Latest news with #SystemsofLogicBasedonOrdinals
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Alan Turing papers saved from shredder to be sold
Papers written by World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing are to go up for auction after they were found in a loft and almost shredded. The 1930s collection, which included a copy of Turing's PhD dissertation, is expected to make tens of thousands of pounds when it goes under the hammer in Lichfield, Staffordshire, on 17 June. Turing, considered by many as the father of modern computing, played a key role in WW2 in helping to break the German Enigma codes at Bletchley Park. Rare Book Auctions, which is handling the sale, said the papers were originally gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. After Mr Routledge died in 2013, the documents were found at his home in Bermondsey, London, and taken away by one of his sisters. One of Mr Routledge's nieces, who has not been named, said they were untouched for years until the sister moved into a care home. Her daughters found the collection and "considered shredding everything" before they checked with the nieces and nephews. The niece said the family were "bowled over by the valuations and level of enthusiasm" after the collection was inspected by Rare Book Auctions. The papers were called offprints and were used as a method of correspondence between scholars. The PhD dissertation from 1938 or 1939, called Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, is signed by Turing and has been valued at £40,000 to £60,000. Another paper called On Computable Numbers from 1936 or 37, which introduced the world to the idea of a "universal computing machine", was also valued at £40,000 to £60,000. The collection also includes a letter from Turing's mother Ethel, dated 16 May 1956, in which she wrote about the manner of her son's death and requests for her to write a biography. Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, described the collection as "the most important archive" he had ever handled. "These seemingly plain papers - perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers - represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing," he added. Before WW2 Turing invented the idea of a machine that could decode and perform any set of instructions and a decade later would design an electronic computer, capable of running any program. However, he was prosecuted for homosexual acts in 1952 and was chemically castrated before he died from cyanide poisoning in 1954, with an inquest concluding suicide. He received a posthumous royal pardon for his conviction in 2013. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. MP calls for rail route be named after Alan Turing Rare Turing papers worth £397k saved from export AI artwork of Alan Turing sells for $1m High profile Turing papers banned from leaving UK Rare Book Auctions
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Alan Turing papers saved from shredder could fetch £150,000
Widely considered the father of theoretical computer science, Alan Turing's influence on modern life continues to be felt in the age of artificial intelligence. But despite this legacy, a cache of his most important papers was nearly shredded – only to be saved at the last minute when their significance was recognised at a family event. At auction next month, the papers are expected to sell for as much as £150,000 in 13 separate lots. Among the collection is the wartime codebreaker's personal signed copy of his 1938 PhD dissertation, Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, valued at between £40,000 to £60,000. Also featured is his paper On Computable Numbers, also known as Turing's proof, which introduced the world to the idea of a universal computing machine in 1936. It has been described as the first programming manual of the computer age and also has a guide price of £40,000 to £60,000. The papers, known as offprints, were produced in very small numbers and distributed among fellow scholars, making these incredibly scarce survivors of a kind that rarely appear on the market. Jim Spencer, the director of Rare Book Auctions of Lichfield, Staffordshire, was asked to assess the papers, which were handed to him in a carrier bag, and he is overseeing their sale. 'Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag. I opened it and thought 'good lord',' he said. 'Intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that Alan Turing was superhuman. For me, it's like studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation.' Turing played a vital role in cracking the German Enigma code when he worked at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, which was crucial to the allied victory in the second world war. His theories have been credited with informing and shaping modern artificial intelligence. Spencer said he expected interest would be strong in Silicon Valley, where Turing's influence continues. Turing was later persecuted for being gay and took his own life in 1954 aged 41. The discovery of the papers was the result of a series of serendipitous events. After Turing's death, his mother, Ethel, gave his papers to his friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge, who stored them in the loft of his home in Bermondsey, south London. Routledge died in 2013 and his sister recovered the documents during a clearout. She stored them in her attic where they remained until she moved into a care home. Her daughters then came across the papers but did not realise their significance and planned to put them through a shredder along with other documents. But last November they took them to a family reunion event and one relative suggested they seek an expert opinion. This was where Spencer came in. 'These seemingly plain papers – perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers – represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing,' he said. The papers include The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, from 1952. This is described as Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology, and his last major published work. It has since become a basic model in theoretical biology. Charged as a criminal, barred from GCHQ, banned from the US and forced to undergo chemical castration, Turing killed himself two years after his conviction. 'This injustice, and the fact he didn't survive to see his enormous influence and impact, makes these papers feel so special,' Spencer said. The sale takes place on 17 June.
