The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (Science Masters)

The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (Science Masters)





Danny Hillis offers a clear, easy-to-understand explanation of how computers perform their amazing feats.

"Highly recommended." -Library Journal

"When Daniel Hillis tells you computers are simple, he's quite persuasive." -Industry Standard

"A helpful and succinct volume." -Publishers Weekly

"Clear and down-to-earth; even hopeless technophobes should find it entertaining." -Kirkus Reviews

Most people are baffled by how computers work. What they don't realize is that the computer's complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts performing simple procedures over and over. In this welcome volume, W. Daniel Hillis makes a computer seem as basic as a bicycle. Hillis begins with a rundown of basic logic to clear descriptions of what programming languages, algorithms, and memory are. He then takes readers in easy steps up to the most exciting development in computing today-quantum computing, parallel computing, neural networks, and self-organizing systems.Daniel Hillis has made a career of puzzling over the nature of information and the mechanisms that put information to use. Now, he's distilled his accumulated knowledge of computer science into The Pattern on the Stone, a glorious book that reveals the nature of logical machines simply and elegantly.

Millions of times each second, to the drumbeat of a clock signal, electronic computers compare digital values. These comparisons, and the actions taken in response to them, are what computers are all about at their lowest levels, and, with the help of this book, they're not hard to comprehend. Moving on from the nature of logical circuits, the author deconstructs software and the mechanisms it employs to solve problems.

Hillis then stands atop the building blocks he's arranged into a sturdy foundation and discusses the future of computing. Parallel processors already are in use, and neural networks with limited abilities to learn and adapt have proved quite good at certain jobs. Hillis explores the potential of both these technologies. Then, he throws some light on quantum computing and evolving systems--emerging ideas that promise to make computers much more powerful, and thereby change the world. --David Wall









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