

John von Neumann, EDVAC, and the IAS Machine - benev
http://www.linuxvoice.com/john-von-neumann/?pk_campaign=hn&pk_kwd=vn4

======
pbh101
If anyone wants a bit more detail and color on this story, I recommend
"Turing's Cathedral" by George Dyson. I saw it in a bookstore last year and
picked it up. Was quite pleased to get more background on these seminal
characters in computing history and was astounded to see much came from this
group, prompted by their utter conviction that it was paramount for the US to
get hydrogen bombs before the USSR (most of them: the book touches
tangentially on that debate).

Also impressed by how much they did with so little. For example, many of the
first fusion particle simulations were one-dimensional on a radial axis from
the center of the reaction. An infinitesimal sliver of the whole thing: just a
serial line of particles.

Edit: George Dyson, not Freeman.

------
j_m_b
It is interesting that the man who invented the computer was the man who
needed it the least. He had eidetic memory. He was able to compute infinite
sums in his head. His vast intelligence was not crippling; he made huge
contributions across many fields of science and mathematics and still managed
to get married twice.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann)

Does anyone know of someone alive today that is even comparable to Von
Neumann?

~~~
valarauca1
Not very Von Neumann was a genius in every single form of the word. The only
historical figures I feel safe comparing him to is Sir Isaac Newton (which is
a stretch Newton is really beyond compare).

Von Neumann also got the priviledge later in his life to work with Einstien
and Kurt Gödel while in New Jersey.

The joke about infinite sums is one of Von Neumann's associates asked him

>"Two trains are 20 miles apart on the same track heading towards each other
at 10 miles per hour, on a collision course. At the same time, a bee takes off
from the nose of one train at 20 miles per hour, towards the other train. As
soon as the bee reaches the other train, it bangs huwey and heads off at 20
miles per hour back towards the first train. It continues to do this until the
trains collide, killing the bee.

>How far will the bee have traveled?"

This is called a mathematicians trap. And its similiar to XKCD 356 (Nerd
Snipping) [2]. There is a simple eloquent algebraic way to solve the problem,
but it requires some insite. And there is a complex way involving summing an
infinite series. Normally mathematicians end up preforming a very vast complex
infinite series sum. [1]

When Von Neumann was asked the question it took him about 10 seconds to
respond.

The associate who asked him stated, "Oh you must have heard the joke before."

To which Von Neumann responded, "No I just solved for the sum of the infinite
series."

[1] [http://thesciencepundit.blogspot.com/2006/07/john-von-
neuman...](http://thesciencepundit.blogspot.com/2006/07/john-von-neumann-and-
mathematicians.html)

[2] [https://xkcd.com/356/](https://xkcd.com/356/)

~~~
NAFV_P
> _Not very Von Neumann was a genius in every single form of the word. The
> only historical figures I feel safe comparing him to is Sir Isaac Newton
> (which is a stretch Newton is really beyond compare)._

Newton is overrated, and has been for too long.

The mathematician Greg Chaitin thinks that Newton's contemporary Liebniz is
superior in intellect.

------
ht_th
For those who are interested in the history of
computing/computers/informatics, there is a mailing list
([http://www.sigcis.org/node/19](http://www.sigcis.org/node/19)) for/by
historians and enthusiasts on this topic. It is a quit list, but now and then
something interesting pops up.

------
hga
Previous posting, albeit with only one comment by myself:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7924533](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7924533)

