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Already published in this series : A PRACTICAL MANUAL ON T H E MONTE CARLO M E T H O D FOR RANDOM WALK PROBLEMS. By E. D. CASHWELL and C. J. EVERETT, 1959. SELF-ORGANIZING SYSTEMS. By M. C. Y o v m and S. CAMERON, 1960.
Annual Review in Automatic Programming I Papers read at the Working Conference on Automatic Programming of Digital Computers held at Brighton, 1—3 April 1959
Edited by RICHARD GOODMAN, M.A., B.Sc. The Computing Laboratory, Brighton Technical College
PERGAMON PRESS OXFORD · LONDON · NEW YORK · PARIS
1960
PERGAMON PRESS LTD. Headington Hill Hall, Oxford 4 & 5 Fitzroy Square, London W. 1. PERGAMON PRESS INC. 122 East 55th Street, New York 22, NY. P.O. Box 47715, Los Angeles, California PERGAMON PRESS S.A.R.L. 24 Rue des Écoles, Paris Ve PERGAMON PRESS G.m.b.H. Kaiserstrasse 75, Frankfurt am Main
Copyright © 1960 PERGAMON PRESS L T D .
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Printed in Great Britain by the Pitman Press, Bath
Dedicated to the Memory of the Late ALAN MATHISON TURING, M.A., O.B.E, F.R.S.
Preface THIS, the first volume of the Annual Review in Automatic Programming, reproduces the eighteen papers presented to the Conference on Automatic Programming of Digital Computers organized by the Department of Mathematics of the Brighton Technical College and held on 1, 2 and 3 April 1959. Whenever possible the papers have been modified to deal with points made in discussion. The idea that such a Conference would be desirable and opportune emerged in informal conversations with representatives of the computer manufacturers. The aim of the Conference was both simple a n d modest: to attempt a first review of work being done, especially in Britain, in this field; to afford an opportunity for an exchange of views, among a necessarily limited number of workers, on problems and difficulties arising; and to provide, with the published Proceedings, what, it is hoped, will be a convenient, authoritative and easily available record of the position to date. A direct outcome, arising from a recommendation by Conference to the organizers, was the decision to establish in Brighton, with the assistance of computer-manufacturers, computer-users, university computing centres and other bodies, the Automatic Programming Information Centre, which came into being on January 1 this year. The aims of A.P.I.C. are: (i) to establish and maintain a comprehensive specialist library of publications, papers, research reports and other material, relating to the principles and techniques of automatic coding and automatic programming, and to make these available in English to subscribers; (ii) to publish an Annual Review in Automatic Programming, of which this is the first Volume; and (iii) to organize conferences on particular aspects of the subject. ix
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Preface
An Advisory Committee to assist the work of the Centre has been established and includes : Dr. A. D. Booth (University of London), Mr. R. A. Brooker (University of Manchester), Mr. W. Bürge (E.M.I.), Mr. P. V. Ellis (International Computers and Tabulators Ltd.), Dr. S. Gill (Ferranti Ltd.), Dr. J. Howlett (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority), Dr. R. J. Ord-Smith (Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd.), Mr. C. Robinson (English Electric Co. Ltd.), Mr. Christopher Strachey, Mr. A. E. Taylor (Remington Rand, Univac), Mr. J. H. Wensley (Computer Developments Ltd.), and Mr. M. Woodger (Mathematics Division, National Physical Laboratory). To assist the Centre to maintain contact with sources of information outside the U.K., the following consented to serve as Corresponding Members of the Advisory Committee : Dr. R. W. Berner (I.B.M., U.S.A.), Dr. Grace Hopper (Remington Rand, U.S.A.), Dr. L. Lukaszewicz (Warsaw), Dr. M. Pacelli (Olivetti, Italy), Dr. W. L. van der Poel (Netherlands P.T.S),