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Alan Turing Papers On Code Breaking Released By GCHQ

Posted by samzenpus on from the check-it-out dept.

peetm writes "Two 70-year-old papers by Alan Turing on the theory of code breaking have been released by the government's communications headquarters, GCHQ. It is believed Turing wrote the papers while at Bletchley Park working on breaking German Enigma codes. A GCHQ mathematician said the fact that the contents had been restricted 'shows what a tremendous importance it has in the foundations of our subject.'"

9 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Alan Turing's Work by alanmeyer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Alan Turing's work continues to demonstrate "what a tremendous importance it has in the foundations" of computing technology in general, not just crypto.

    1. Re:Alan Turing's Work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Even if he was, it wouldn't be of any note. It doesn't fucking matter.

    2. Re:Alan Turing's Work by spongman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      yes, noteworthy in that he showed it's possible to be gay, be persecuted by neanderthals and still be one of the most influential thinkers of our time.

      thankfully he's wasn't also a stupid fucking slashdot troll, or we might all be Nazis right now.

    3. Re:Alan Turing's Work by Nidi62 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The self sacrifice of that "fudge packer", along with the sacrifice of millions of other men and women, is what kept the 1000 Year Reich from even reaching 10.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    4. Re:Alan Turing's Work by Roachie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When I hear Alan Turing I think code breaking, computer science, cutting edge math. When AC hears Alan Turing he thinks... gay sex. Me thinks thou doth protest too much.

      --
      This sig is not paradoxical or ironic.
  2. British Governments Crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I love how Turing articles never mention what the British did to him. Still makes me sick every time I think about it.

    This is how humans treat their best and brightest.

  3. Genius recognition by tomhath · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Alan Turing just had brilliant ideas way ahead of their time which were terribly important to the future of the world if you like," Mr Harper said.

    I kinda wish geniuses like Turing were rewarded as well as a second string shortstop or bench warming basketball player.

  4. I think 30 million dead Russians had something to by melted · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I think 30 million dead Russians had something to do with that as well. Not to diminish Turing's contribution, but how much did it matter compared to that?

  5. Re:I think 30 million dead Russians had something by _Shad0w_ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He, along with others, shortened the length of the war. So you had 30 million dead Russian instead of 60, 90, or god knows how many million dead Russians. And dead various other nationalities come to that. I'd say they both mattered, one shortened the war, one ensured it wasn't lost in the mean time.

    --

    Yeah, I had a sig once; I got bored of it.