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John Warner Backus
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Science & Tech

John Warner Backus

American mathematician
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https://64.176.36.150/biography/John-Warner-Backus
Last Updated: • Article History
Category: Science & Tech
Born:
Dec. 3, 1924, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.
Died:
March 17, 2007, Ashland, Ore. (aged 82)
Awards And Honors:
Draper Prize (1993)
Turing Award (1977)
National Medal of Science (1975)
Inventions:
FORTRAN
Subjects Of Study:
ALGOL
FORTRAN
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John Warner Backus (born Dec. 3, 1924, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.—died March 17, 2007, Ashland, Ore.) American computer scientist and mathematician who led the team that designed FORTRAN (formula translation), the first important algorithmic language for computers. Restless as a young man, Backus found his niche in mathematics, earning a B.S. (1949) and an M.A. (1950) from Columbia University in New York City. He joined the computer manufacturer International Business Machines (IBM) in 1950. Tired of laborious hand coding, he was granted permission to assemble a team at IBM that would work on improving efficiency. His small group at IBM developed ...(100 of 187 words)

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