01100100 years since the birth of Claude Shannon

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    Claude Shannon loved to drive away to Las Vegas with his wife Betty and a colleague to play blackjack . They were not too lazy and even developed the first wearable computer to deal with “card counting” (High-Low method).

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    Today, April 30, 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. Together with Edison , congratulations to the founder of Information Theory . By the way, Shannon is a distant relative of Thomas Edison .

    Under the cut some interesting achievements of the birthday man.

    “Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits”


    “Perhaps the most important as well as the most famous master's work of the century”
    - Howard Gardner

    An article written based on Shannon's 1937 master's thesis.


    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Symbolic_Analysis_of_Relay_and_Switching_Circuits
    PDF (72 pages in English)

    “Algebra for Theoretical Genetics” (An Algebra for Theoretical Genetics)



    Shannon's doctoral dissertation of 1940.
    PDF (74 pages in English)

    Cryptography


    He worked on devices for detecting enemy aircraft and guiding anti-aircraft installations on them, he also developed cryptographic systems, including government communications, which provided Churchill and Roosevelt negotiations across the ocean.

    He proved that a one-time notebook is a system with absolute cryptographic strength (but as history has shown, it is in crooked hands and it has vulnerabilities).

    Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems
    PDF (60 pages)

    Bit



    In 1948, he suggested using the word “bit” to mean the smallest unit of information (in the article “ Mathematical Theory of Communication ”).
    Pdf

    Shannon mouse



    In 1950, he created a mouse robot with the rudiments of artificial intelligence, which could go through a maze.
    Details here .

    Minivac 601


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    In 1961, Shannon created a “computer” out of logic switches and relays to educate businessmen on how computers work. This device could win in tic-tac-toe.

    Useless machine


    Implemented the concept of Marvin Minsky - "useless car."


    Juggling


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    To keep his mind in good shape, Shannon was engaged in juggling and even wanted to build robotic jugglers. He proved several mathematical theorems related to juggling.

    1987



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    Omni: Do you find it depressing that chess computers are getting so strong?
    Shannon: I am not depressed by it. I am rooting for the machines! I have always been on the machines' side. Ha-ha!

    Omni: Doesn't it bother you that computers get stronger in chess?
    Shannon: Doesn't bother. I am a fan of cars! I will always be on the side of the cars. Haha

    PS
    "We know the past but cannot control it. We control the future but cannot know it. ”
    - Claude Shannon

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