
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future
The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers
John MacCormick(Author)
Princeton University Press
Published on 15. September 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
232 pages
978-0-691-20906-7 (ISBN)
Description
Nine revolutionary algorithms that power our computers and smartphones
Every day, we use our computers to perform remarkable feats. A simple web search picks out a handful of relevant needles from the world's biggest haystack. Uploading a photo to Facebook transmits millions of pieces of information over numerous error-prone network links, yet somehow a perfect copy of the photo arrives intact. Without even knowing it, we use public-key cryptography to transmit secret information like credit card numbers, and we use digital signatures to verify the identity of the websites we visit. How do our computers perform these tasks with such ease? John MacCormick answers this question in language anyone can understand, using vivid examples to explain the fundamental tricks behind nine computer algorithms that power our PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
Every day, we use our computers to perform remarkable feats. A simple web search picks out a handful of relevant needles from the world's biggest haystack. Uploading a photo to Facebook transmits millions of pieces of information over numerous error-prone network links, yet somehow a perfect copy of the photo arrives intact. Without even knowing it, we use public-key cryptography to transmit secret information like credit card numbers, and we use digital signatures to verify the identity of the websites we visit. How do our computers perform these tasks with such ease? John MacCormick answers this question in language anyone can understand, using vivid examples to explain the fundamental tricks behind nine computer algorithms that power our PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
103 b/w illus. 1 table.
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 144 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
248 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-20906-7 (9780691209067)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

John MacCormick
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future
The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers
E-Book
10/2020
1st Edition
Princeton University Press
€19.49
Available for download
Previous edition

John MacCormick
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future
The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers
Book
05/2013
Princeton University Press
€17.32
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
John MacCormick is associate professor of computer science at Dickinson College and a leading teacher, researcher, and writer in his field. His books include What Can Be Computed? A Practical Guide to the Theory of Computation (Princeton).