Engines of Logic

Computers are ubiquitous yet to many they remain objects of irreducible mystery. This text looks at the question of how today's computers can perform such a variety of tasks if computing is just glorified arithmetic. The author illustrates how the answer lies in the fact that computers are essentially engines of logic and that their hardware and software embody concepts develop...

Computers are ubiquitous yet to many they remain objects of irreducible mystery. This text looks at the question of how today's computers can perform such a variety of tasks if computing is just glorified arithmetic. The author illustrates how the answer lies in the fact that computers are essentially engines of logic and that their hardware and software embody concepts developed over centuries by logicians. "Engines of Logic" gives the reader a clear explanation of how and why computers work.

马丁·戴维斯是计算机科学发展史上的先驱人物，其《可计算性与不可解性》一书被誉为计算机科学领域极少数真正的经典著作之一。他是纽约大学库朗数学科学研究所的荣誉退休教授，目前在加州大学伯克利分校做访问学者。