The Enigma

Alan Turing (1912 – 54)

“ I propose to consider the question 'Can machines think? ”

The British mathematician Alan Turing is considered to be greatly responsable for breaking the code of German secret communications and the Enigma Machine, a secret German encription device thus making a large contribution to the Allied war effort and eventual victory.

A pioneer in the theoretical development of computing machines and Articifial Intelligence,
making of the greatest breakthhroughs in 20th century mathematics and logic in extremely original work. He proposed a famous test for machine intelligence now known as the Turing Test.

His work is very relevant today with the theoretical study of AI.

Education and University studies

His father a member of the Indian Civil Service in Madras, the children at school and brought up in England, educated at Sherborne School and King' college.

In 1936 Turing made outstanding contributions to the development of computer science outlining a theoretical “universal” machine, known as a Turing machine. and giving precise mathematical characterisatiobn of his ideas and the concept of computability.

His research on mathematical logic led to a proof of  the “Entsheidungs Problem” on computable numbers, thus solving and answering of an unanswered famous problem the great mathematician Hilbert had posed at the turn of the century, Tirung's paper was published 1937 while at Princeton, in 1936 – 38 and then returning to Cambridge.

In this paper he proved that some mathematical problems cannot be solved by an automatic machine and he gave a theoretical description of a universal computing machine which could do anything a human could do if given explicit instructions in advance.

Later, apart of mathematics he did important research in biology.

World War II

In 1936 – 39 Turing was at Princeton and Cambridge, and at the start of the WW2 he worked at the secret Government Code and Cipher School in breaking enemy codes for which was awarded by the OBE in 1946. Thus Turing had greatly contributed to the Allied victory in the war effort as well as Allied success in the Pacific.

During 1946 – 48 Turing was at the National Physics Laboratory where worked on an automatic computing machine.

For his work was awarded the OBE. At Manchester university in 1950 Turing published  the  article “Computing Machines and Intelligence” where he examined the view that computers might be said to think.

In proposing a theoretical design of an automatic computing machine as well as a primitive computing machine able to play chess, related to Artifical Intelligence Turing  is quoted as,

“In other words then, if a machine is expected to be infallible, then it cannot also be intelligent”.

Private Life

Turing had several intimate relationships with men although he had been to marry a women colleague. He broke the engagement, he said he loved her dearly but as a sister and lacking of passion. For homosexuality further aggravated as with a working class partner, he received a two year prison sentence or to consent to hormone therapy causing impotence.

The fact is Turing was a war hero, instrumental in espionage and intelligence by the British gathering secret information of the enemy, he might well be said to have had a crucial role in the Allied victory.

Persecuted for homosexuality tragically he took is own life. At the height of his academic faculties and ability Turing was discovered dead in his bed poisoned by cyanide, the official verdict was suicide. There are many such stories and all other kinds of rules and “labels” in society that are still the same many just unofficial and not written in the Law.

The reason for this note is to show how, due to preconceived beliefs and judgements of society and intolerance specifically to sexual orientation, people could be legally charged for alleged immoral and indecent acts and found guilty of crime. To show how even a war hero can soon be forgotten, branded, prosecuted criminally for sexual orientation, found guilty and sentenced.

That was the thanks and the reward. The acclaimed film “ The Imitation Game" based on his life story was released in 2014.