematics at Fairfield University.

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