The world was shocked when a computer, Deep Blue defeated Gary Kasparov, arguably the greatest human chess player ever to have lived. This remarkable victory, and other, more day-to-day innovations, beg serious questions: what are the limits of what computers can do? Can they think? Do they learn? Discussions of these questions tend to get muddled because most people have only the vaguest idea of how computers actually work. This book explains the inner workings of computers in a way that does not require a profound knowledge of mathematics nor an understanding of electrical engineering. Starting with an account of how computers are built and why they work, W. Daniel Hillis describes what they can and cannot do -- at the present time - before explaining how a computer can surpass its programmer and, finally, where humanity has reached in its quest for a true Thinking Machine.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Orion Publishing Group
ISBN-13
9780753812624
eBay Product ID (ePID)
88864251
Product Key Features
Author
W.Daniel Hillis
Publication Name
The Pattern on the Stone: the Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Subject
Computer Science
Publication Year
2001
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
176 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
197mm
Item Width
130mm
Item Weight
173g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
W.Daniel Hillis
Series Title
Science Masters
Country/Region of Manufacture
United Kingdom
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