C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
NOT ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE COLLECTION IS YET
AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION.
ENQUIRIES
SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO:
BODLEIAN LIBRARY,
THE KEEPER OF WESTERN MANUSCRIPTS,
OXFORD.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
LIST OF CONTENTS
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
SECTION A
BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERSONAL
SECTION B
=OXFORD UNIVERSITY
Introduction to Section B
SECTION C
WORKING PAPERS, NOTES, CALCULATIONS
C.1- C.274
Introduction & detailed list of contents
C.1
-€C.19
Standard Telephone & Cables
Ltd. (S.T.C.), 1939-45
C.20
- C.26
€.27
- C.115
C.136 - C.201
C.202 - C.274
C.116- C.135
Private Consultancy, 1959-64
Automatic Computing Engine
(ACE), 1950-51
National Research Development
Corporation (N.R.D.C.), 1951-59
Oxford University Programming
Research Group (P.R.G.), 1966-75
Cambridge University
Mathematical Laboratory, 1962-65
Introduction to Section D
SECTION D
CONSULTANCIES
D.1 - D.109
C. Strachey
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SECTION E
COMMITTEES AND SOCIETIES
Introduction to Section E
SECTION F = PUBLICATIONS, REVIEWS, REPORTS
Introduction to Section F
SECTION G
LECTURES, TALKS AND PAPERS
Introduction to Section G
SECTION H
CONFERENCES
Introduction to Section H
SECTION J
J.
CORRESPONDENCE
INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS, ORGANISATIONS AND FIRMS
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GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Christopher Strachey was born in 1916. His father was the cryptographer,
Oliver Strachey, from whom he may have derived his lifelong love of visual, verbal and
mathematical puzzles and problems.
His mother, Ray Costelloe,
was an active suffra-
gist;
she built, largely with her own hands, the ‘Mud House' near Haslemere which was
a family holiday home and was used by Strachey throughout his life as a place of retreat
for thinking or writing.
Strachey was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, Norfolk (where he won
a medal for the High Jump), and at King's College, Cambridge.
He read mathematics
and physics, and on leaving the University took an appointment as a Research Physicist
in the Valve Research Laboratories, Standard Telephone & Cables Ltd., where he worked
on the theoretical design of centimetric radar valves.
After the war he became a
schoolmaster at St. Edmund's School, Canterbury, 1945-49, and at Harrow School,
1949-52.
It was during his period at Harrow, and in his spare time, that he began to
construct a draughts-playing program for a computer.
His temperamental ingenuity and
mathematical training coalesced and he had found his métier.
According to The Times
January 1950 and had devised a draughts-playing program, but was frustrated by the
late 1950. © Ademonstration in 1951 of an improved version of the program and,
machine led to his appointment as Technical Officer, National Research Development
Corporation, 1951-59.
During this period Strachey was involved in work on various
In
fact, Strachey had learned the autocode of the Pilot ACE from M. Woodger in
obituarist, he 'suddenly appeared' in 1950 at the National Physical Laboratory ‘with a
draughts-playing program for their Pilot ACE'; this is not strictly the case, though it
is
characteristically, of a program to play 'God Save the King' on the Manchester Mark |
delay in commissioning the machine, which was not capable of running his program until
true that 'this was extraordinarily sophisticated work, particularly for an unknown amateur’.
Of this, Strachey wrote: ‘Pegasus was unusual in that this assembler and
computers built by Ferranti Ltd. and by Elliott Bros., though he is also remembered for
‘another tour de force which advanced the opening of the Great Lakes to shipping by
many years', logical design for the Elliott 401, and the overall design of the Ferranti
another jeu d'esprit, the 'Love Letters' program for the Manchester machine.
Major projects were the St. Lawrence River Power Project, described as
Pegasus.
C. Strachey
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5
library system was designed and completely written before the prototype machine was
completed.
| did most of the work of commissioning the prototype machine’.
A not
dissimilar example of his insistence on the primacy of software may be seen many years
later, in March 1969, when Strachey's operating system (written in BCPL) for the
Modular One machine supplied for his Programming Research Group in Oxford enabled
the machine to pass its acceptance trials within hours of its delivery and to be in full
operation in 48 hours.
In 1959, at the first international conference on information processing,
Strachey gave a paper, Time-sharing in Large Fast Computers, which broke new ground
at the time.
Strachey himself later moved away from the concept and became ‘largely
disenchanted with the idea of using a very large machine to do a great many very small
jobs', but his name has remained associated with time-sharing.
In the same year, 1959, Strachey left the National Research Development
Corporation and, with Peter Landin as his assistant, set up a private consultancy, working
from his London house in Bedford Gardens.
This was a relatively rare enterprise for the
period, and he was consulted by a large proportion of the computer manufacturers then
operating in Britain, as well as continuing to work on specific projects for the National
2400 machine, and led in 1962 to a part-time appointment at Cambridge University
The project was the design of the hardware and software of the Titan computer, later
known as the Atlas 2.
Strachey's specific contribution to the project was the develop-
Research Development Corporation.
His own primary interest in high-level programming
Mathematical Laboratory and a Senior Research Fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge.
a tribute to Strachey, published in Computer Bulletin, September 1975, David Barron
languages and mathematical semantics was furthered by his work on LIST for the EMIDEC
eventually settled on CPL, for ‘Cambridge programming language’, and
We never did get a compiler, but at the end df it he had formulated some
of the fundamental ideas of modern programming languages, had sown the
seed for the work on formal semantics that he and Peter Landin were later
to pursue, and | had gained an understanding of programming languages
the depth of which | have only recently come to appreciate.
the ideas we floated, and discarded as too presumptuous, was ‘Programming
language one'.
We have been kicking ourselves ever since.
We
ment of a general purpose programming language (known as CPL) and its compiler.
In
writes of this episode:
One of our first concerns was the name of the language.
One of
C. Strachey
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_It did not escape notice that
for one, would wish it to be remembered. We
when later a group from the Institute of Computer Science in London
joined the project the same acronym was used, the meaning now being
‘Combined programming language’.
the initials could also denote 'Christopher's programming language",
and that is how I,
devoted a lot of time in the early days to syntactic matters, particu-
larly to the problem of defining operator precedence so that the
‘obvious' mathematical meaning of an expression is retained.
ever, this preoccupation with syntax was short-lived, being terminated
by the enunciation of Strachey's first law of programming: ‘Decide
what you want to say before you worry about how you are going to say
Following this dictum, Christopher began to think about the
it'.
formal semantic definition of languages, particularly by use of the
lambda calculus, and produced a number of highly significant con-
cepts, notably ‘left hand values' and 'right hand values', the direct
descendant of which is the reference concept that is central to
Algol 68.
scarcely used, it had a remarkable influence.
of Strachey's students as an implementation subset of CPL, had
established itself as an implementation language in
POP-2 and Algol 68 show many traces of CPL in their design.
Although CPL was never completely implemented, and
BCP, devised by one
its own right;
How-
The work on CPL also bore fruit more directly for Strachey.
It led to
his development of the General Purpose Macrogenerator, ‘a simple but very general
string
gp
processor’, and to the
paper Towards a Formal Semantics, which he described as
pcp
and Fellow of Wolfson College, until his death in 1975.
Strachey's direction.
He remained there, as Reader then Professor in Computation,
public life and policy in computing.
He served on various committees of the British
collaboration especially with Dana Scott, for the rest of his life.
It also led to the
From about 1962, Strachey began to be increasingly involved with
the semantics of a programming language’, and on which he continued to work, in
at Oxford, where, in 1965, the Programming Research Group was established under
‘the beginning of a mathematical (as opposed to operational) approach to formulating
Summer School on 'Advances in programming and non-numerical analysis' held in 1963
influence’.
Science Research Council, the International Federation for Information Processing, and
Computer Society, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and later the
parties, symposia and the like, as well as to referee research proposals and publica-
"college" was guided along the path at some stage by Strachey's direct or indirect
In 1971, Donald Michie wrote:
‘Today an "invisible college"
of programming
He was also in demand for lectures and papers, at conferences, working
theory exists throughout the Universities of Britain.
Almost every member of this
others.
tions.
C. Strachey
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Although, in compiling the above outline of Strachey's career and work,
use has been made of printed obituaries and tributes, the collection itself documents
the whole story, often in great detail.
This is because Strachey was of a squirrel-like
temperament, retaining his own papers and incoming material,
From time to time, too,
he would draw up a tabulated 'state of affairs' document summarising aspects of his life
and activity. Much of the collection is indeed Strachey's own manuscript, in a small
hand which hardly varied with time;
the programming for the Manchester machines, the
mathematical caiculations on eigenvalues, the LISP compiler, the Modular One Compiler,
and many others, are all entirely in his hand.
There are also multiple drafts for major
papers on Fundamental Concepts in Programming Languages (1967, unpublished),
Varieties of Programming Languages (1972), and A Theory of Programming Language
Semantics (1974, unpublished).
Of more than personal interest, too, are the various
receipts and account books, particularly those relating to his private consultancy, which
show how such an enterprise could be run at the time.
The Section on Strachey's consultancies often includes programs, reports
and other printed or duplicated material emanating from the firms or manufacturers
computer industry have often occurred.
where possible.
on such material included there.
PRESENTATION
or unpublished at his death.
Shorter articles, papers and drafts can be found passim.
involved.
These have been retained, as subsequent mergers and changes in the British
See especially Sections C,
F and G;
there is a note in the introduction to Section H
There is no bibliography of Strachey's writings;
he was notoriously reluctant
to commit himself to academic writing and some of his majer work remained unfinished
The Index of correspondents includes individuals, organisations and firms.
introductory notes accompany each of the major projects and cross-references are provided
more detailed index of the Working papers, notes and calculations precedes Section C;
The extensive nature of the material necessitated a division into 'Sections'
which is
in many ways artificial.
A general list of contents is given on pp. 2-3, anda
C. Strachey
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PROVENANCE
The material was assembled from the house of Mrs. Barbara Halpern,
Strachey's sister, and from his room at the Programming Research Group, Oxford.
LOCATIONS OF OTHER MATERIAL
Mrs. Halpern retains a small amount of personal material and photo-
graphs.
Oxford University Programming Research Group retains the following
manuscript lecture notes:
Diploma Course 1968-69:
Introduction to Programming Languages.
Lecture Notes, Hilary Term 1970:
Mathematical Theory of Semantics.
Lecture Notes, Michaelmas Term 1971:
Theory of Mathematical Semantics, Lattice Theory.
Lecture Notes, Hilary Term 1973:
Lecture Notes, Hilary Term 1974:
Mathematical Semantics of Programming Languages.
Lecture Notes, Hilary Term 1975:
Lecture Notes, Michaelmas Term 1973:
Lecture Notes, Hilary Term 1972:
Semantics of Programming Languages.
Fundamental Concepts in Programming Languages.
Mathematical Semantics of Programming Languages.
Mathematical Semantics of Programming Languages.
C. Strachey
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful for help and information received from many sources
in assessing and identifying material, and in drafting the catalogue, most particularly
to:
Professor B. Randell, University of Newcastle, for his general
interest and advice.
Dr. C. Phelps, Oxford University Computing Laboratory, for
advice on mathematical calculations.
Mr. M. Woodger, National Physical Laboratory, for advice
on ACE.
Dr. D.F. Hartley, Cambridge University Computing Laboratory,
for advice on CPL and BCPL.
Mr. M. Harper and Dr. J.E. Stoy, Oxford University Programming
Research Group, for advice on Strachey's work at Oxford.
Mr. D.G. Vaisey and Mr. D.S. Porter, Bodleian Library, Oxford,
for patient support over a long period.
Mrs. M.M. Edwards, for careful and accurate typing, and forbearance
with successive drafts and revisions of the catalogue.
C. Strachey
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SECTION A
BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERSONAL A.1 - A.78
A.1
Obituaries and tributes, by D.W. Barron, Lord Halsbury,
and others.
Also included here is a typescript of 'An Appreciation of
Christopher Strachey and his Work' by D.S. Scott,
published as a Foreword to J.E. Stoy: 'Denotational
Semantics: The Scott-Strachey Approach to Programming
Language Theory', M.1.T. Press, 1977.
Biographical material and interviews.
Includes miscellaneous curricula vitae, autobiographical
notes, etc. prepared by Strachey on various occasions,
1946, 1956, 19625..1965, 1967, 1971, 97S.
"Getting down to software fundamentals', interview with
Strachey by Nancy Foy, in Dataweek, Vol.12, no.2,
8 July 1970 (photocopy).
carries a front cover photograph of Strachey.
The original publication also
'The word games of the night bird', interview with
Strachey by Nancy Foy, in Computing Europe, 15 August
1974.
A.4
Letters of condolence received on Strachey's death.
A.3
Bibliographies and lists of published works, mainly prepared
by Strachey for Lord Halsbury at various dates, 1971-73.
‘Computing: Can Britain Set the Pace’, article by D. Michie
in University of Edinburgh Bulletin, November 1971.
Some of the material in the above items has been drawn on in framing several
of the catalogue entries.
consultant, see A.56-A.60.
Organisation and programme of Requiem Mass at Blackfriars,
Oxford, 21 June 1975.
Pocket diaries:
1968-74.
1948, 1949, 1952-65 (2 diaries for 1965),
For further diaries covering Strachey's work as a private
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Biographical and personal
Tabulated account of his life and activity, drawn up by
Strachey,
The information, itemised by year and by month, is
compressed in Strachey's very tiny handwriting on to
24 sheets of writing-paper.
The earliest entry is for
1926, and the entries have been added in blocks of two
or three years at a time, to the end of 1964.
Personal and professional events are recorded, and the
account is remarkable for the amount of information
encompassed.
Address books (8) and loose pages of addresses.
One
of the books bears a note by Mrs. Halpern (Strachey's
sister):
at latest’.
'must have been started some time in the 1930s
Miscellaneous receipts and accounts.
3 packets parcelled and labelled by Strachey as follows:
‘Cambridge receipts 1934 - August 1939'.
‘Blackheath 1939-1940'.
"Ilminster receipts’.
Misceilaneous receipts and accounts.
Included here are miscellaneous receipts 1941-45 relating
to Strachey's employment at Standard Telephones and
Cables.
2 green account books, one including details of Strachey's
administration of various family accounts and monies,
1941-42, one 'Letter Book', 1940.
consultant 1959-65, see A.48-A. 55.
2 envelopes of Bank Statements covering Strachey's and
family accounts, 1940-1947.
1 S.O. Book of domestic accounts, n.d. c.1945.
For receipts and accounts at Harrow, see A.32.
For account books covering Strachey's work as a private
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Biographical and personal
Gresham's School, Holt, 1930-1935.
Medal for 'Ist High Jump, under 16'.
Essay on 'Unselfishness' dated May 1935.
A.11-A. 17
King's College, Cambridge, 1935-1939.
A.1]
Ring-back notebook of 'Miscellaneous Notes' of
lectures attended:
includes
"Cockroft (sic).
of Low Temps.'
Production and Measurement
‘Adiabatic Demagnetisation'.
"Properties of Liquid Helium’.
"Resistance of Metals at Low Temps.'
Notebook, dated October 1936, 'Constitution of Matter.
Lord Rutherford’.
Notes on lectures.
‘Value Judgments.
for a talk.
Ethics and Aesthetics'.
Ms. draft
"Science, Psychology and Religion’.
Essay on current trends in vice, submitted for the
James Essay Prize, 1937 (typescript), 14 pp.
"History of Morals', an outline plan of research, 3 pp.
Includes letters, October 1938, from Joan Bennet and Basil
Willey to whom Strachey appears to have written about
the scheme.
Telephones and Cables Ltd. CS.7T.C.4, 1939.
Plan for an essay or more extended work, covering
'The battle, The proponents, The result, The solution',
with 4 pp. more developed ideas.
Ring-back notebook, 'Atmospheric Electricity’, notes of
lectures attended, some dated January 1939.
Correspondence relating to Strachey's appointment as
Physicist, Valve Development Laboratory, Standard
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Biographical and personal
Brief correspondence re Strachey's enquiry about
admission as Research Student at Cambridge. Includes
postcard sent from T.R.E. Malvern by E.S. Shire
referring to Strachey's work at S.T.C.
Correspondence with S.T.C. re Strachey's wish to
leave the Company and pursue a teaching career, 1945;
includes testimonials from C.E. Strong (Chief Radio
Engineer, S.T.C.) and from D. Beves (King's College,
Cambridge).
Miscellaneous applications for posts in schools.
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_ CSAC 71/1/80
Biographical and personal
A, 22-A,29
St. Edmund's School, Canterbury, 1945-48.
A.22
A.23
Correspondence and appointment as physics and
mathematics master, St. Edmund's School, 1945.
Journal kept by Strachey of early days at St. Edmund's,
October 1945.
Loose-leaf notebook with detailed plans for physics
syllabus and for advanced mathematics scheme, with
breakdown into terms and periods, forward planning
to 1949, and fully written-up course with demonstrations
on Surface Tension for 6th Form.
Notebook, '10 Questions', dated March 1946, on
calculus, algebra and mechanics.
Notebook, 'Higher Certificate Maths and Physics
Answers’ (analyses of previous examination papers).
Notebook, ‘Cambridge Maths. Scholarship papers.
Solutions' (analyses of examination papers set by
different Cambridge colleges).
Notebook, ‘Mathematical Problem Papers.
Solutions’.
Folder of material relating to music at St. Edmund's.
Miscellaneous applications for posts in schools, 1948-49.
Includes a talk by Strachey 'On learning a musical
instrument’, encouraging boys to join school orchestra,
and his description, instructions and diagrams of the
school gramophone.
schools.
Includes copies of Strachey's c.v., letters of application
and testimonials, correspondence with referees and
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Biographical and personal
A.31-A. 38
Harrow School, 1949-52.
(Strachey taught Mathematics and Physics.)
Correspondence re appointment (1949), housing arrange-
ments (1949-50), confirmation of appointment as Master
of the School (August 1951) and resignation on acceptance
of post with National Research Development Corporation
(November 1951); mainly with Headmaster and Bursar.
Receipts and accounts during employment at Harrow
(some of the salary statements also cover employment
at St. Edmund's School, Canterbury, 1946-48).
Miscellaneous papers and calculations on physics,
especially electricity and circuitry.
Notes on 'Circle Constructions (Apollonius problem)’.
Ms. on ‘Quantum Theory of Radiation', ‘Atomic Energy’,
etc.
Detailed tables of pupils' performancesin mathematics
and physics examinations,
A.35 ‘Cybernetics’, 15 pp.
A. 36 'Social implications of cybernetics.
The coming
second industrial revolution', 10 pp.
"Interplanetary travel’.
Miscellaneous general knowledge papers set at Harrow
by Strachey.
2 papers on Cybernetics, perhaps for meeting of club or
society at Harrow, with interesting views expressed;
duplicated typescript.
Some intended for school use, others more advanced.
A copy of Harrow School magazine for 1950, in which the
article appeared (pps. 18-23) is included.
Ms. and typescript versions, and calculations on various
factors in space travel.
Also included here is a copy of H.M. Inspectors’ Report
on Harrow, May 1951.
Folder inscribed ‘Miscellaneous maths problems (in hand:)'.
Miscellaneous notes and calculations, n.d. but c.1950.
C. Strachey
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Biographical and personal
Technical Officer, National Research Development
Corporation EC N.R.D.C.J, 1952-59.
See under National Research Development Corporation
in the Index of correspondents for references to projects
undertaken by Strachey.
Correspondence re Strachey's appointment to the
Corporation, with M.H.A. Newman, Lord Halsbury
and others, October-December 1951.
Strachey's letter
to Newman of 5 October 1951 gives a clear outline of
his career to date, referring to his growing interest in
digital computing via M. Woodger and ACE, A.M. Turing
and the Manchester machine, his draughts programme, etc.
Newman's and Halsbury's letters refer to the impressive
quality of the programs prepared by Strachey for the
Manchester machine, including his 'God Save the King'
musical program.
Envelope of 'Salary and fee slips 1952-59".
Application for appointment as Director of the University
of London Computational Unit.
1700757
(Strachey applied for the post in November 1956 and
Patent Application for 'Improvements in or relating to
circuit arrangements for dividing binary numbers’,
invented by Strachey during work on Elliott D.F.
Calculator while employed by N.R.D.C. 1956-57.
Correspondence and drafts re Patent Application for
‘Computer Director Case’, 1959.
Correspondence
continues 1960-63.
withdrew his application in March 1957.)
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Biographical and personal
Work as Private Consultant, 1959-64.
During this period Strachey worked from his home at
9 Bedford Gardens, London. His chief assistant was
Peter Landin.
Notes, working papers and correspondence relating to
the various jobs undertaken will be found in the relevant
Sections of the catalogue.
See especially C.116-C.135.
The accounts, receipts, etc. in the folders below are
of interest in showing how a consultancy of this type,
rare at the time in Britain, could be pursued.
Strachey took steps to wind down the business in October
1964, though the final accounts go up to 31 July 1965.
Correspondence re Strachey's plens for his consultancy,
1957;
Correspondence and requests for books from ASLIB, 1959-62.
Miscellaneous office correspondence.
Correspondence with and re
P. Landin, 1959-64.
Includes Strachey's letters declaring his business closed.
Receipts and accounts, 1959-60.
Receipts and accounts, 1960-61.
Correspondence re P.A.Y.E., National Insurance, Graduated
Pensions, etc., 1959-64.
Includes references, which summarise the work done on Orion,
Gr, tc.
Stamp Account and letter book, December 1963-April 1965.
Certified accounts with detailed statements of income
and expenditure, 1960-65.
Bank book, April 1959-June 1963.
Petty Cash book, 1959-July 1965.
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Biographical and personal
A.55
A.56
Account Book for P. Landin, 1959-64.
Diary for P. Landin, 1960.
A.57-A.60
Strachey's Engagement diaries, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964.
C. Strachey
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Biographical and personal
Churchill College, Cambridge, 1962-65.
Strachey was a Senior Research Fellow of the College
and was engaged in parttime work at the Mathematical
Laboratory on CPL and the Titan project.
at first 'half-time' and later 'three-quarter time’.
His work was
Brief correspondence with the College, including letters
from Master (Sir John Cockcroft) offering Research
Fellowship, 1962, and accepting Strachey's resignation
on his departure to Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1965.
Correspondence with M.V. Wilkes, Director, Mathematical
Laboratory, re offer of post for work on Titan project (1962),
and Strachey's resignation, 1965.
Application for post of Professor of Computing Science,
Imperial College, London, 1964.
Includes brief correspondence with S. Gill, who was
appointed to the Chair.
King's College, Cambridge, 1961-62.
Brief correspondence re Strachey's election as member of
High Table, dining rights, etc.
Visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1965.
Correspondence re invitation to Strachey to work on time-
sharing project at Computer Center, Berkeley, California.
(Declined through pressure of work and other projects. )
patents, 1965, 1966.
Letter of appointment, miscellaneous accounts and receipts,
travel arrangements, etc.
Correspondence with J. Weizenbaum re Project MAC and
Strachey's report on his visit to Project MAC.
Letter to P. Elias with Strachey's outline of his proposed
"Mathematical Theory of Programming Languages Seminar’.
Strachey was Visiting Lecturer for 7 months from
September 1965.
Correspondence with I.B.M. U.K. Ltd. re Strachey
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Biographical and personal
A.68-A.73
University of Oxford, 1966-75.
In April 1966 Strachey took up an appointment as ‘leader
of the group for research into the non-numerical uses of
computers which is being set up in the Computing Laboratory
under a grant from the Science Research Council’.
Strachey became
appointment carried the status of Reader;
an ad hominem Professor in 1971, his group being known as
Programming Research Group (P.R.G.), see Section B.
The Chair of Computation is now statutory, Strachey's
successor (C.A.R. Hoare) being the first incumbent; the
a Professorial Fellowship at Wolfson
Chair carries with it
College, where Strachey was a Fellow from 1966.
The
For working notes on projects carried out by P.R.G., see
C.202-C.274.
Miscellaneous correspondence, leiters of appointment,
applications for sabbatical leave, correspondence re
change from Reader to Professor, etc.
Gazette re applications for the 'newly established Professor-
ship of Computation', May 1976, is included here.
Acopy of O.U.
Correspondence and papers re 'B.R.S.Trust', a charitable
educational Trust, founded by Strachey with Trustees
A.W. Blackwell, M.P. Ramsbotham, J.D. Spofforth.
Strachey did not wish his name to be directly connected
with the Trust, which was intended to make small grants
His own letters
to individuals for educational purposes.
and notes on the subject were often written on a computer.
1971-74.
(Programming Research Group).
Included here is correspondence and material related to
Strachey's winning of the New Scientist competition,
three times running in 1961.
Strachey's last computer programs at Oxford, 30 March and
7 April 1975, with descriptive ms. note by M. Harper
Plans for alterations, furnishings, etc. at Strachey's house,
18 Worcester Place, Oxford, 1973.
Guest-lists and costings for house-warming and parties, c. 1973.
Folder of 'puzzles', verbal, visual and mathematical, created
by Strachey at various times.
See also F.18.
C. Strachey
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Biographical and personal
Photographs and drawings of Strachey, from childhood.
Includes a 'computer portrait’.
Miscellaneous biographical items.
Includes:
'Catalogue' and 'Share Certificate’ of 'The Mud
Press' with a note by Mrs. Halpern that this was
started and run by Strachey at age 11.
(The Mud House was the family home at Haslemere
where Strachey regularly retreated to relax and think.)
Education Certificate, 1934.
Report on Strachey drawn up by Vocational Guidance
Department, National Institute of Industrial Psychology,
1938.
B.B.C. Listener Research Report on a talk by Strachey
‘Control without Men', May 1952.
Miscellaneous biographical items.
Notebook inscribed 'Notes from Books', beginning
with notes (perhaps at Cambridge) and continuing
with inventories and particulars of The Mud House.
Miscellaneous biographical items re music, the Savile Club,
The Cranium, Election to Distinguished Fellowship British
Computer Society 1971, plans for holidays, draft of Strachey's
Will, ¢.1973.
cuttings, etc.
Folder of correspondence, claims, etc. re a car accident,
1960-61.
Miscellaneous biographical items.
Passport, health certificates, membership cards, press-
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
SECTION B
OXFORD UNIVERSITY
B.1 - B.30
This Section traces the formation and expansion of the Programming Research
Group under Strachey's leadership, and also includes some material relating to Wolfson
College of which he was a Fellow.
The Programming Research Group was established at Oxford to investigate
the general theory of information processing and the nature of computing machines.
After an unsuccessful initial application by Strachey directly to the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research for a grant to establish such a group (B.2), Leslie Fox,
Director of the Oxford University Computing Laboratory, applied in September 1964
on Strachey's behalf for a grant of £194, 506 over 73 years (B.4). = In January 1965
a grant was awarded for £62,750 for the period 1 July 1965 to 31 July 1967.
This
original grant was extended and supplemented by the Science Research Council
(successor to D.S.1.R.) over the years; when Strachey submitted his final report to the
Science Research Council in May 1974, the funding totalled £224,900.
Although the
grant officially began on 1 July 1965, Strachey did not take up his post as leader of
the Programming Research Group until April 1966.
He became Reader in Computation
College in 1966 (B.27).
The interview with Strachey published in Dataweek (A.2) gives an informal
account of the P.R.G.
both of theoretical work in the formal semantics of programming languages and of
The many Progress Reports and descriptions of the Programming Research Group
in 1967 and Professor of Computation in 1971.
He was elected a Fellow of Wolfson
experimental work on operating systems and virtual machine design’ (B.9).
and its work illustrate the emergence of the Group's 'worldwide reputation as a centre
See also A.68, C.202-C.274.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Oxford University
‘Computers and University Research’.
1962-63
4 pp. memorandum prepared by Strachey, June 1962,
and circulated to D.S.1.R. Working Party on Computer
Science.
See E.24,
Also included is a copy of a 'Memorandum on a proposed
research unit in computer science' by M.V. Wilkes,
16 March 1963, also prepared for Working Party.
"Research in the theory of computation and information
processing’.
Ms. draft (18 pp.) and 2 typescripts (November 1963)
of Strachey's application to D.S.1.R. for grant to establish
a new unit for research in theory of computation.
See B.4 for related correspondence.
A revised version, dated September 1964 and included
here, was later used as Appendix B for the final report
to the S.R.C., 1974.
See B.9.
Folder of correspondence and papers documenting the
preliminary negotiations which led to the establishment
of the Programming Research Group.
Includes:
1962-63
1964-66
Strachey's ms. 'Notes on Fox's application’.
Miscellaneous notes prepared by Strachey when writing
the application.
Includes curriculum vitae, notes on salary scales and
staff requirements, ‘categories of the computing sciences’,
notes on 'M/c lang.'.
Draft application by L. Fox to D.S.1.R. for a
grant to Oxford University for research into
non-numerical uses of computers, to be directed
by Strachey (July 1964).
Group is also included.
After the grant was awarded (from 1 July 1965), the corres-
pondence continued respace, equipment and budget
requirements of the new group.
The name 'the programming
research group', suggested by Strachey in his letter to Fox,
6 May 1965, was adopted.
Correspondence between Strachey and
this application and minor amendments suggested
by Strachey.
‘technical note' (in B.2) to accompany the proposal.
Strachey sent Fox a copy of the
Fox re
Some correspondence with and re prospective members of the
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
'
Oxford University
'SRC Grant.
Formal Documents’.
Includes:
Copies of submission to S.R.C., official
correspondence with S.R.C. and Oxford
University re original grant to establish the
Programming Research Group and re the
extension and supplementation of the grant.
1965-74
‘Draft of letter by Strachey to S.R.C. reporting
on work of Group to January 1969.
Letter from Leverhulme Trust Fund awarding
grant to Strachey (to be channelled through
Oxford University) for employing a research
assistant on computer languages.
1975
General Accounts and
Folder inscribed 'SRC Grant.
Estimates’.
Correspondence with Oxford University and S.R.C. re
budget estimates, salaries, equipment, maintenance
agreements.
Strachey's notes, calculations, drafts of letters and
memoranda.
1973-74
1966-67
1967-68
2 pp. typescript
5 pp. typescript
1965-66
2 pp. typescript
"Progress Reports.
SRC and University’.
5 reports to the Science Research Council:
There is some overlap of contents between
See also B.10.
these two folders, but they remain in their original order.
4 reports for the Computing Laboratory, Oxford, 1965-66,
1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69 (one page typescript each).
work,
These reports provide a valuable summary of the activities
of the Programming Research Group, its equipment, staff
changes, publications and its theoretical and practical
1968-69
13 pp. typescript
1970-71
13 pp. typescript
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Oxford University
Various documents describing the work of the Programming
Research Group, 1968-74.
typescripts and are a useful supplement to the official
reports in B.7.
when he was preparing the final report to the S.R.C.
(B.9).
They were perhaps collated by Strachey
All are stencilled copies of
1968-74
Includes:
2 notes prepared for prospective graduate
students, November 1968 and September 1970.
3 pp. note probably prepared for Oxford University
re research, teaching, staff and publications
of PR.G., October 1970.
10 pp. copy of 'Application fora Research
Grant’(to the S.R.C. for a supplement to the
original grant), March 1971.
2 pp. note ‘Position in 1972 and after’,
4 pp. draft report (by V.E.M. Bowell) evaluating
work of P.R.G., August 1971.
Last page of letter from Chairman, Sub-Facuity
of Computation, to Secretary of Faculties,
Oxford University, re 'small number of academic
posts in computing', 1974, and referring to the
‘international reputation of P.R.G.'
2 pp. note prepared for presentation to Computing
Science Board (see additional papers and corres-
* pondence in B.10), June 1974.
Final Report to
Grant B/SR/14943.
The folder also includes miscellaneous 'hand-outs' for students
and staff of the P.R.G. re library, course work.
‘Programming Research Group, Oxford.
the Science Research Council on
May 1974",
Continued
This official report is a careful detailed account of the origin
and work of the Programming Research Group during the period
of its support by the S.R.C. (1 July 1965-31 July 1974).
Strachey discusses in the report the current work of the Group,
the degree of success of its original aims, the results achieved,
and also provides a chronological account of its progress.
29 pp. typescript.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Oxford University
B.9(continued)
The report includes 4 appendices: a copy of the original
application, the technical case for the original application,
list of publications and an annotated selected bibliography.
a
See also the papers for Strachey's presentation to the
Computing Science Committee (B.10).
1966-74
administration of the grant (provision for
Folder of correspondence with the S.R.C. with reference
to queries re
senior visiting fellows, additional equipment costs,
allocation and apportionment of staff salaries, claims for
travelling expenses to conferences).
Folder includes copy of report by D. Park to S.R.C.
following visit to USA, May 1967, and also minor corres~
pondence with Oxford University re revision and supple-
mentation of the grant and re salaries paid by the University.
Folder also contains correspondence with the S.R.C. re
meetings of the Computing Science Committee (of which
Strachey was a member, see E,42 et seq.), a copy of
Strachey's Comments on d'Agapeyeff's Paper ‘Large
On-Line D.P. Systems (Business Utilities) and their Soft-
ware Engineering’, sent by d'Agapeyeff before the
January 1969 meeting, and papers (including ms. notes)
for Strachey's presentation to the Computing Science
Committee, 25 June 1974.
1970-71
Folder of correspondence re arrangements for visit by
P.R. Odgers and S.F. Edwards of Department of
Education and Science to S.R.C.-supported groups in
Folder of correspondence re arrangements for Board of
Visitors of the $.R.C. Computing Science Committee to
inspect work of Programming Research Group, 20
October 1970.
Folder includes one letter re visit by Board on 2 June
i971.
Oxford, 2 July 1974.
1971
1974
GCG; Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Oxford University
'Quinquennial Application (1972-7), Oxford
University’.
Folder of correspondence and papers re submission by the
Computing Laboratory.
Includes:
drafts of application (by L. Fox);
estimate of annual cost of Programming Research
Group for 1972/73;
copy of 'Report of the Committee set up by the
Faculty Board Cof Mathematics] to prepare
the Quinquennial Application’;
copies of correspondence between Strachey
and Oxford University re S.R.C. grant (1971).
The Report was unable to recommend the establishment of a
Chair in Computation;
letter from Strachey re the Report.
Software Committee, Oxford University Computing
Laboratory.
1967
Minutes and papers for 2 meetings (23 November and
11 December 1967).
COTAN maintenance, use of consoles and copies of
Strachey's papers 'KDF 9 Software! and 'The Provision
of Software’.
Papers include reports on ALGOL,
"System Meetings’.
1967
1970
1971-74
Notes
Folder also includes minutes of meeting of senior staff
of Oxford University Computing Laboratory and inter-
departmental memorandum re Computing Science
Departmental Committee.
Folder of papers and notes by Strachey for meetings
within Programming Research Group.
Ms. notes by
Strachey on ‘Strings and Characters in BCPL'.
by other members of the Group on matters for consideration
at the meetings.
Continued
Papers and minutes of Computing Laboratory Sub- Committee,
established to prepare submission tothe Computer Board
for new computing equipment and staff at Oxford.
Minutes of meetings on 5 April, 6 May, 31 May 1968.
Correspondence.
Questionnaire (December 1966) and resulting report
(May 1967) on 'Computing in Oxford University’.
Folder inscribed 'Next Oxford Computer’.
1966-68
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
B. 16(continued)
Oxford University
Cost comparison for central machine room hardware.
‘Configuration for the New Machine'.
by Strachey, 6 May 1968.
Draft report for the Computer Board, 27 May 1968, with
Typescript of additions to
ms. annotations by Strachey.
the document, circulated to Sub-Committee after its
meeting to discuss the report.
2 pp. memorandum
1967-68
2 pp. memorandum, 15
See E.43 for similar material.
Reply from Laver, 27 December
very full reply from Flowers, 3 January 1968.
"Software Blast’.
Papers re supply of computer software to universities,
as submitted to the $.R.C. and the Computer Board for
increased funding.
'The Provision of Software’.
December 1967, sent by Strachey to B.H. (now Sir Brian)
Flowers, Chairman of the Computer Board for Universities
and Research Councils, and to F.J.M. Laver of the
Ministry of Technology.
1967;
‘Software for University computing’.
by D. Michie, January 1968.
'Provision of Software to Universities as a Computer
Responsibility’.
and R.M. Needham for the Computing Science Committee
Letter of commenis from L.F. Rutherford,
of the S.R.C.
Secretary of the Computer Board, as passed on by J.H. Price
of the S.R.C. with revised draft of the paper (not in folder).
Both letters annotated by Strachey.
2 offprints of articles re software.
3 pp. draft of paper by A. Colin, Strachey
10 pp. memorandum
.
Applications and related correspondence for positions in
the Programming Research Group as Departmental
Research Assistant and/or Programmer (not indexed).
1966-75
Requests to visit Strachey and the P.R.G., from academics
and industrialists in Britain and abroad.
Includes copy of Strachey's letter to The Observer, 1973,
in response to an article by E.F. Schumacher re optimum
size of machines and of organisations.
In chronological order.
Requests to join or work with the Programming Research
Group, either on a permanent or part-time basis or as a
visiting fellow.
included.
Some professional exchanges are
In chronological order.
1965-74
1968
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Oxford University
Requests to study at Oxford University or in Programming
Research Group (not indexed).
Arrangements for appointments, suggestions for alternative
courses at other.universities.
In chronological order.
1967-70
Correspondence and papers re Strachey's external
examining for the B.Sc. course in Computer Science,
University of Warwick.
Includes copies of proposed examination papers, Strachey's
comments on the papers and his own notes, correspondence
ré arrangements for Examiners' Board meetings, etc.
1972-74
Correspondence and papers re loan of films from Bell
Telephone Laboratories, USA for showing at Computer
Film Festival, 15 March 1968, and at talk to
engineering group in Oxford (see G.23 for Strachey's
notes for this talk).
"Burroughs Machines’.
Notes and minor correspondence re
new computer by Oxford University.
possible purchase of
1968
1968
Correspondence with L. Fox and with Oxford University
Chest re allocation of expenditure.
1966-68
Papers and notes re furnishings and estimated expenditure
for house at 45 Banbury Road, Oxford, occupied by
Programming Research Group.
Miscellaneous notes, invoices and correspondence re
minor expenses of Programming Research Group as passed
to Oxford University Chest for payment from S.R.C.
grant (not indexed).
1966-69, 1974
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Oxford University
B.27-B.29
Wolfson College.
B.27
'Wolfson'.
Letter offering Fellowship of the College, 29 July 1966.
Miscellaneous correspondence re college business.
1968-75
‘Wolfson.
Architect's Brief’.
Duplicated papers re requirement of new college;
typescript of Strachey's comments on the brief.
7 pp.
1966
‘Wolfson. Misc. '
Committee papers, all with Strachey's annotations.
1968-73
"List of files etc’.
Ms, and typescript lists of files maintained by Programming
Research Group, and of Strachey's own files.
Note: Most of the headings listed in this folder appear
as catalogue entries, but some have not survived.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
31
SECTION C
WORKING PAPERS, NOTES AND CALCULATIONS
_C.1 - C.274
The papers are presented chronologically as far as possible, in sub~sections
devoted to various stages in Strachey's career (see list of contents overleaf).
own autobiographical notes make plain that many of his ideas developed from work
in progress and flowed into later projects, and the separation here adopted is acknow-
ledged to be an artificial one and is far from implying any break in the work.
Strachey's
These notes and papers were kept by Strachey separate from correspondence
’ and committee files, but should nevertheless be read in conjunction with Sections D
and E,
and the N.R.D.C. correspondence in Section J,
to which cross-references
Strachey's own folders, titles and descriptions are retained,
are given where possible.
and bundles of notes clipped together by him have been left in his order,
material was rarely dated, and was often written on the back of used papers dated
several,years previously, or on class exercises from schod-mastering days. In these
Very bulky folders
cases, approximate dates and descriptions have been suggested.
have been split for ease of handling, and a note made of their original grouping.
Strachey's titles and descriptions are given in inverted commas.
The early
project.
Most of these notes are simply
During his employment at N.R.D.C. (1952 - 59), Strachey was principally
concerned with the Ferranti computers for Manchester University, designed in con~
junction with the Firm, the University and N.R.D.C.
headed 'M.U.C.' or appear on worksheets similarly headed, and it has not always
been possible to assign them with certainty to a specific task or routine related to the
See note to C.27 - C.115.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
CONTENTS OF SECTION C
Each of the principal projects is preceded by a note on the content and presentation
of the material.
STANDARD TELEPHONE & CABLES LTD. (S.T.C.), 1939-45
AUTOMATIC COMPUTING ENGINE (ACE), 1950-51
Drovdhts-clayiiig program
NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (N.R.D.C.),
e745
1951-59
C.27
- C.33
Completion of draughts-piaying program
Cis --. €.36
Love-letters program, miscellaneous notes
Cary Gao
St. Lawrence River Power Project
C.39
- C.64
C.65
C.94
Design and
C.95 - €.102
Very High Speed Computers
C.103- C.115
Miscellaneous notes and drafts
PRIVATE CONSULTANCY, 1959-64
Ferranti Pegasus Computer.
projects
Manchester University Computing Machine
Laboratory
CISP/EM eG
Royal Radar Establishment
C.i16, Goi le
Traffic Control
Cite
Coli7
C.120
ALGOL
i116. =. 195
Ship Fairings
C. 12) - C135
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MATHEMATICAL LABORATORY, 1962-65
C.136 - €.201
C.136 - C.184
crt
C.185'- C.196.
.BCPL
Ci 197 =C. 201
General Purpose Macrogenerator
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PROGRAMMING RESEARCH GROUP (P.R.G.)
1966-75
C.202 - C.274
C.20Z.=C.207
Visits and work at Project MAC
C.208 =.C.212
KDF 9
C.213 =C.223
Modular One (Mod 1)
C.224 -C.24]
Formal Semantics
C.242 - C.274
Miscellaneous notes and drafts
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
STANDARD TELEPHONE & CABLES LTD. (S.T.C.), 1939-45
Valve Laboratory Reporis
This work was carried on at Woolwich, London, until 1940,
when it was transferred to Ilminster, Somerset.
The first four
of the Reports listed below were produced from Woolwich,
the remainder from Somerset;
Strachey wrote or collaborated
in all the latter, except where indicated.
The Reports bear the firm's number as follows:
(from Woolwich)
1.G.4, T.G.6, R.G.8, R.G.13
(from Ilminster)
R.G.14 (not by Strachey)
G.20
G.36
G.43
G.67
G.69
G.74
G.75
G.46
G.50
G52
G.55
G.56
G.57
G.58
G.77
G.79
G.83
Gi95
G.85
G.93
G.59 (not by Strachey)
G.84 (not by Strachey)
Folder of miscellaneous lists of Laboratory Reports issued by
various S.T.C. departments.
and continued later,
Notebook inscribed 'Mathematics', with contents page
by Strachey, n.d.
These notes may have been begun during work at S.T.C.
Strachey's Order Book indenting for items of equipment
and machinery, various dates, 1939-43.
Miscellaneous bibliographic references and related
offprints, 1940-44,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
4 bundles of notes and calculations, the first being a sequence
of 41 numbered pages, all on calculation of focal length
through a slit.
n.d., perhaps 1939-40.
'Velocity modulated receiving tubes.
(pages torn from a ledger-type foolscap
Theoretical notebook'
notebook).
Notes begin 'The following are the results of calculations
carried out between December 1939 and June 1940' and are
dated 10.6.40.
Later notes are headed 'Theory of velocity modulated
oscillators’.
Correspondence etc. re Memorandum by Strachey, pubtished
in Wireless Engineer, May 1940, correcting a previous letter
on velocity modulated beams by R. Kompfner.
Kompfner corrected his article and also corresponded with
Strachey.
A copy of Strachey's ‘Memorandum! is enclosed;
also as G.45 in C.1.
it appears
1940
(Material originally included in C.9.)
1942, 1943
(Material originally included in C.9.)
velocity modulation and klystron, 1942.
‘Dynamic Similarity in Large Gaps', 3 pp.
Includes copy of letter from Strachey to P.B. Moon re
Miscellaneous correspondence and memoranda on velociiy
modulation.
Bundles of notes, almost all with numbered pages, n.d. but
probably begun 1940:
Graphs of parabolic fields.
‘Conditions for
charge', 2 pp.
Untitled, 13 pp.
Untitled, 10 pp.
'Reflecting Fields with Space Charge’, 15 pp.
'D.C. Transit Time in a Reflecting Field’, 7 pp.
'Theorem in Reflecting Fields', 4 pp.
... reflexion in the absence of space
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
3 bundles of notes, graphs and calculations, n.d.
'H.F. Slope of Infinite plane diode’.
‘Calculation of field in cylindrically symmetrical
system’.
'Fremlin's Integral' (J.H. Fremlin was a colleague
and collaborator of Strachey's at S.T.C.).
3 bundles of untitled notes with numbered pages, and
miscellaneous loose pages.
n.d. c.1942.
Includes copy of letter to P.J. Daniell crranging for
Strachey and Wallis to visit him to discuss velocity
modulation, 1942.
Folder 'Miscellaneous Maths'.
3 bundles of notes on numbered pages, on Fourier
coefficients.
Notes on Hahn functions.
Notes on Elliptic functions.
Shorter notes on Laplace transforms, etc.
Bundles of notes, 'Problems'.
(Material originally in C.12 above. )
Ms. notes on calculation of date of Easter, signed
H. Spencer Jones 27 February 1943.
Brief correspondence re work at Ilminster, 1942.
Bundle of notes and diagrams 'Counters for D.A.', n.d.
Extensive bundle of notes 'Shell Velocity Tables prepared
toro. 1.G,; swly 1945".
(Kept originally with C. 16.)
An extended series of notes, in pencil, in a sequence of
‘Bessel Functions', pp.1-30; 'F of 3rd Kind',
4 bundles;
pp.31-49; '2nd Type’, pp.50-68; 'Fourier-Bessel Series',
pp.69-77,
Miscellaneous notes on circuitry and switching, n.d.
Folder includes letter from P.J. Wallis, 1944.
Notes on Bessel Functions.
Shorter notes on 'Bessel Functions’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Notes on Legendre Functions.
2 bundles of notes, in pencil, in sequence, pp.1-16 and
pp. 17-34.
Bundles of notes on T'
functions.
Miscellaneous notes on 'Contour or Complex Integration’.
1
p. notes 'Peano', dated on verso 1945.
Other ms. and duplicated material (not by Strachey), 1945.
Autograph ms. of extended report on 'The Theory and Design
of Velecity-Modulated Oscillators’.
The ms. is dated February 1945 (an earlier title-page is
dated July 1944) and has a space for the Valve Laboratory
Report number to be inserted.
Folder includes summary, contents, text, references, tables,
indexes.
Included in the folder is a bundle of early notes and drafts
for the report, written on the back of an adaptation by
Strachey of 'The Crooked Billet', apparently for amateur
production.
‘Relay Switching’.
‘Radio, etc.'.
Notes on circuitry, perhaps begun at $.T.C., and continuing
at St. Edmund's, Canterbury, 1946.
Miscellaneous notes, circuit diagrams and manufacturers’
literature, mainly on valves, acoustics, gramophone and
radio receivers, etc.
Various dates, 1941-47.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.20-C.26
AUTOMATIC COMPUTING ENGINE (ACE), 1950-51
This section is primarily concerned with a draughts-playing program which
Strachey began in his spare time while teaching at Harrow School.
Strachey heard
of the work on the Pilot ACE machine on 22 January 1950;
by 23 February 1951 he
had devised a program for the machine using eight delay lines (its full capacity), and
the program was tried out on 30 July 1951 at the National Physical Laboratory at
Teddington. *
The program developed into an attempt at autocoding (see Strachey's letters
to A.M. Turing (C.22) and M. Woodger (C.23) of May 1951) and was modified and
tried out on the Ferranti Mark | machine at Manchester University.
Its success, and
-Strachey's skill in programming, led to his appointment to the National Research
Development Corporation in November 1951.
The original program was reconstituted by B. Munday at N.P.L. in 1958
to be run on DEUCE (the successor of the Pilot ACE), and a copy is included by the
courtesy of Mr. M. Woodger as C.26 below.
For the continuation of Strachey's work on the draughts-playing program
on the Manchester machine, see C.27 - C.33.
Folder labelled ‘Relays’.
We are indebted to Mr. M. Woodger for this detailed information.
Miscellaneous notes for circuits, etc. n.d., but probably
early work on draughts program 1950 (all written on verso of
Harrow School exercises and notices).
diagrams on circuits.
Includes 5 pp. ms. notes in the hand of M. Woodger on the
principal machines available, workers in the field, notes and
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Folder labelled 'Notes for lectures, possible future papers,
etc.”
nid.
3 bundles of notes:
‘Generalised Programming’.
‘Analysis of Programming for ACE'.
Untitled notes on brackets (may refer to later work
at Manchester).
Strachey's copy of his letter to A.M. Turing, 15 May 1951.
Written immediately after hearing Turing's talk 'Can Digital
Computers think?', broadcast on BBC Third Programme on same
day.
In his letter Strachey discusses the general problems of 'thinking
machines', their application to the Manchester machine, and
his modification of his ACE draughts program.
Note: The original of this letter is in the manuscript collection
of A.M. Turing in King's College, Cambridge.
ltem D.5).
(CSAC 53/7/77,
Folder labelled 'Universal Languages for Programmes’.
Miscellaneous bundles of notes on the subject, some written
at later dates (one refers to ALGOL).
Folder also includes typed ‘Extracts from letters C. Strachey
to M. Woodger 25 May 1951', beginning: ‘I have an idea
about making the ACE do part of its own programming’.
Note: The originals of these letters, and of accompanying
correspondence 24 February-2 June 1951, are in the possession
of Mr. M. Woodger.
22 cards, and 21 pp. program (photocopy of Strachey's ms.).
Folder containing 16 bundles of notes, calculations and
diagrams on the subject, some on verso of Harrow School
exercises.
Reconstitution by B. Munday in 1958 of Strachey's draughts-
playing program (written for Pilot ACE), to be run on DEUCE.
"ACE coding programme (Incomplete)'.
"ACE Draughts.
Current Programme’.
Miscellaneous notes and calculations, n.d.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
CiZ7-CoTt6
NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
(NGRED SG), 19a?
The material relates to the following principal projects in which Strachey
was involved during this appointment:
C.27 -C.33
Completion of the draughts-playing program
begun for ACE.
Ci aep we
C.¥7, C.38
C.39-C. 64
C.65-C.94
‘Love Letters' program, miscellaneous notes.
St. Lawrence River Power Project.
Manchester University Computing Machine Laboratory.
Ferranti Pegasus Computer.
Design and projects.
C.25-C. 102
Very High Speed Computers.
C.103-C.115
Miscellaneous notes and drafts.
Strachey's folders have been retained, and his titles or descriptions given
in inverted commas.
In the absence of his own indications, exact dates or attributions
cannot always be given with certainty.
divided for ease of handling, and a note has been made of such cases.
Very bulky folders have sometimes been
For projects undertaken at the request of N.R.D.C. when Strachey was
For material relating to Strachey's appointment to N.R.D.C. see A.39 - A.42.
working as a private consultant, see C.117, C.118-C.119, D.100-D.103.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.27-C,33
Completion of draughts-playing program, 1951-52
For the original work designed for ACE, see C.20-C.26 above.
"Draughts.
"Paper"'.
Includes:
4 pp. typescript on 'Draughts.
Considerations', perhaps introduction or contribution
to a book on the subject.
General
Ms. and 2 typescript versions of a paper titled
‘Programme for Manchester University Computer',
giving ‘modifications to the programme described
above to make full use of the facilities of the
Ferranti machine'.
n.d.
'Draughts'.
Folder containing 13 bundles of notes, calculations and diagrams,
most on paper headed Manchester University Computing
Machine Laboratory, but some on verso of Harrow School
exercises.
Some of the bundles bear Strachey's ms. comments or explanations
on attached notes.
'Draughts. M.U.C. Programme and Notes etc.’.
(Originally kept with C.29).
a good move’;
'Purposeless - the strategy is failing badly in the end
game’, etc.
Strachey used some of these specimen games and comments in
his paper at Toronto in September 1952, see C.32.
Various dates July-August 1952, though some notes are on verso
of Harrow School exercises.
Folder containing 190 bundles of notes, calculations and
routines, many with Strachey's notes on the machine's game,
e.g.: 'Not forseen by me -
Continued
'Examples of draughts as played by the machine.
of these were expemental and show signs of errors, either
in the programme or in the machine’,
Most
6 bundles of notes and photographs, with notes and explanations
by Strachey, as follows:
‘Example of machine errors.
had a screw loose when it did this’.
The machine (literally)
"Photographs of the monitor tube display during a game
of draughts. These are best viewed at arm's length’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C..30(continued)
‘The complete programme for draughts as printed out by
the computer' (dated 10 July 1952).
"Flow diagram and programme for the inner section
of draughts. This part allows the machine to decide
its own move.
its dog-eared state)'.
(This is my own working copy - hence
'Draughts.
Instructions’.
'A Programme for Making a Calculating Machine Play Draughts'.
45 pp. ms. and typescript paper.
Miscellaneous drawings and diagrams for paper on draughts-
playing machine (probably for Toronto paper).
"Logical or Non-Mathematical Programmes'.
Draft notes, ms. and typescript versions of paper given by
Strachey at Association for Computing Machinery (A.C.M.)
meeting at Toronto, September 1952.
Folder also includes offprint of a later paper on the subject
by A.L. Samuel, 1959.
Blue exercise-book of notes taken on journey to Canada and
USA, September 1952.
See H.2 for a similar notebook kept on Strachey's journey to
Includes an account of preliminary talks with Professor Watson
about the St. Lawrence Seaway project (see C.37, C.38), of
discussions and people met at A.C.M. Conference, and of
Strachey's visits to firms and universities in USA to see work
in progress on computers, with his views on the various methods,
programs, costings, etc. of Harvard Mk.IV, RCA Bizmac,
UNIVAC machines.
USA in 1957.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Love Letters' program, 1952
Two folders of notes, calculations and routines for a program
to write love-letters, for the Manchester machine,
This is a good example of Strachey having fun while trying
out new routines.
The notes are not dated, but are probably late 1952, as
there is a reference to ‘Toronto input' (the Toronto A.C.M.
meeting in September 1952).
"Love Letters Programme M.U.C.'.
gs eS
‘Notes on papers, lectures, etc.'.
Very few are dated, but some are dated 'Cambridge Colloquium
Folders of notes taken by Strachey at lectures or colloquia,
or from articles in the literature, by Wilkes, Fox, Lanczos,
etc.
12.6, 52,' mid "26.4.56.°
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Cio; Gene
St. Lawrence River Power Project, 1952
The first sale of the Manchester Mark | computer built by Ferranti
Ltd. was to the University of Toronto in 1951, through the close association
of the Ferr anti Electric Co. with Professor Watson of the University.
The
machine was known as FERUT (Ferranti University of Toronto).
In 1952 the University wished to make use of its computer to assist
the Canadian Government in
its share of the cutting of the St. Lawrence Seaway,
and in particular by computing water surface profiles above a dam over a
50-mile stretch of the river past the Thousand Islands.
Strachey met Professor
Watson in September 1952 (see C.33) and subsequently produced a program
with the codename Backwater.
The
p
program was successful as such, but the machine had 'teethin
g
troubles' and was difficult to service and maintain at so long a distance.
The project is described in the following extract, quoted by per-
mission from a private history of the Ferranti Computer Group:
The St. Lawrence Seaway job however was an opportunity
for N.R.D.C., and particularly for Christopher Strachey
who was lent to develop the program for calculating the
effects of the plans on the water flow of the river past the
Vivian Bowden had sold the computer
Thousand Islands.
to Toronto University in 1951;
Strachey went over in the
autumn of 1952 and in three months the computer had done
sums which it had been estimated would take clerks with hand
machines 20 years.
of Ferranti, sent to Strachey for comment, 1956.
Strachey's ms. notes on the organisation of his program,
4 pp.
Folder of notes including:
Outline of the problem (sent from Toronto) with specifica-
tions, definitions, etc. 6pp.
May 1952.
Letter and draft for an article on the problem by H. Cotton
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"Backwater - FERUT'.
Folder of notes, calculations, routines.
17 bundles, of which the first carries a ms. note by Strachey
'Schematic plan of part of the St. Lawrence river covered
The loops
by the 'Backwater' programme (about 50 miles).
represent islands.
directions of flow in
Dotted lines indicate alternative
a channel.
(These are work sheets)’.
Only one set is dated, 5 November 1952.
Folder also includes the programme of a course of lectures
on 'The application of digital computers to technical research
and development’ given at Northampton Polytechnic, London,
October 1955, at which Strachey spoke on the St. Lawrence
project.
Northampton Polytechnic had a Pegasus computer provided
by N.R.D.C., and was in the forefront of computer studies
in UK educational institutions.
See G.1 for a course of lectures given there by Strachey on
the Ferranti Pegasus.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Manchester University Computing Machine Laboratory
Design and projects.
Ferranti Lid. folder, containing an 'Introduction' to the new
Ferranti High Speed Digital Computer.
29 pp. duplicated typescript, signed B.V.B. (Bertram Vivian
Bowden, now Lord Bowden).
'Programmers' Handbook for Manchester Electronic Computer
Mark II', inscribed 'With the Compliments of A.M. Turing’
(not in Turing's hand).
n.d., perhaps March 1951.
Turing is known to have sent
This is the First Edition Handbook, compiled by Turing himself,
and very difficult to operate.
a copy to Strachey while he was working on his draughts-
playing program at Harrow.
handbook sufficiently to be able to run his draughts program
on it overnight when he visited Manchester.
This was con-
sidered areal achievement.
Strachey contrived to master the
(see A.39).
The handbook bears ms. annotations and corrections by Strachey.
Note: Though described as 'Handbook ... mark II', this is
the Mark | Handbook, which was the basis for modifications
introduced for Mark i*, and for Mark II (subsequently Mercury).
Programmers’ Handbook (Third Edition) for the Mark II (Mark I*).
C.42, C.43
The handbook bears ms. annotations and corrections by Strachey.
2 black ring-back notebooks of programme sheets, codes and
routines for the Manchester machine.
Includes prefaces to the First Edition (as in C.40) n.d., the
Second Edition, by R.A. Brooker, August 1952, and the Third
Edition, by R.A. Brooker, September 1953.
and Strachey.
These contain duplicated and ms. material of various dates
1951-52, with some ms. pages of calculations inserted or loose,
dealing with assembly, input, floatcode and other routines,
preparatory to revision of handbook.
C.43 contains a useful note contributed, 1978, by
Note:
M. Campbell-Kelly on the likely attribution of various routines
to A.M. Turing, C. Popplewell, A. Glennie, R.A. Brooker
The duplicated pages bear many ms. comments, corrections,
etc. by Strachey.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Photographs of Manchester University Computer (most with
description on verso).
Photographs of Ferranti Pegasus, taken in London, 1956-57,
and of the Ferranti production line at the Moston works,
Manchester.
C.45-C.49 = 'Ferranti Mk I*',
Contents of a folder of miscellaneous notes, calculations and
reports as follows:
C.45
Strachey's original folder, including ms. notes
on 'Ferranti Fort Halstead machine’, miscellaneous
codes, notes and queries by Strachey, n.d.
'B.T.M. Cards - Punch & Read’.
Includes a note of principal computer laboratories
and researchers in USA, perhaps for 1952 journey
(see C.33).
Ferranti's List DC 6 of instructions, ete. for
Manchester Universal Electronic Computer, with
notes and queries by Strachey, 1953.
‘Radix 32 Input Scheme' (duplicated typescript),
December 1953.
'A radix 10 system of coding for Mark I' (duplicated
"Proposed acceptance tests for Ferranti Manchester
Universal Electronic Computer' (duplicated type-
script), November 1953/January 1954,
typescript), March 1954.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.50-C.61
Notes and routines for the Manchester Computer
These consist of notes and calculations for various procedures
suitable for the Manchester University Computer and are almost all on the
programming sheets designed for the machine.
Very few of the routines are dated;
Strachey's descriptions are
Information kindly supplied by
preserved.
Computing Laboratory) is given with acknowledgement in some of the
Dr. C. Phelps (Oxford University
entries.
C.D
'M.U.C. Uncompleted Routines’.
Bundles of notes, calculations and first drafts for procedures,
bearing notes and descriptions by Strachey as follows:
'Multiple length arithmetic’.
"Input D.
Needs revision - will not accept blank tape
_ before number sequence ...'
'Reconsider when Formal Role working is possible’.
"Check by planting’.
‘Worth further consideration’.
(This set is considered 'much more advanced than the
others' by Dr. C. Phelps).
'Dull - needs revision’.
Folder of calculations and routines, perhaps related to above
(some headed Pageprint, Floatpoint, etc.) but kept as loose
sheets, not in bundles.
(Continued from above)
14 bundles of notes, calculations and routines, some dated
1951, 1953.
folder).
Various Routines (some untested)’.
'M.U.C.
Large folder of bundles of notes, calculations and routines,
which have been divided for ease of handling.
Input and other routines, with dates 1952-53 (in original
C.53-C.56
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
16 bundles of notes, etc. relating to Floatpoint and
Floataid routines.
they include one bundle labelled by Strachey
The routines, which goup to ‘Mark VI', were begun in
1952;
‘Completed routines', one bundle consisting of an account
of the purpose and use of a floating binary point, and one
bundle with correspondence from K.V. Huddart, 1952,
perhaps related to C.63.
6 bundles of notes dated 12 April 1955, m Bessel Functions
Chebychev series, double length arithmetic, correction
routines, etc.
2 undated bundles of notes.
Printout using all above routines, with ms. note by Strachey:
"Examples of the computer output (Manchester University
machine).
The large sheet is a test of an output routine and consists
of the numbers
forn < 39.
2="
There is one error due to a programme fault'.
'Arctan' (2 bundles, some pages dated 1955).
GrornC.6!
‘Math. Theory of Subroutines for various functions’.
3 Bundles of notes on mathematical functions (in original folder).
Exercise book, 'Constants and Useful Numbers in Binary
notation’ (and other notes).
Large folder of notes and calculations, some on verso of Harrow
School exercises, some on Manchester University Computer
programming sheets, etc.
elementary functions.
Miscellaneous untitled notes, mainly of approximations to
'(D.L.) Digital Division’.
'Digitwise formula’.
‘EXAPP! (2 bundles).
4 bundles of notes:
‘DO. b.! EXB.
"Elem. Fns.'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.62-C. 64
Projects using Manchester University Computer routines,
1951-53.
C.62
"Surge Shaft', 1951-52.
This was the 'Garry Project! for the design of a Quoick
surge shaft, for Sir William Halcrow and Partners.
Bundle of notes and calculations re project from Sir William
Halcrow and Partners, December 1951- January 1952.
Ms. and typescript versions of Strachey's description of
"Surge Shaft routine' and 'Fundamental equations’.
8 bundles of notes, calculations, routines.
‘Ferromag'.
December 1952-May 1953.
Correspondence and papers re the Ising model
a problem suggested to Strachey by S.P. Frankel, California
Institute of Technology and worked out with the help of
K.W. Huddart.
of ferromagnetism,
Folder includes correspondence and 6 bundles of notes,
calculations and routines, and computer printout of program
with Strachey's comments.
"Head Wrightson’.
Notes and calculations for a routine of this name for M.U.C.,
apparently based on ‘Equations of Equilibrium for Three-Stage
Let-Down of Kuwait Crude’ (enclosed), n.d.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.65-C.94
Ferranti Pegasus Computer.
Design and projects
The Pegasus machine incorporated some of the techniques of standard
packages developed for the 401 computer made by Elliott Bros. with support from
N.R.D.C. The abbreviation F.P.C.1, used on many of Strachey's folders,
originally designated Ferranti Packaged Computer No.1, but later stood for
Ferranti Pegasus Computer.
Strachey was responsible to N.R.D.C. for the overall machine
design, instruction set and detailed writing of the multiplier-divider units;
he also
specified and wrote much of the initial software which contained a comprehensive ©
assembly system for incorporating library sub-routines.
The Pegasus machine proved very popular, and 38 were made.
See G.1 for a course of lectures on 'Programming for the F.P.C.1' given by
Strachey at Northampton Polytechnic, London, January-March 1955.
See D.41-D.81 for material relating to Ferranti Mercury and Orion
machines.
C.65,: €.66
"Notes on Logical Design’.
The folders preserve Strachey's ordering and titles, though very bulky
folders have been divided for ease of handling.
Few of the documents are dated,
and some of the early items relate to the Ferranti machines in use at Manchester
and Toronto on which Strachey learnt and tested programming ideas and techniques.
Bundles of notes and routines for Pegasus, with titles as
follows:
'3 - address code' (3 bundles).
"Fast Division by 3'
'Multiplication'
'F.P.C. Division Algorithm’
"General Division Processes'
'2 digit multGplierd with 1 adder'
'F.P.C. Divider.
Proof of algorithm'
'Slow signed multiplier'
(Continued from above)
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"Logical design of Units'.
Bundles of notes and calculations, with titles as follows:
‘Decimal conversions'
‘Ternary Logical Units'
"Counters'
"Search Register'
"Tape Input (Magnetic and Paper)’
Some loose pages, and a note by D. Gillies on 'Gillies
Adder-Subtroctor'.
'F.P.C. Library Subroutines’.
Folder of miscellaneous routines with Strachey's ms. note
of contents on the cover.
These are tested routines of
square root, exponentials, logs, sin/cos, arctan, Input
Output Steering routine.
(Continued from above)
Routine called 'R.C.S. [Routine Changing Sequence J.
Notes, calculations and test.
This may be Strachey's first scheme for calling routines
(Dr. C. Phelps's note on the work is included in the folder.)
TPC...
sone Geces s
Folder of correspondence, drafts and calculations re above,
and Strachey's proposals, September-December 1954.
Includes commercial literature from Creed & Company on
teleprinters, suggested models for codes (some by Strachey,
others annotated by him), notes of discussions between
Ferranti and N.R.D.C., drafts and calculations by Strachey
and others, comments on Strachey's codes, correspondence
on articles.
is included here.
Strachey's autograph draft on 'F.P.C. Tape Code’, 10 pp.,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Punched Paper Tape Codes’.
Duplicated copies of Pegasus Input and Output Teleprinter
Code (December 1954) and F.P.C. tape code, with many
ms. corrections and annotations by Strachey.
These are based on, but not identical with the draft in C.70
above.
Dr. C. Phelps notes that the eventual code adopted
came to light for the first time in Strachey's scribbled changes
on p.6 of the document.
Cife-C.78
‘Paper on Elem. Fns.'
(on routines devised as library subroutines for Pegasus)
C72
‘Routines for calculating the Elementary Functions’.
Ms. and typescript of paper so titled.
(Originally kept with above)
Bundles of related notes and calculations:
'Chebychev Polynomials'
'F.P.C.1
Notes for Subroutines’
Untitled (some pages dated 1955) and loose sheets.
‘Elem. Fns.'
‘Elem. Fns.'
3 bundles of notes and calculations, and loose sheets, n.d.
3 bundles of narrative, notes and calculations on
‘Exponential Routines',
n.d.
Work on 'Wide-range logarithm’ sub-routine for Pegasus,
notes, calculations, printouts.
Various dates, 1955-57.
3 bundles of notes and calculations, some pages dated 1955.
Correspondence and offprint on ‘infinite series' and
"numbers with negative base’, 1957.
Miscellaneous calculations.
n.d. but related to above.
'"Chebycheff" Fraction.
Approximations’.
(Originally kept with above)
(Originally kept with C.75)
"Misc. Pegasus’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
'E.P.C.
M/D Layout’.
5 bundles of notes and calculations.
'F.P.C.1
Loading and delays through units’.
Miscellaneous notes and calculations.
Typescript copy of 'loading rules', September 1954,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.82-C.94
Projects using Ferr anti Pegasus Computer
C.82-C.86
Work on ‘Flutter’ in aircraft.
Begun April-June 1956.
This work, carried out in collaboration with R. Penrose, produced
a program for testing on Pegasus, and led to further work by
Strachey on matrices and collaborative work with J.G.F. Francis.
See Cy112, °F. 128
6 pp. ms., and typescript, with ms. corrections, of paper
on ‘Flutter’.
(Originally kept with above)
Calculations, routines
and printouts.
'Some matrix problems arising from the consideration of flutter
in aircraft’.
ms. and typed versions of paper dated 1 November 1956
4 pp.
with authorisation to publish, dated November 1957.
(Originally kept with above)
Correspondence on 'Flutter', 1957-58.
Includes:
5 bundles of notes and calculations on flutter, almost all in
Strachey's hand but some with additions by R. Penrose.
Includes note on 'The information required from flutter
calculations’ (not in Strachey's hand) and a letter on eigen-
value from R. Penrose, March 1958.
Letter to D.B. Gillies on Pegasus and on 'Flutter'
(Strachey's carbon only), February 1957.
Correspondence with Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Ltd. re visit by Strachey to demonstrate his ‘Flutter’
program on the Company's Pegasus machine,
December 1957.
1957).
Correspondence with aircraft companies.
Miscellaneous brief correspondence with collaborator,
J. Francis.
G.87-C. 9!
Work on Matrices using Pegasus (probably begun January-
March 1957).
ae
"Hilbert Matrix’.
Calculations, routines and printouts on Hilbert coefficients,
eigenvalues and eigenvectors (printouts dated April-May
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"Hilbert Matrix Programme’.
Similar material, routines and printouts on Hilbert
coefficients, idempotents, eigenvalues and matrix
inversion.
"Bordered Inversion’.
Calculations, routines and printouts on 'Bordered Hilbert test!
and 'Bordered Inversion’ (printouts dated October-November
1957);
includes bundles of notes on 'Entry', ‘Error Analysis'
and a note headed 'A new method of inserting matrices’.
Loose pages of notes, originally kept with above.
Letter on matrices from J.H. Wilkinson, December 1958.
‘Transformer Matrix Switching’.
4 pp. ms. and miscellaneous typescript pages of a paper
dated 2 November 1959, with miscellaneous bundles, loose
pages and photocopies of notes and calculations.
‘Reactor Instability Problem', 1958.
"Coding Experiments’.
6 bundles of notes aiming to translate Pegasus programs
to EDSAC II.
n.d. but after 1958.
"Possible Order Codes’.
Statement of problem (duplicated typescript, 7 pp.), and
Strachey's calculations, using Pegasus machine.
Calculations and routines for MUSE (Manchester University
Computer) especially re autocode and floating point
arithmetic, in response to a letter from N. Brown, January
1959 (enclosed).
see C.98.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.70-C. 102
Very high speed computers, 1957-59
Correspondence, committee papers, notes, calculations, etc.
Strachey was a representative of N.R.D.C. at meetings and
on the Working Party to consider this project, and was in
attendance at meetings of the N.R.D.C. Sub-Committee on
Electronic Computers until March 1959.
Miscellaneous reports and memoranda re 1.B.M. Stretch
Computer (a very high speed machine) sent to Strachey as
background information, with a memorandum by D. Hennessey.
"Large machines’.
Folder of miscellaneous papers, 1957.
Includes: | Summary of meeting to discuss the technical
problems of the development of a high speed
computer, held at Harwell, April 1957.
Ms. and typescript versions of Strachey's paper
on the design and specification of such a machine,
July 1957.
Calculations and notes by Strachey for machine
design and for administrative structure.
Memorandum on project by D. Hennessey,
September 1957.
Agenda and report of meeting.
Folder of miscellaneous papers, January-June 1958.
'Very fast machines'.
Includes:
Correspondence, July 1957-January 1958, with companies
in USA for information on highspeed circuits and components.
This is the MUSE machine. (See C.94)
'N.R.D.C. and High speed computers', chrono-
logical summary of meetings during 1957 and notes on
those attending meeting at Harwell, February 1958.
(Strachey was N.R.D.C. representative at this
meeting.)
Interim report, Strachey's comments, discussions on
wording, draft and final version of report (by Strachey,
D.J. Wheeler, E.H. Cooke-Yarborough, J. Howlett)
on Manchester Electronic Computer Project.
(N.R.D.C. Sub-committee on Electronic Computers
Paper 170).
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Computer SubCo'.
Mainly Committee papers of N.R.D.C. Sub-committee on
Electronic Computers, September 1958-March 1959, bearing
on discussions re high speed computers, N.R.D.C. support
for and relations with various UK and other computer manu-
facturers,
Strachey was a member of the Sub-committee until he and
Lord Halsbury left N.R.D.C. in March 1959.
In addition, the folder includes memoranda from Strachey on
"Possible Dieve looment from the Emidec 2400' (December 1958),
‘EMI and Ferranti Proposals for a High Speed Computer!
(February 1959), and Lord Halsbury's 'Swan Song' on proposals
by E.M.1. and Ferranti (March 1959),
C.100, C.101
2 folders labelled 'Compiler'.
Bundles of notes, calculations and printouts (printouts dated
June-October 1958).
5 bundles.
2 bundles and loose pages.
probably related to,
project.
or developed from, work on fast computer
'Gabor', August-September 1958.
Folder of calculations, printouts, etc. related to new develop-
ments in cathode-ray tubes discussed in paper by D. Gabor
et al, Proc.1.E.E., 1958; a copy of the paper, and corres-
pondence from Gabor re 'electron-optical computations on
flat TV-tube' are included.
Probably undertaken as study
of cathode ray tube storage re 1.B.M. Stretch and high speed
computer project.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C, 103-C. F195
Miscellaneous notes and drafts
C.103
‘Notes for papers’.
Folder of miscellaneous material, including plan for projected
book ‘Introduction to Programming', which was to include
discussion of important advances made by projects undertaken
during Strachey's period at N.R.D.C.
(St. Lawrence Seaway,
Flutter, Logical Design, Autocode, etc.).
C.104-C.114
"Numerical Analysis’.
. The following folders were all kept together by Strachey
under the general heading 'Numerical Analysis etc.
Flutter, Codiagonal Methods', though the material refers
more widely to various problems on which he worked 1952-59;
it also continues to c.1961-62 during his period as a private
consultant after leaving N.R.D.C., and especially to his
collaborative paper on matrices.
The material may have been assembled for the projected
book referred to above.
'Runge-Kutta’,.
1952
‘4th order Complete solution'
'5th order (incomplete)'
Includes a letter from D.B. Gillies.
‘Miscellaneous Maths. Current’.
‘Runge Kutta.
Gill'
EStanley Gill]
"Determining Equations’
"Special case A'
Bundles of notes and calculations, perhaps for Manchester
Computer, or for Elliott 401 at Cambridge, as follows:
5 bundles.
Calculations, routines and printouts (some pages dated May
1958).
2 bundles of notes, and extensive loose pages of calculations.
2 bundles of notes on asymptotic expansions.
‘Roots of Tridiagonal,
Autocode programs’.
Miscellaneous notes and calculations.
"Linear Accelerator. Maths'.
"'L=R
'Q-R'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Program for codiagonal matrix;
probably 1960 and may not be Strachey's work.
this is written on ALGOL,
‘Polynomials.
Roots etc.'.
3 bundles of calculations.
"Matrix Algebra’.
c.1958
8 bundles of calculations and loose pages.
'Codiagonal Forms in Matrix Eigenvalue Problems’.
‘Miscellaneous ms. drafts for paper with this title, perhaps
early form of that later published with J.G.F. Francis,
Computer Journal, 4.
Includes drafts for 'Preliminaries', ‘Special Codiagonal
Forms', ‘Derivation Form', 'Matrix interpretation of
analogue of Bairstow process for Codiagonal form',
‘Real roots of an unsymmetric matrix', and heavily corrected
typed version.
Folder includes 8 pp. ms. note in another hand 'On the
automatic choice of 'best' values for the parameters in
Tchebycheff iteration', discussing an automatic program
written for EDSAC.
See also F.12.
(Kept with C.112 above.)
‘Rotated Schwarz.
Location of roots on real axis’.
Miscellaneous notes, some with various dates, 1961, 1962,
related to and kept with C.112.
Miscellaneous bundles of notes and calculations on work of
Schwarz, Lanczos, and other problems of Codiagonals,
Tridiagonals, Polynomials, etc.
transformations, etc., n.d. but using Pegasus.
‘Conformal Transformations’.
5 bundles of miscellaneous mathematical calculations on
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
CetigeC. 136
PRIVATE CONSULTANCY, 1959-1964
Strachey left N.R.D.C. in 1959 and set up formally as a private consultant
in June 1959, with Peter Landin as his assistant (see A.44-A.60).
While maintaining
relations with official work through N.R.D.C. and other committees, etc., he under-
took commissions from computer manufacturers on the design and use of computers.
Much of the material in the folders below should therefore be read in conjunction
with the relevant folders in Section D.
Consultancies, to which cross-references
are given where possible.
From about 1960 Strachey adopted the (not invariable) practice of date-
stamping his notes, and these dates are given in the items below, as well as the titles
or descriptions on the original folders.
In the case of loose papers, however, it has
not always been possible to assign them with certainty to a specific project among
the several in which Strachey was often simultaneously involved at this period.
His work on LISP for the EMIDEC 2400 (see C.121-C.135, D.14-D.32)
consolidated his approach to the mathematics and semantics of high-level programming
languages, and led to his participation in the work of the Cambridge group on CPL
(see C.136-C.184) and his Fellowship at Churchill College (see A.61).
His private
Royal Radar Establishment All-transistor Computer (RREAC),
February-June 1960.
Description and order code of machine, Strachey's comparative
notes on its performance, 2 copies of his 'Report on the
computer being built at RRE' (2 pp.), 7 June 1960.
n.d. but probably October 1961.
Notes, graphs, calculations, canputer printout on Pegasus
autocode re problem of fitting the curved end portions of a
ship, and Strachey's 'Comments on a Note on Ship Fairing!
(2 pp.).
Work on 'Ship Fairings'.
December 1960-October 1961.
(undertaken at request of N.R.D.C.) °
consultancy business was formally wound up in 1964 before his visit to M.1.T. and
his appointment at Oxford.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
C.118,.C.119
Working papers, notes and calculations
Work on Traffic Control, 1960-61.
(Work undertaken in conjunction with N.R.D.C. and
Road Research Laboratory.)
'Traffic'.
Includes:
Memos. etc. from N.R.D.C. re collaborative
work on the problem with Road Research Laboratory
and electronic equipment manufacturers, February
1960.
Ms. and typescript versions of a paper by Strachey:
‘Simulation of traffic behaviour on a digital computer’,
3 March 1960.
Memo. of Informal Discussion on 'Future develop-
ments in traffic signals', held by Institution of
Civil Engineers, Traffic Engineering Study Group,
16 March 1961.
‘Traffic’.
Includes:
Diagrams and calculations by Strachey, especially
on traffic control at junctions.
Miscellaneous papers on ALGOL, 1960-61.
Perhaps assembled for review/comment on paper by
H. Rutishauser ‘Interference with an ALGOl-procedure'
(a copy of which is enclosed) for Review in Automatic
Programming.
Copy of a paper 'Traffic simulation programme" for
Pegasus, by J.G.F. Francis, June 1961, probably
developed from above.
Folder also includes a copy of ‘Towards an ALGOL translator'
by Bryan Higman, 1961, with comments by P. Landin and
M. Woodger, and an offprint of 'Report on the algorithmic
language ALGOL 60! by J.W. Backus et al.
See also F.13-F.16.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
C.121=€.135
Working papers, notes and calculations
Work on LISP (LIS + Processing language)
LISP is a computer language based heavily on ALGOLand
was put forward by J. McCarthy in 1960.
Strachey's folders of work on LISP below date from 1960
and relate to the development of a LISP-type language
for the EMIDEC 2400. ~~ Much of the work is entirely
mathematical, but there are some narrative sections and a
little correspondence.
* As work progressed, Strachey seems to have developed
other languages, e.g. BL (Basic Language) which he
tried out on EMIDEC and other machines (see especially
C, 1342°G2139):
The presentation is chronological as far as possible, but
not all the notes are dated.
For further material on Strachey's consultancy with E.M.1.
and his work on their machines, see D.14-D. 32.
'L.B. 1.
Programmes! (LISP Bootstrap).
Notes, calculations and printouts re 'Set up LIST program'
on EMIDEC 2400.
Various dates June-September 1960.
"LISP EMI 2400. Machine results etc.'
"LISP Bootstrap’.
Miscellaneous notes, all lose pages, n.d.
"EMIDEC 2400
LISP Bootstrap Translator’ (L.B.T.)
Notes, calculations and printouts.
October 1960.
Variaus dates July-
Bootstrap Process' with definition of terms, etc. December 1960.
4 bundles of notes, October 1960, on 'Assembly', ‘Translation
from L.B.1 to Assembly coder’, ‘Temporary Translation of
Assembly', 'LB I', and 3 pp. note on ‘Structure of List
Mainly printouts, with Strachey's comments on results.
Various dates July-October 1960.
'BL->AL, AL2ML
Assembly and Translation’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
'LISP.
General functions in L.B.'
Notes and calculations, all loose pages, n.d.
Miscellaneous bundles of notes, calculations and narrative.
Various dates, beginning December 1960, but mainly July
and November 1961.
The notes are on list processing, and may be related to the
Film Store Test Equipment of the EMIDEC 2400; miscellaneous
information sheets and function tables, annotated by Strachey,
-about the Film Store Test Equipment are included with the
notes, and one bundle is headed 'Film Test Store.
LISP’.
‘Polynomial Operations’.
Miscellaneous bundles of notes, calculations and narrative,
various dates September-October 1961.
These are almost entirely mathematical, one set being
Restricted Rational Fractions and
headed 'EMI 2400.
Integers', related to C.129 below.
Notes, calculations and printouts, various dates October
1961-February 1962.
Miscellaneous narratives and notes, March, April 1962.
Copy of official Design Specification for machine,
compiled by N. Brown, November 1961.
On various topics, e.g. time-sharing, control strings,
evaluation , etc.
Included with one bundle is a letter from Strachey to
'here are the machine
N. Brown (E.M.1I.) October 1961:
language functions and the LISP functions for performing
arithmetic on rational fractions’.
Probably for EMIDEC 2400?'.
Draft manual or description for a LISP language.
Tagged folder of notes (various dates May-July 1962),
with separate bundles and loose pages of notes (various
dates October 1961-October 1962) all kept together, with
a note by Strachey added.
c.1973: 'LISP-like system.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
6 pp. typescript note ‘Subroutines written for the LISP
System', beginning 'In order that programming effort
among those interested in the Strachey Lisp system may
be coordinated ...' (not by Strachey).
n.d.
'L.B. for Pegasus etc’.
Folder of notes and calculations.
An attempt to test Basic Lar.guage (BL) programs on other
computers, Pegasus, Orion, Edsac II.
‘September 1960-February 1961.
Various dates
"LIST Progs.'
5 bundles of undated notes:
‘Basic Language Structure’ (B.L. sometimes L.B.)
"B-List
| C-List'
"List Program'
"General form of writing List programs'
"Define Macro'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.136-C £201
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MATHEMATICAL LABORATORY
Strachey's period of work in Cambridge was relatively short.
He joined the Mathematical Laboratory on a part-time basis in 1962 (see
A.62) and left to take up an appointment at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in September 1965 (see A.66), subsequently moving to Oxford.
The period was nevertheless an important one in which he
participated in major projects, notably CPL, and began work on several
other ideas such as the Macrogenerator and formal semantics which were
continued later and elsewhere.
The heading has therefore been adopted, partly for con-
venience but also because it represents a genuine chapter in Strachey's
career,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.136-C. 184
CPL
In the Technical Report. | CPL Working Papers (C.153) these
initials are expanded as Combined Programming Language, thus encompassing
both the origin of the project as a joint endeavour between Cambridge and
London Universities, and its intention to develop a language with the properties
of ALGOL 60 and of a
list processing language such as LISP.
The initials are, however, often understood to stand for Cambridge
Programming Language, and are so expanded in A. Hyman, Computing.
A
Dictionary of terms, concepts and ideas, London 1976, where it
is defined
as 'A specialized programming language of great logical power developed by
Christopher Strachey'.
Less seriously, CPL was sometimes taken to refer to
Christopher's Private Language, reflecting Strachey's major contribution to the
work of the team.
Because CPL and its development BCPL originated in Cambridge,
all the related papers have been kept together as an entity, although they
adapted from the Preface to the Working Papers (C.153):
“In October 1962 a joint research project was begun by the University
Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge and the Institute of Computer Science,
the Atlas | and II (Titan) computers in the two establishments.
as similar comings and goings ammg other members of the CPL team.
The following remarks and descriptions of the history of CPL are
London (then known as the University of London Computer Unit).
The aim of
extend over a much wider spread of time and place, covering Strachey's period
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his appointment at Oxford, as well
(C; 141, F.24).
The initial team consisted of D.W. Barron, D.F. Hartley and
| C. Strachey from Cambridge and J.N. Stor ‘and oe aitcan from London.
of the general
structure and precise description of Algol 60 but should be of
this project was to design and implement a new programming language for use on
wider practical utility.
Many of its main features were settled at an early
stage and were described (in 1963) in
a paper on the Computer Journal
lt was intended that the language should possess the advantages
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
The design of the language, as opposed to its implementation,
was never more than a part time occupation for any of the authors.
As the
language gradually approached its present state, the authors' meetings became
less frequent and those who were not actively engaged in an implementation
found it more difficult to keep in touch with the language.
At the same time
some of the people who were engaged in an implementation began making sub-
stantial contributions to the language itself.
During the period 1963 to 1966
D.W. Barron left the CPL language group and D. Park and M. Richards from
Cambridge and G.F. Coulouris from London joined it’.
Two versions of an Elementary Programming Manual were produced
(C.145 and C.152) and three chapters of an Advanced Programming Manual
were written by Strachey (C. 147).
In the spring of 1965 the authors decided to prepare and if possible
publish a Reference Manual which would contain a complete description of CPL
as it then stood.
A first draft was prepared by Buxton and was followed by a
extensive editing and revision (C.149-C. 151).
After Strachey returned from M.I.T. the authors held a meeting in
Report.
This Report (known as the 'Working Papers') would consist of the 2nd
edition of the Elementary Programming Manual (C.152) and the revised draft of
more sections.
This second draft (C. 148) was sent to Strachey at M.1.T. for
second by Buxton, Hartley, Richards, Park and
Coulouris, each writing one or
Oxford on 24 June 1966 (C.156) at which they decided to publish a Technical
the Reference Manual which had been circulated in the spring of 1966 (C.151).
(C.185-C.196), for several years.
authors although work continued on CPL, especially on compound data structures
The Technical Report (C.153) was the last formal report by the
and segmentation, and on BCPL, devised by M. Richards as a subset of CPL
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
The papers are grouped into 2 sections:
C, 136-C. 157
‘Published papers’.
These are any semi-formal papers issued by the group -
early Titan programming papers, CPL Bulletins and Circulars, Programming
Manuals with Appendices and Supplements, various versions of the
Reference Manual and the Working Papers.
Included in this section
are any drafts and working notes specifically linkedto a publication.
Special attention is drawn to C.155, the folder of 35 CPL language
papers.
C.158-C.184
Working Papers.
These are the less formal notes, calculations, printout,
etc. generated by Strachey and the other members of the team.
They
are of a very miscellaneous composition and often cover a wide span
of dates, owing to Strachey's habit of reworking his files or creating
new ones from several disparate subjects.
The contents of each folder
have been left in Strachey's original order and enumerated as far as
Cross-references have been given where possible, but do not claim to
possible, although it will be obvious that they are very much interrelated.
be complete.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.136-€.157
‘Published Papers’.
C.136
C.137
‘Programming Language for TITAN', by D.F. Hartley
(Titan Programming Paper No.1), 18 May 1962.
‘Provisional Description of Titan for System Programmers',
by D.W. Barron, 28 May 1962.
10 pp. in 2 parts.
_'A Survey of Some Programming Languages’, by D.W. Barron
and D.F. Hartley (Titan Programming Paper No.2), June 1962.
'A First Outline of the Proposed Cambridge Programming
Language’, by D.W. Barron, D.F. Hartley and C, Strachey
(Titan Programming Paper No.4), 13 August 1962.
‘The Main Features of CPL'.
15 pp. typescript headed 'Second Draft 18.1.63'.
'The Main Features of CPL'.
14 pp. typescript, similar to but not identical with above,
intended for circulation within the University of London
Computer Uhit.
Later revised versions of these papers appeared as Titan
Programming Paper No.5 (C.141 below) and as an article
in The Computer Journal, 6.
See F.24 for a copy of the published paper.
‘The Main Features of CPL', by D.W. Barron, J.N. Buxton,
D.F. Hartley, E. Nixon and C. Strachey.
gramming Paper No.5), 26 February 1963.
In an introductory note D.W. Barron explains that the
proposals in Titan Programming Paper No.4 (C.139)
‘formed the basis from which CPL was developed, in
cooperation with the University of London.
February 1963 a Symposium on Development of New
Programming Languages was held at London University,
and for this a paper called 'The Main Features of CPL'
was prepared,
as Titan Programming Paper No.5'.
Also included here is a typescript of the article with same
title published in The Computer Journal, 6.
This paper is now issued, with corrections,
(Titan Pro-
On 21
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
'An Introduction to CPL for Titan - Part I', by D.W. Barron,
July 1963, with errata lists 1 and 2.
‘CPL Bulletin, Number 1', by D.W. Barron, February
1964, with set of programming examples.
‘Titan CPL Object Code Circular IV', by J.C. Gray,
January 1965.
‘CPL Elementary Programming Manual.
by J.N. Buxton.
Edition | (London)',
"Appendix II to CPL Elementary
by J.C. Gray, May 1965.
P
ry
Programming Manual'
’
"CPL Advanced Programming Manual. Drafts'. Various
dates, December 1963-September 1964,
Typescript drafts by J. N. Buxton of several sections of
the Manual, December 1963 and January 1964,
Duplicated typescript of Manual by J.N. Buxton, June-
July 1964, heavily annotated by Strachey.
Constants (2.5)
Expressions (all of section 3)
Table of Contents
Items and Types (2.3)
Names, Brackets, etc. (2.4)
Declarations (parts 1 and 2 of section 5)
Strachey's ms. and/or typescript drafts of:
Numerical Constants (11.2)
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"CPL Reference Manual.
Draft I'.
In the spring of 1965 the authors decided to prepare and
publish a Reference Manual which would contain a
complete description of CPL as it then stood.
draft was prepared by J.N. Buxton after a series of meetings
at which the authors discussed the points at issue.
second draft was then prepared by Buxton, Hartley,
Richards, Coulouris and Park, each one writing one or
more sections.
partly rewritten by Strachey.
These were then revised, edited and
The first
A
. This is a looseleaf notebook containing the typescript
of portions of Draft | and the whole of Draft Il.
heavily annotated by Strachey with some amendments by
This is the copy used by Strachey at M.I.T. when
Park.
editing and revising the Manual (see C.149 below).
The
various sections of the draft are dated August-September
1965.
is
It
"CPL Reference Manual.
Notes’.
Thus a very full record is preserved of the
Large looseleaf notebook containing correspondence
and notes exchanged between Strachey at M.I.T. and
Park at Cambridge (acting on behalf of the CPL authors)
re revision and editing of Reference Manual.
Over the
course of 7 months (the correspondence dates from 28
September 1965 to 16 March 1966) Strachey sent lengthy
comments and ndfes on the draft (C.148 above) which were
then discussed by the authors in England and their decision
communicated back to Strachey for further revision and
editing.
hundreds of decisions (both maja and minor) taken by the
authors in designing the new language.
reading, time lags, etc.
The notebook also contains some correspondence exchanged
between Strachey and Buxton, mostly concerned with the
technical details of publication but also discussing the
possibility that M.1.T. might adopt CPL as its chief teaching
language for undergraduate courses.
The notes appear in every form, manuscript, typescript,
photocopied, stencilled.
Most of Strachey's notes bear
later ms. annotations recording answers and decisions by
the Cambridge and London groups.
The notebook also demonstrates the difficulty in communicating
over a long distance on the numerous points in question
and the problems raised by the logistics of typing, proof-
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
'CPL Reference Manual.
General’.
One folder of material assembled by Strachey for use
in editing and revision of reference manual while he
was at M.1.T..
Typescript of table of contents with notes by Strachey
of progress of each section (draft, typescript, editing,
completed, assembled).
Comments by M. Richards and D. Park.
Miscellaneous ms. notes (none dated or titled) by
‘Strachey while formulating revisions.
'Some Linguistic Problems in the Choice of Mathematical
Terminology’.
1 p. note by Strachey circulated at M.1.T. asking for
suggestions for new words to describe 'a function with
no arguments’ and 'a function of a variable number of
arguments’.
- Preprocessor, Appendix 2 - Basic symbols
Photocopies of ms. drafts (not in Strachey's hand) of
Appendix |
in canonical CPL and publication ‘synonyms, Appendix 3 -
Standard functions, routines, data items, etc., Appendix 4 -
Alternative character sets.
Most of the
(See C.149
"CPL Reference Manual.
Draft 2, Copy 1'.
Draft as revised and edited by Strachey.
sections are dated November-December 1965 or January-
February 1966;
these are photocopies of editions produced
on the CTSS system at M.1.T. and sent by Strachey to Park
on 10 and 28 February and 2 and 16 March.
for correspondence relating to the production of this draft.)
(G.153).
The table of contents on p.1 of the draft bears ms.”
annotations by Strachey to show which sections were missing
or needing revision.
24 June 1966 it was agreed 'to make the present second
draft of the reference manual available to a restricted audience .
as a research report from the two Universities’.
D. Park section 9.3 and M. Richards Appendix 1.
It was also agreed that J. Buxton would contribute sectim
2,
The
typescripts of these sections (dated July 1966) are included
in this draft which, annotated and amended by Strachey
throughout, became the major part of the 'Working Papers'
At a meeting held in Oxford on
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘CPL Elementary Programming Manual Edition II (Cambridge)',
by J. Buxton, J.C. Gray and D. Park, January 1966.
Strachey's annotated and revised copy.
This eventually became the first part o& the Working Papers
(C.153).
were transferred to the version included in the Working
Papers so that the Programming Manual would not have to be
re-typed.
The ms. amendments and annotations by Strachey
Inserted at the back of the Manual is a 3 pp. ‘Supplement
to the CPLElementary Programming Manual' by L. J.D.
McIntyre, 9 May 1966, which describes the facilities
available in the trial CPL system in use at Cambridge.
Included here is ¢
p. note by M.V. Wilkes, 23 May 1966,
‘Introduction of CPL for limited experimental use', notifying
members of Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge, that
experimental CPL system was available.
1
‘Technical Report.
CPL Working Papers’.
1.
An
The Working Papers were issued in July 1966 following a
They
meeting of the CPL authors in Oxford on 24 June.
The second edition of the
consisted of 2 parts:
Elementary Programming Manual (see C.152) and 2,
The concluding
unfinished Reference Manual (see C.151).
paragraphs of the minutes of the 24 June 1966 meeting (see
C.156) state: 'The circulation of the CPL Technical Report
will conclude the phase of effort on CPL which has continued
for the past four years, and at this stage most authors will
probably wish to discontinue their efforts in a formal way ...
CPL of course needs major further work, particularly on
C.S. (Strachey)
data structures and program segmentation.
and D.P. (Park) propose to study this at Oxford, and M.R.
(Richards) may implement it at M.1.T.'
Strachey's preface to the Working Papers, which gives a
useful account of the history of CPL and its documentation,
has been heavily drawn upon in preparing the entries for this
section of the catalogue.
publication of CPL manuals,
List of Changes Foreseen in CPL (3 pp.)
Table of Contents, Sections 1 and 2 (2 pp.)
Brief correspondence with colleagues re assembling and
‘CPL Papers. Manuscript Drafts', July 1966.
Ms. and typescript drafts by Strachey of various sections
of the 'Working Papers' (C. 153),
Includes:
Preface (4 pp.)
Editor's Apologies (3 pp.)
(see C.187).
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"CPL Language Papers’.
These represent a
One folder containing sequence of 35 papers (plus
3 unnumbered papers at the beginning of the series,
and 1 paper between 23 and 24) issued by the CPL team
from October 1963-January 1965.
record of the proposals and decisions re the language of
CPL as well as a record of meetings of the team, held
in London and Cambridge, with J. Buxton acting as
secretary.
prepared for distribution to all members of the team)
unless indicated otherwise.
Strachey, some very extensive.
in numerical order, which corresponds to the brief index
Strachey compiled and kept at the beginning of the fdder.
The descriptive format is name o paper, number of pages,
author, date.
All are typescript (many are stencilled copies
Many bear annotations by
They are presented below
"LISTS etc. (Part 1)',
4 pp., Strachey, 10 October 1963.
'LISTS etc. (Part 2)', 9 pp., Strachey, 14 October 1963.
'Data Structure', 9 pp., ms., Strachey, 4 October 1963.
i
Minutes of CPLMeeting, 17 October 1963, 3 pp.,
Buxton (annotated by Strachey), 18 October 1963.
p. typescript incorporating
'A Proposal for Lists', 2 pp., Nixon, 31 October 1963.
"Definitions and Allied Topics', 3 pp., Hartley,
28 October 1963.
‘Revised Syntax of Definitions, etc.', 2 pp.,
Hartley, 27 October 1963.
A Note on Left-Hand Values, 2 pp., typescript
with annotations and |
revisions, Strachey, 13 August 1963, reissued
18 October 1963.
Continued
Minutes of CPL Meeting, 19 November 1963, 2 pp.,
Buxton, 2 December 1963.
‘Words and Strings', 2 pp., Needham, 14 November
1963.
'A Note on Strings', 2 pp., Buxton, 18 November
1963.
Minutes of CPL Meeting, 5 November 1963, 2 pp.,
Buxton, 13 November 1963.
Minutes of CPL Meeting, 8 January 1964, 1 p.,
Buxton, 9 January 1964.
‘for commands', 2 pp., Barron, 14 November 1963.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
C.755
(continued)
Working papers, notes and calculations
ire
‘Notes on where and function definitions, etc.',
10 pp. ms., 5 pp. typescript, Strachey,
24 January 1964,
'Pre-processor Rules and Syntax', 4 pp.,
Hartley, 2 February 1964.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 29 January 1964,
2 pp., Buxton, 7 February 1964.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 18 February 1964, 3 pp.,
Buxton, 2 March 1964.
Paper No.15?'.
Strachey queries, 'CPL
‘Left Hand Functions, etc.', 4pp.ms., 3 pp.
typescript, Strachey, n.d.
‘CPL Expressions', 2 pp., J.B.H., 20 February
1964.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 25 March 1964, 1
Buxton, 15 April 1964.
p.
Untitled paper on fn
Buxton, 21 April 1964.
and rt variables, 1 p.,
Minutes of CPL meeting, 30 April 1964, 2 pp.,
Buxton, 4 May 1964.
‘The Pre-processor', 2 pp., Richards, 8 May 1964.
16.
7.
18.
LY.
20.
rae
22%
fae
24.
25.
Not numbered but retained in the
Minutes of CPL meeting, 18 June 1964, 1 p.,
Buxton, 23 June 1964.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 25 May 1964, I p.,
Buxton, 28 May 1964.
'The Application of Left Hand Functions', 2 pp.,
Strachey, 6 May 1964.
"London CPL I/O and Magnetic Tape Facilities’, 3 pp.,
Buxton, 22 May 1964.
sequence by Strachey.
Continued
'A-lists', 4 pp. ms., 4 pp. annotated typescript,
2 pp. duplicated typescript incorporating revisions,
Strachey, 10 September 1964.
‘Comment: a Proposal', 1 p., Park, 7 December
1964.
‘Boolean Expressions', 2 pp. ms., 1 p. typescript,
Strachey, 17 November 1964.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 3 November 1964, 2 pp.,
Buxton, 17 November 1964.
'Types of Function Variables', 5 pp., Strachey,
11 September 1964.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Gy We
(continued)
Working papers, notes and calculations
30.
3}.
32.
33.
34,
35.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 5 January 1965, 1 p.,
Buxton, 20 January 1965.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 2 February 1965, 1
Buxton, 5 February 1965.
‘Files and 1/O', 3 pp., Buxton, 22 February 1965.
p.
f
Minutes of CPL meeting, 30 March 1965, 2 pp.,
Buxton, April 1965.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 6 May 1965, 2 pp.,
Buxton, 21 June 1965.
Minutes of CPL meeting, 29 June 1965, 1 p.,
Buxton, 7 July 1965.
'CPL Meetings, Agenda, Minutes, etc.'
Minutes for the meetings of:
1.
24 June 1966 at Oxford where it was agreed to
publish the Working Papers.
1 September 1966.
4.
3 November 1966 (includes copy of Agenda).
6 October 1966 where Strachey's draft proposal
on compound data structures was circulated
(see C.179).
2 Papers by G.F. Coulouris on CPL I, April 1965.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.158-C.184
Working Papers.
Early working notes on CPL, with reference to ALGOL.
6 pp. note on 'Labels', using the early designation 'result of'
instead of the later 'value of’.
(All in Strachey's hand.) ¢.1962.
Preliminary work for CPL; ms. notes dated 5 July and
9 October 1962.
CPL Object Program. TOP 1 and 2'.
Ms. notes and narratives on 'Two main schemes', ‘Pointers,
B-lines, etc.', 'Formats, etc.'.
‘ror.
Gnd OF 2);
Folder of notes for preliminary planning o implementation
of CPL on Titan.
Open', ‘Scheme 2.
Program.
Monitor Numbers, etc.', 'Test TOP 1/1'.
probably 1962.
Several sets of notes: 'Scheme 1.
Closed. TOP 2 CPL Titan Object
Allocation of B-lines, Storage, Parameters,
n.d. but
'Co-routines’.
Miscellaneous notes and routines (not all in Strachey's
hand).
'Compaund Data Structures’.
Miscellaneous notes and narratives on lists (December
1962-January 1963), constructors, etc.
n.d.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"Dead CPL papers', 1962-64.
One folder of typescripts on points which became outdated
or were superseded by later papers and which were kept
together in this folder by Strachey.
Includes:
"Operating System for Titan', 3 pp.,by D.W. Barron,
16 July 1962.
"Titan Operating System - User's View', 2 pp., by
Barron, annotated by Strachey, n.d.
"Preliminary Description of the Titan System Program',
5 pp., probably by Barron, n.d.
‘Titan System Program: Use of Magnetic Tapes and
Core Storage', 2 pp., probably by Barron, n.d.
The outlines of the programming language
"Towards the Definition of a Programming Language
for Titan.
for Titan are now beginning to emerge. The language
to be called CPL, is to be based on ALGOL 60. These
notes indicate the lines along which ALGOL 60 will
be changed and extended’, 3 pp., n.d.
"Note on Name or Address Variables', 3 pp. photocopy
of ms. draft by Strachey, 12 October 1962.
"Note on Documentation’, 1
1962.
p. typescript, 19 October
‘CPL Syntax - 3/3/63', with ms. note by Strachey
"Out of Date’.
Typescripts by various members of the CPL team (Nixon,
Buxton, Hartley) re definition of CPL, November 1962.
‘Titan CPL Compiler.
Basic Operations Macros', 6 pp.
duplicated typescript by M. Richards and D.W. Barron,
‘Implementation of CPL Declarations', 2 pp. typescript,
J.H.M., 18 October 1963.
6 January 1964.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working
papers,
9 papers,
notes and calculations
‘CPL Compiler
Syntax.
Diagram.
Transformation to AE',
Folder of notes and narratives, mostly 1963, all by Strachey
unless otherwise indicated.
Includes:
‘CPL Object Program on Titan',
17 pp. ms. draft, n.d.
"Various forms of factorials', 6 pp. ms. notes, n.d.
‘DIAGRAM. Functional Form of "Diagram" and
form Analysis', 4 pp.ms. notes, n.d.
"Actual output of DIAGRAM', 2 pp. ms. notes, n.d.
‘Output of DiAGRAM', 1
J.H. Matthewman, 11 November 1963. responding
to 3 pp. ms. draft by M. Richards of the same title.
Both drafts sent to Strachey for his information.
p. typescript draft by
‘Method of preparing CPL syntax', by J.H. Matthewman,
17 October 1963, 2 pp. typescript.
‘Use of the syntax reading program', by J.H. Matthewman,
8 November 1963.
"CPL Syntax' (all are typescript):
17 May 1963, 3 pp., with annotations by
Strachey.
31 May 1963, 2 pp. (titled 'CPL Syntax with
practical expression analysis’).
6 August 1963, 5 pp., with 1 replacement sheet.
19 September 1963, 5 pp.
"Irons Translator’, 3 pp. photocopy of ms. (not in
Strachey's hand), n.d.
. 'Applicative Expression Form of Analysis Tree’, 4 pp. ms.
by Strachey, 2 July 1963 (CW/6).
(typescript and ms.)
‘Reduction to Applicative Expressions', 8 pp. photocopy
of ms. draft (not in Strachey's hand), with annotations
by Strachey (CW/7).
Several loose pages of miscellaneous notes on expression analysis
routine, syntax as written, etc.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘CPL Compiler
Canonical Variables'.
Folder of notes and narratives, mainly June-August 1963.
Includes:
‘Canonicalization of Variables’, 5 pp. ms. and 4 pp.
typescript draft by Strachey, 5 July 1963.
'Canonicalization of Variables', typescript and ms.
drafts by Strachey and JBH, 6 August 1963.
Note on 'space allocation for CV fns.' and 'FULs',
2 pp., | July 1963.
‘Examples of CV reduction’, 9 pp. ms. with
"Condensation', 3 pp. ms.
‘Translation Environment', set of ms. notes (pages
not numbered),
‘Formats for CV functions', 2 ms. pages, 29 June 1963.
Miscellaneous ms. notes (some dated 23 and 29 June
1963.
"CPL Syntax’.
Miscellaneous notes and routines, 1963.
Includes:
"Syntax of Expressions’, 4 pp. ms.
Preprocessor rules, etc.
Types.
Transfer Function’.
Description of Pre-
Expressions, Commands, Forms,
t
"CPL Compiler
Classification.
‘CPL Syntax - 14/3/63'.
processor Categories.
Definitions.
Miscellaneous pages of ms. notes on Transformations,
Commands, Command forms of operators.
Definition
forming operators.
Miscellaneous ms. notes, not labelled or dated.
Miscellaneous notes and narratives, some dated March 1963.
Includes:
‘Translation of AE's (B-reduction?)', 3 pp. ms.,
19 March 1963.
Notes on types of operators, 5 pp. ms., 25 March 1963.
‘CPL Operators',
3 pp. ms. (not in Strachey's hand).
‘Evaluation of Expressions.
B-Reduction', 3 pp. ms.
‘CPL Basic Functions', 1
p. typescript.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
"CPL Compiler
Syntax Condensation’,
Folder of miscellaneous notes and narratives on the
implementation of CPL, various dates 1963-65.
Includes:
‘
Miscellaneous ms. notes by Strachey, some dated
May 1963.
‘Condensation Structures and Functions', 15 pp. ms.
draft by L. J.D. McIntyre, 16 October 1964.
Typescript of CPL Syntax, 8 February 1965.
‘CPL Programming Examples', 1963.
Miscellaneous drafts and narratives, mainly by Strachey.
‘Examples of CDS Programs’
‘Tree Sort'
‘Examples of CPL Cword illegible]
Language’, May 1963.
and Compiler
‘Target Strategy Bracketing Program'
'CPL.
Formal Semantics’.
Various dates 1963-65.
Includes:
"University Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge.
CPL Programming Examples', July 1963
‘Permutation in Lexographical Order'
‘Preferred type: complex'
"Fast train'
Miscellaneous sets of unlabelled and undated notes and
routines, all by Strachey
Miscellaneous notes and narratives illustrating Strachey's
increasing interest in the semantic rather than the syntactic
uses of CPL.
Continued
‘Towards a Formal Semantics', 5 pp. typescript (probably
by R.M. Burstall), n.d.
"Closures, Functions, etc.', 3 pp.ms., 18 January 1963.
‘Semantics of where clause', 2 pp. ms., 30 January 1963.
2 pp. ms. notes on for-loop, 14 March 1963.
‘Towards a Formal Semantics', 13 pp. ms. by Strachey, n.d.
‘Basic Ideas', 4 pp. ms. by Burstall, 23 November 1964.
Strachey
C.
CSAC 71/1/80
c.171
(continued)
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Progress? with CPL semantics', 3 pp. typescript,
14 December 1964, wiih several other pages attached
(‘Structure Definition of Applicative Structures and
Command Structures', 'Functions', 'Translation')
that weré annotated by Strachey and re-typed on
19 December 1964.
"Some Investigation into the Formal Semantics of CPL',
by R.M. Burstall, January 1965.
Typescript with ms.
annotations.
Chapter |
Dealing with Functions and Routines
by the techniques of C. Strachey
Chapter II
First attempts at formalising the
translation (p.1 only)
Chapter III
A different approach to CPL semantics,
and miscellaneous loose pages of
definitions.
Miscellaneous loose pages of notes and narratives by
Strachey.
"CPL Subsets’.
Folder of notes and drafts, October-November 1964.
Includes:
This may be
Tape Titles', 2 pp.
‘CPL Subset.
by R.M. Burstall, 29 October 1964
Proposed restrictions', 2 pp. typescript
Proposed semantic restrictions’, 2 pp.
"CPL Subset.
typescript with ms. annotations by Strachey, 23
November 1964
"Baby (Basic) CPL', 1} p.ms. notes, n.d.
the earliest reference to BCPL, with hesitation about
its name
Continued
"CPL Compiler Executive System.
duplicated typescript by Strachey with annotations,
5 March 1965.
‘Proposed Scheme fot Segmenting Cl's and SSR's, 3 pp.
duplicated typescript by Strachey, 18 February 1965.
Various duplicated sheets on 'Teletype Eight-Level Code’,
"PDP-7 Instruction Summary', 'Maglayout 1'.
"Display" etc.', 2 pp. typescript (CW 4)
"CPL Object Code
Execution System'
Includes:
Miscellaneous notes and narratives, February-March 1965.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
C.173
(continued)
Working papers, notes and calculations
Ms. notes on ‘Altering a single Cl or SSR',
"Construction of Executive System (TOP 2)',
"Steps in setting up an object program', 'Setup
and Op. System for Opject Code' and various
untitled sheets of notes.
n.d.
"CPL Pending
(Language and General)'
Miscellaneous notes and narrarives, 1962, 1965.
Includes:
Ms. notes on ‘Abstract Objects, Written Expressions,
Machine Representations', 28 November 1962.
Notes and queries 'for next CPL Language Meeting’, n.d.
3 pp. ms. draft of letter to editor, Communications of
the A.C.M. about 'the difficulty of inventing and
describing a major programming language’, in which
Strachey discusses the problems encountered by the
CPL team.
"CPL Programs
Linear Algebra’
‘CPL Syntax'.
Includes:
¢.1966
'CPL Reference Manual
Working Papers’
Miscellaneous ms. and typescript examples using CPL, ¢c.1966.
Material arising from the publication of 'CPL Working Papers’
(C153);
Miscellaneous notes and narratives headed ‘Examples of
Scope Rules', 'Juxtaposition and implied multiplications’,
‘CPL Syntactic Questions', 'Syntax of Nodes and Elements'
and 'Syntax of Pointers'.
Miscellaneous notes by Strachey.
Duplicated typescript of 'The
Expression’, 2 pp., by M. Richards, 6 October 1966.
Switch Command and Lookup
Typescripts of several papers by R.M. Burstall,
1966:
18 August
‘Types and Structures', 4 pp.
"Nodes and Elements', 2 pp.
"Extension to Structure Definitions', 1
p.
Typescript o 'Streams' and 'Segmentation'.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
CPE Stracénet
CPL Memorandum OX] from Strachey and Park, 3 December
1966, on TrS CIn2 function.
CPL Memorandum OX2 from Park, 7 December 1966, of
"Comments on CS's Streams'.
Ms. notes by Park and Strachey on streams.
"Data Structures’.
Miscellaneous notes and narratives on compound data
. structures, arising from publication of the Working Papers,
October-November 1966.
Includes:
1 p. ms. notes of agenda for CPL meeting, 3 November
1966 (see also C.156 for minutes of that meeting).
Ms. notes and typescripts on 'Pointers' (one typescript
is dated 31 October 1966).
‘Compound Data Structures', 15 pp. ms. draft proposal
by Strachey (probably this is the draft that is referred
to in minutes of CPL meeting 6 October 1966, see C. 156).
5 pp. typescript version of above, Serial no. OX3.
‘Miscellaneous Tech.
Chiefly Compound Data Structures’.
‘Examples of Structures Using Nodes', 3 pp. ms.
'Juxtaposition and implied multiplication’, 1 p.
‘Examples of CDS Programs', 6 pp. ms. (includes notes
on examples).
One folder of miscellaneous ms. working notes and papers;
few are labelled or dated.
They are left in the order kept
by Strachey and include list of 'Words which are not well
understood', 'Some problems in dynamic storage allecation'
by M.D. Mcllroy, 20 February 1968, 'Compound Structure
Type Syntax' and 'Compound Structure Expression
Definition', 1965-66.
June-July 1968.
Notes on streams, nodes, variables, structure definition.
Also includes notes for CPL language meeting, n.d. and
list of ‘Basic Concepts in CPL (in Programming Languages'),
n.d.
Miscellaneous ms. notes and drafts on CPL, some dated
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Character Codes'.
Miscellaneous notes and tables, various dates September
1967-February 1968.
Mainly related to attempts to use CPL on Atlas and
KDF 9 machines.
Folder of miscellaneous notes and printout on 'Character
set questions', December 1967.
"CPL.
Notes and revisions'.
* Folder of miscellaneous notes and narratives, various dates
1966-68.
Includes:
"CPL Working Papers.
and Extensions of the Language’, 3 pp. ms. of
introduction, lists of amendments, suggestions, and
points for discussion.
Suggestions for Amendments
List of 'Work to Do' (on CPL and BCPL), 12 April
1968, on the reference manual, formal semantics,
BCPL, machine design, etc.
"Proposed Revision of CPL Expression Syntax’.
"Syntax and Grouping’ (2- November 1966).
‘Programmers Parametrically Polymorphic Functions’.
Duplicated set of notes for the revision of CPL, no
author or date. Heavily annotated by Strachey.
Miscellaneous loose pages of notes.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.185-C. 196
BCPL
The material in this section includes correspondence on CPL
and BCPL (C.185 - C.188), copies of the BCPL Reference Manual (C.189)
and Compiler (C.190), a notes and routines by Strachey and the
Programming Research Group 1967-73 for BCPL (C.191 - C.196).
The initials BCPL are usually understood to denote Basic
Computer Programming Language, though see C.172 for Strachey's alter-
native expansion Baby CPL.
BCPL was devised by Martin Richards at M.1.T. as an imple-
mentation subset of CPL,
Ina letter to L. Goldthorpe, 3 November
1967 (C.186) Strachey described BCPL as looking 'rather like CPL but
is designed to be easy to compile and to make it possible to produce fairly
good code’.
The original plan had been for Richards to write a CPL
compiler in BCPL, but he later decided to concentrate his efforts on
improving the BCPL compiler (see C.187).
In Oxford, Strachey and the
March 1969.
Because BCPLwas developed from CPL, it
is not possible to
The folders
Programming Research Group developed an operating system written
entirely in BCPL for their Modular | computer which was delivered in
make a strict distinction between work on the two languages.
below are mainly concerned with BCPL and usually bear Strachey's headings
to that effect, but there are numerous references to CPL, and it will have
been observed that some folders in the preceding section on CPL contain
papers or material on BCPL.
the Programming Research Group, see C.208 - C.223.
material on BCPL in the 'Cambridge' period of Strachey's career although
the work on BCPL was done after his move to Oxford.
material on the Mod. | and KDF9 computers, as well as other projects of
Similarly, it has been thought best to leave
For additional
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.185-C..188
Correspondence on CPL and BCPL, 1966-70.
Includes letters describing plans and research, as well as
shorter correspondence re distribution of manuals, requests
for further information, meetings and visits, etc.
are carbon copies only of Strachey's letters.
Some
In chronological order.
4 folders as follows:
1966
(includes letter to R.F. Churchhouse, 31 May,
enclosing Ip. note on 'CPL Compiler', and
letter from F.G. Duncan, 10 December, with
comments on CPL Working Papers).
(includes letter from P.J.Landin, 22 January,
on data structures, correspondence with C.S.L.
Atkinson re use of BCPL for Code Generator for the
ICT 1900, carbons of Strachey's letters to accompany
copies of his Copenhagen lectures, ‘Fundamental
Concepts in Programming Languages’ (see F.40-
F.54), and of letter
describing plans for implementation of CPL and
BCPL).
to L. Goldthorpe, 3 November,
| have thus chosen to specify and implement
Aprintout of an example of its use was enclosed
Also included is
Not debugged’,
3 pp. typescript letter, 4 April 1968, from M. Richards at
M.1.T., giving reasons for his decision not to write a CPL
compiler in BCPL, but rather to improve the ‘efficiency
and machine independence’ of the BCPL compiler.
‘I
realized that the reasons for using CPLOCODE as the inter-
mediate object code are not valid if BCPL is implemented
for its own sake.
an alternative object code which is specifically designed
for BCPL'.
with the letter and remains in the folder.
a photocopy of 'Compilation of Demo BCPL.
5 May 1968, sent by Richards and annotated by Strachey.
BCPL operating systems OS1 and OS2, 1970).
(includes letter from A.G. Frazer, 6 February
1968, on data structures, brief correspondence
re Modular One operating system, 1969, and on
The letter also describes the arguments employed by
a paper he was writing on ‘rationalizing my views
Richards in
of types’.
1968-70
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
'BCPL Reference Manual.
21 July 1967.
27 pp. stencilled copy.
Project MAC', by M. Richards,
Includes copy of 'CPLOCODE Language’ by M. Richards,
12 March 1967, 8 pp.
'BCPL Compiler’, by M. Richards, 1967.
60 pp. of computer printout annotated by Strachey.
BCPL compiler was itself written in BCPL and was designed
to be easily transferable to other machines.
The
C.19T=C. 196
_Notes and routines implementing and using BCPL, by
Strachey and Programming Research Group, 1967-73.
GC. 19)
"BCPL Line Imager.
Atlas-yInternal.'
Calculations and tables on ‘Special characters', ‘Internal
from Atlas’.
'BCPL Object Code.
Investigations for Improvement',
Folder of ms. notes, n.d., and 2 printouts (1967).
Includes:
‘Translation of for - loops’, ms. notes.
"Collapse entry’, ms. notes.
Miscellaneous ms. notes and printouts.
Printout 'Tree Ocode List Run',
by Strachey, n.d. (related to work on ‘Internal from
Atlas' and 'Special characters’ above).
heavily annotated
Printout of User Code Assembly System, 28 November
and 1 December 1967, heavily annotated by Strachey.
not labelled.
Miscellaneous ms. notes labelled 'BCPL special fns',
"Notation', 'Semantics of BCPL', 'Types in BCPL',
"Useful Functios', and many sets of notes which are
'BCPL Compile-time Reports', 4 pp. stencilled typescript.
"Abstract Syntax of BCPL Declarations', 10 pp. ms.
Folder of miscellaneous notes, n.d.
Includes:
'BCPL Queries', 1
p. ms.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.194
'BCPL/CPL Preprocessor’.
Folder of ms. notes, narratives and routines, some bearing
various dates, 1968.
Includes:
'BCPL Preprocessor', 3 pp. ms.
'Recognizers for Lexical Analysis', 11 pp. ms.
"Main Outlines of Preprocessor', 3 pp. ms., 21 May 1968.
"Notes on existing BCPL Compiler’, 1 p. ms., 19 May 1968.
"Note on Numbers and Constants in BCPL Compiler',
lp. ms., 20 May 1968.
Notes on streams, 7 pp. ms., 21-22 May 1968.
"Underlined Words', 10 pp. ms.
"BCPL Canonical Symbols', 8 pp. ms.
Notes on character sets.
3 sets of ms. notes, not titled or dated.
GC. 1
"BCPL Misc. Notes’.
Folder of notes, including:
Some of the material, including printout dated 1973,
relates to an 'Algol Compiler in BCPL' which was an
"Optimisation of OCode', 1
p. ms.
'The AE syntax for BCPL', 2 pp. typescript.
"Character Sets etc. in BCPL compiler', 3 pp. ms.
(see also C.194 above)
'BCPL Formal Semantics' by P. Wallis, 6 December
1973, 33 pp. photocopy of typescript and ms. draft.
Folder of miscellaneous undated ms. notes, on streams,
recursive and non-recursive functions, Tree Streams
(by D. Park), etc.
uncompleted project of the Programming Research Group.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
€.197"C.201
General Purpose Macrogenerator (GPM)
In an autobiographical note written in 1971, Strachey
described this as follows:
interesting byproduct of the work on CPL and its
An
compiler was the General Purpose Macrogenerator which
is in effect a simple but very general string processor.
This program has now been implemented in almost every
country in which computing is a research subject -
| certainly know of implementations in Australia, Japan,
Poland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy,
Holland as well as several in England and America.
It gives an elegant example of the use of a stack and
shows the pewer of functional composition to construct
complicated operations from simple primitives.
is
not, however, of any very deep theoretical interest
and | now regard it as a rather beguiling time-waster.
It
See also F.32.
"A General Purpose Macrogenerator'.
Laboratory Cambridge Technical Memorandum No.65/1,
March 1965.
University Mathematical
'Macrogenerotor Mk. II’.
2 pp. typescript routines, 15 January 1964.
"Macrogenerator Mk. III".
Duplicated typescript, 40 pp., with ms. corrections and
errata, June 1965,
(The paper was also published in the Computer Journal,
October 1965, see F.32.)
Bundles (some extensive) and loose pages of routines, test
printouts, comments on results, etc., most headed 'CSMG3'
CC. Strachey Macrogenerator Mark III2] and many worked
on Titan Program sheets.
Strachey's reply describing GPM, 1966.
Correspondence with B. Raphael, Chairman of Comparison of
Languages Subcommittee , A.C.M., with questionnaire and
Notes, routines and test printouts, mainly on 'Defargval' routine,
some dated March 1965.
Only a few sheets have dates, January, February, April 1964.
"GPM.
General Macro Definitions'.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working
papers | notes and calculations
g papers,
Ci202-C: 274
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PROGRAMMING RESEARCH GROUP
(P.R.G.), 1966-75
See A.68 and Section B for the history and setting up of P.R.G.
The material includes work on the following, as well as
on other projects.
C.202 - C.207
Visits and work at Project MAC
Ci206 = C.212 - KDFY
C.213 - €.223
Modular One (Mod 1)
C.224 - C.241
Formal semantics (with D. Scott and others)
C.242 - C.274
Miscellaneous notes and drafts.
Strachey's main interest in the later part of this period,
on mathematical semantics and programming theory, was disseminated
chiefly through discussions, lectures and talks, or shorter papers, but not
by any comprehensive publication during his lifetime (see F.61-F.75).
Much of the work was collaborative with Strachey's
possible.
with research students such as R. Milne, C. Wadsworth; contributions
from these and others are included in the folders and idenfied where
Guidance from M. Harper and J.E. Stoy on the content
colleagues in P.R.G., notably D. Park, D. Scott and J.E. Stoy, and
and dating of some of this material is very gratefully acknowledged.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working Bapet, notes and calculations
©. 202-C. 207
Visits and work at Project MAC (Multiple-Access Computer,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1966-70
Papers and correspondence relating to various visits paid by
Strachey to Project MAC to lecture and advise, including
reports and professional correspondence re projects, courses,
personnel, as well as travel and personal arrangements, etc.
CTSS (Compatible Time-Sharing System) Programmer's Guide,
1966.
. Correspondence with J.M. Wozencraft re work in progress,
personnel, CPL Compiler, etc. at Project MAC. April-
November 1966.
Correspondence and reports, May 1967-July 1968, re
Strachey's visit to Project MAC to assess and advise on
‘programming linguistics', graduate course, July 1967,
with miscellaneas reports on the course and on the visit,
and recommendations for revisions.
Contract, travel and visa arrangements, etc. are also included.
Correspondence, etc. re visit to lecture at M.1.T. in summer
Bell Telephone Laboratories.
Invitation to Strachey to visit and lecture at Laboratories
during visit to US for M.1I.T. Summer Session, 1969.
session course on ‘Programming Linguistics', July 1969.
Includes correspondence on research in progress, travel and
financial arrangements, etc.
Includes correspondence on research in progress, travel and
financial arrangements, etc.
Correspondence, etc. re visit to M.I.T. to lecture at second
Summer School on Programming Linguistics in July 1970.
Includes professional correspondence on research in progress.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.208-C.212
KDF9
—«1967-69
This was Oxford University's Computer.
this machine and the Atlas machine at Chilton for various
translating and implementation programmes using CPL
and BCPL.
Strachey used
Miscellaneous notes and routines for programming experiments
on KDF9, ‘line imager',Atlas-ASC II, etc.
¢.1967
"KDF 9 Programs'
* Miscellaneous notes and routines.
c.1967-69
'KDF 9
Macrocode System. Writeups, etc.’
c.1967
8 pp. typescript note on 'Macrocode System for KDF 9',
explaining purpose of system and terms used:
LUP (Load
9 January 1967.
Update Pair), FVL (Free Varioble List),
3 typescript notes on aspects of the system.
4 ms. notes, two of them being drafts for above.
"Code Generator for KDF9.
OCode to User Code’.
nos. 1-13 are dated June
1.
‘Storage Allocatic'
Numerous sets of ms. notes on code generator.
‘History
BCPL
KDF 9 Streams'
Usercode Generator
25 pp. ms. of program for code generator, n.d.
'User Code Generator for CPL OCode', 8 pp. ms.
One folder of stencilled reports;
1969.
Cantinued
‘Punch Tape Code to Line Printer Code Output
Stream'
'8 bit characters (from P702) to KDF9
6 bit characters Input Stream'
'KDF9 Character input Stream'
‘Temporary Monitor Routine and
Error Exits'
'Titan Characters to 8 bit Characters Input Stream'
'Titan 7-bit Input Stream'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
~
"Blank Output Streams'
‘Punch Tape Code to Line Printer Character
Stream'
"Device "Streams"!
'User Code Character Output Sireams'
‘Temporary Merge Output Streams'
‘User Code Block Output Streams'
"Line Imager'
'Tab Replaces'
‘User Code Generator for CPL Code’
No title
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Gi2lS-C. 223
Modular One (Mod I), 1969-71
This was the P.R.G. Computer, supplied by Computer
Technology Ltd. for Strachey's S.R.C. project.
The S.R.C. grant was
agreed in November 1968 and the machine was
delivered in March 1969.
Strachey and his team had written a compiler and operating system, using
BCPL, and the machine was operating almost at once.
This episode is
described as follows in 'Getting down to software fundamentals' (included
in A.2):
‘Mod One arrived midday on March 19, and passed its
acceptance tests that evening.
Less than 48 hours later
they had the whole lot working.’
C.213-C.215
3 sets of tagged ms. notes and test printouts for Mark !
and Mark II Intercode for the Modular One machine.
Most of the notes are date-stamped January and February
1969.
'Set up General’
‘Bootstrap I'
"Bootstrap II"
"OS1 Set up'
"Set up Bootstraps’.
Looseleaf ring binder of ms. notes and routines, almost all
in Strachey's hand, but with some later material by D. Park,
P. McGregor.
February 1969.
Strachey's notes are dated January-
The material is divided as follows:
(Information supplied by M. Harper of P.R.G.)
The notes by Strachey are designs for programs to load the
P.R.G's Operating System (OS1) into the Modular One
Computer from paper tape.
(Interpretive Code, designed by Strachey in the sets of
notes in C.213-C.215) for Bootstrap | and Bootstrap II,
Tape 1, and in BCPL thereafter. There is later material
from other members of P.R.G., as this was an active
working file until at least 1971.
They are in 'Written IC'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Tagged folder of stencilled notes, information and
routines kept as a manual for Modular One. Various
dates, 1969-71.
C.218-C. 220
Work on 'Exec. I', 1969-70.
'Exec. |' was the Executive program supplied by Computer
Technology Limited with the P.R.G.'s Modular One
machine.
Code program, so Strachey produced an unannotated listing
from the Assembled binary tape.
CTL would not supply the text of the Assembly
~ "Modular I. Exec.I'.
Bound folder of program, with some ms. annotations.
n.d.
cel V6¥.
Miscellaneous ms. decoded and annotated sections fran
CTL's Exec. | program, produced by Strachey from the
unannotated listing, to see how it worked.
n.d.
Probably 1970.
Miscellaneous ms. notes, all re decoding and annotating of
CTL's Exec. | program, some with dates March-April 1970.
One technique for describing what a particular subroutine
did was to write an 'equivalent' BCPL routine, and there is a
2-page narrative note describing conventions to be used when
doing so.
(Information supplied by M. Harper of P.R.G.)
"Stream Compiler’.
in Strachey's
Miscellaneous bundles of notes and routines, all
hand, some dated December 1970-January 1971, on the
design and implementation of the 'Stream Compiler’ which
was a new compiler for BCPL to run on the P.R.G.'s Modular
One System.
The work was being done by one of Strachey's
D.Phil. students (Alan C. Bamford) under his direction.
and printouts, 1972-73.
Also included are printouts for 'Factorial' program and
of part of the 'Stream Compiler’ itself, and other notes
Printout headed ‘Russian Problem', December 1971.
(Program for the 'Stream Compiler’)
(Information supplied by M. Harper of P.R.G.)
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Strachey's Original Specification for an 'Off-Line
Job Queve' for the P.R.G.'s Modular One computer,
dated 28 May 1971.
This program served as a ‘batch processor’ for progranis
held ina queve.
in
use (January 1978)]
[Aversion of the program is still
(Information supplied by M. Harper of P.R.G.)
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.224-C. 24]
Formal Semantics (in collaboration with D. Scott and
C.224
‘Notes for Book on Math. Th. of Comp.'
Plans, chapter headings and notes for book 'A Mathematical
Theory of Computation', to be written by Scott and Strachey.
The plan and chapter headings are in
comments, notes and drafts for sections of the work are by
Strachey.
Various dates August 1969.
Scott's hand;
The book was not completed, but many of the notes and
‘calculations in the following folders were preparatory
material for the project.
'Various formal prog. languages’.
Notes and ideas on types of languages, some by Scott
but mainly by
Strachey.
Includes:
"Language O'
‘Language 1'
(see C.228 below)
'Mini-language 1', February- March 1970
‘Language 2.
Assignment and Hops'
Version 1' (by Scott and
The simple procedure language’,
Kept with C.225.
Shorter notes:
'P.P.L. Version 2' (by
Scott and Strachey).
"Language 3.
by Scott and Strachey
"Paradigm Prog. Lang. (PPL).
Strachey).
Kept with C.225.
"Languages' (possibly outline for work to be done for
projected book)
‘Simple programming language with side effects’
'A purely applicative language"
"Commands or expressions'
‘Algol 60' (on verso, ‘Language O')
"L-PAL'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Ci2ee
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Mathematical Semantics for two simple languages’.
P
guag
Duplicated typescript of paper read by Scott and Strachey
(on Language O and Language 1) at Princeton, August
1970.
"Jumps, etc.'
1970
Sequences of notes and routines (collaborative work
with Scott).
'A small "Continuation" language’
basis of the work)
(typescript note,
‘Program Segments', calculations and narrative,
2 items both April 1970
‘Jumps, Hops, Labels', more extended sequence of
calculations and narrative, April 1970
'Commands/ Jumps Semantics’
'Examples of Hops, Skips and Jumps (approx. PAL)'
"Attempts at Jumps'
‘Jumping Into and Out of Expressions', 3 pp.
narrative by Strachey dated August 1970, ms. and
typescript versions.
"Data Types in Programming Languages’.
Includes letter to Scott on the subject, March 1970.
‘General Notes on Series
Typographical Expts. '
2 ms. drafts for work, perhaps lecture, with this title,
July 1970.
Notes and examples of symbols for computer languages,
in various type-faces, in connection with planning and
publication of P.R.G. Technical Monographs, 1970-71.
Continued.
Bundles of notes, calculations and narrative, various
dates March 1969-February 1972, with headings or
titles as follows:
"Formal Semantics
Miscellaneous work more or less in progress’.
"Basic Functions'
"Conditional Expressions'
‘Simple language without side effects’
‘Sample Class 2 language (derived from PA)'
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.232
coomnnguee)
' Abstract syntax'
‘Stored Commands’
‘Lists and Polyadic functions'
‘Commute!
‘Example (2nd Loop th.)'
‘Loop Theorem I'
"Notation'
"Simplification of fixed point results’
"Assignment method for recursion'
'Dijkstra's Problem' (2 sets, February 1972 and earlier
work, March 1970)
"Induction'
Untitled (on Dijkstra)
Undated notes and calculations by Strachey on same
subject (kept with above).
Notes and ideas by R. Milne, S. Linfoot and other members
of P.R.G.
(kept with above)
‘Formal Semantics
Formulae
Theorems
Exercises'
C.236
'Useful formulae and equivalences' (by C. Wadsworth,
annotated by Strachey).
Tagged set of ‘Miscellaneous Formulae’ in Strachey's
hand, various dates March 1970-March 1971.
Miscellaneous problem sheets, etc. by D. Park, J. Stoy
and others (kept with above).
Various dates, 1970.
Includes 'Revised version' of Park's paper 'The - Combinator
in Scott's A- Calculus Models' and a copy of his covering
letter to Scott, October 1970.
Bundles and loose pages of notes by Strachey, Scott, Park,
and handout for lectures on Lattice Theory.
Includes paper by D. Park, and miscellaneous notes by
Strachey, some dated December 1970.
'
= Calculus and models’.
‘Lattice Theory.
Misc. Notes’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
bo
«Cate?
Includes extended narrative by Strachey ' X- Calculus
as a language.
Contains details of proof of correctness
of substitution lemmas etc. in the model', December 1970.
6 bundles of notes and calculations by Strachey, R. Milne,
C. Wadsworth.
‘Dana Scott's LAMBDA and Simplified universal domain'.
Copy of Scott's paper 'A simplified construction for
d= Calculus Models' delivered at Uppsala, April 1973.
‘ Extensive notes and comments on above by Strachey.
Various dates, May-June 1973.
Subsets of Pw', notes by Scott (Trinity Term 1973).
Various notes and problems on
course of lectures, annotated by Strachey, 1973.
A. - Calculus, perhaps for
Correspondence with P. Welch 1975 re a problem arising
from the lectures.
ondence between D.
- Calculus and lattice structures;
notes on 'Jump-free
Folder of research material on programming languages and
miscellaneous problems, by members of P.R.G. and others,
sent to Strachey or kept by him as background information.
Mainly 1972.
Includes reports and papers on research in progress by
R. Milne, C. Wadsworth (P.R.G.); extended corres-
Scott and R. Milner, 1972, on
PAL' by S. Linfoot (P.R.G.).
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.242-C.274
Miscellaneous notes and drafts
C.242, C.243
"An Abstract Model for Storage’.
See G.34
'A.M.S. Manuscript.
Ist Draft'.
Ms. and first typed draft with ms. corrections for
Introduction and Chapter | of work with this title,
July 1971.
_'An Abstract Model for Storage’.
Folder of notes, plans and calculations, some under
title 'An axiomatic model of storage’, a few by Scott
but almost all by Strachey.
May 1971.
Variousdates June 1970-
"Notes on "call by name” and "call by value"'.
Notes and papers, probably taken for,
meeting at PR.G.
c.1970-71.
n.d.
or at, discussion
'OS6.
Text and some notes’.
Notes and calculations on 'Free Store Package’ and
vectors, with test printouts, dated October-November
FAL:
For P.R.G. in-house seminar on 'Style in Programming'
which discussed examples of bad programming style found
in the OS6 system.
The idea of the 'BUG FILE' was that all the members
of P.R.G. would analyse (and record) their program
bugs so that causes of mistakes could be recognised.
Unfortunately most people (including Strachey) only
kept their file fora week or so, and nothing came of
the idea.
Notes and printwt, October-November 1972.
(Information supplied by M. Harper of P.R.G.)
(Information supplied by M. Harper of P.R.G.)
Folder for 'Bug file’ and other notes, 1972-74.
"Bit Streams’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Console Experiments’.
Folder of miscellaneous material on programming and
use of P.R.G.'s computer;
includes a few notes and
programs by Strachey, and some notes and reports by
other members of P.R.G.
Various dates, 1972-74.
"Machine Design’.
Notes, calculations and drafts on ideas for computer
design, various dates, 1971-72.
; Includes:
‘Possible 1.C. Machine', 24 February 1971.
‘Design of Large Computer Systems', 5 pp. ms.
draft, possibly draft for paper or recommendation.
The sub-heading is 'Sequel to Time-sharing in
Large Fast Computers' and suggests that the reduction
in cost of hardware means that time-sharing is no
longer desirable except in small-scale console
systems on local small computers.
n.d.
Untitled similar draft on machine design, n.d.
See H.32.
Miscellaneous notes for talk or paper to answer questions
‘Why?
What?', 6 March 1973.
What for?
How?
‘Design of new programming languages’.
Miscellaneous notes and calculations, perhaps also for
ideas on machine design, on 'Hops', ‘Stack machine’
(1972), 'Squasher Table' (for BCPL), etc.
‘Notes on Very Large Projects', 5 pp. photocopy
of ms. draft, with a note 'Notes not used at
Conf. on Undergraduate Curriculum in Comp. Sci.,
Univ. of Waterloo, 2-3 October 1972'.
"Dynamic type checking', n.d.
Includes notes on 'Manifest functions' and also other
notes on language design headed:
"Manifest Functions’.
"Language I', June 1973
‘Error exits from functions and
routines', August 1973
Strachey
C.
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
Miscellaneous bundles of notes, calculations and
narrative, mainly on 'Conditional Expressions', and
various ‘Models of Store'.
December 1973.
Various dates, latest
Miscellaneous narratives, notes, calculations, routines
and printouts, mainly connected with an Anagram program
which Strachey was developing, 1973-74.
Ms. questions and problems on formal semantics and
concepts in programming languages, devised for section
.'Theory of Programming Languages’ in Honour School
of Mathematics, Oxford, June 1974.
Miscellaneous notes and calculations on semantics,
some dated March 1974,
Miscellaneous routines and test printouts.
'Recipes' program, possibly intended to test ideas on
compact storage of information, and some general P.R.G.
computer documentation, March-April 1975.
Mainly for
"Misc. Programming Notes and Tricks’.
Miscellaneous undated notes, some for programs, some
for problems and puzzles.
Various periods to 1972.
Miscellaneous notes and narratives, perhaps for talks or
papers on various problems, e.g. store, recursion,
continuation language, domains, etc., some dated 1972
and 1973.
Folder of miscellaneous material, mainly on self-reproducing
programs devised by Strachey and others in P.R.G.
Includes a sequence of notes by Strachey on ‘Recursive
Routines and Loops’.
"The Axiom of Choice', n.d.
‘On models', ms., perhaps for short talk, 5 pp.,
November 1974,
"Thoughts about Syntax', ms. 1
p.
n.d.
"Notes on various topics’.
Includes:
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
‘Misc. notes for papers, articles, etc.'
Includes:
‘Notes on self-teaching programs', 1 p. with
note, M.1.T. 1966.
Abstraction in Programming Languages', 1 p. notes
"Numerals', 2 pp.
Plan for publication on philosophical foundations and
methods of language programming, under 17 headings
with notes on contents, 7 pp.
n.d.
Logical Structure of a Small Operating System', 3 pp.
'The
Structure of Operating Systems', 4 pp.
C.263-C.274
Teaching and research material, 1968-75.
This material came to hand at a late stage in the preparation
of the catalogue.
unavoidably breaks the chronological order roughly pre-
served in the preceding entries.
Its inclusion here as an addendum
C.263
"Misc. semantics’.
'Seminar on formal semantics.
Mich. 1969'.
C.265-C.267 'Style in programming’, 1969-73.
Typescript and ms. notes on various topics, by Strachey
and other members of P.R.G., 1969.
Includes two tagged bundles of notes by Strachey, on
‘ALGOL Formal Semantics’ and 'Types and other
Manifest attributes’.
Ms. notes by Strachey on D. Scott's seminar on formal
semontics given at Oxford, November 1969.
Includes
some teaching material distributed by Scott.
1972-73
Notes, exercises and examples for courses at Oxford.
C.265
1969-72
C.266
Mainly 1970
C.267
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Working papers, notes and calculations
C.268-C.270
Undergraduate Computer Course, 1968-73.
Notes, exercises and examples for vacation courses
on programming, at Oxford.
C.268
Examples and exercises, September 1968.
C.269
C.270
Material for a course on 'Introduction to Computing’,
September-October 1972.
Material for 'Undergraduate Computer Course",
September 1973.
‘Logical Hardware Lecture Notes, Hilary 1971'.
Tagged bundles of notes and narratives, and miscellaneous
exercises and problems, bearing various dates 1971-74.
"Handouts (Technical)'.
Folder of ms. and duplicated material, notes and
examples on semantics, \- calculus, etc., probably
for teaching.
Miscellaneous ms. notes and narratives, various dates
March 1974-March 1975.
Tagged bundle of notes on ‘Outline of Processes of
Computation', January-February 1975.
With some loose pages of diagrams on same subject headed
‘Abstract Process of Computation' and 'Concrete Process
of Computation’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
SECTION D
CONSULTANCIES D.1 - D.109
Most of the material dates from 1959-64, when Strachey
was in practice as a private consultant;
some antedates this period (see
D.82 - D.84 for advice requested while Strachey was still teaching at
Harrow), and several firms maintained an arrangement, whether on a
formal or an ad hoc basis, for several years after the formal winding up
of the practice.
. Though industrial firms form the major part of those involved,
Strachey was also consulted by universities, research establishments and
official bodies such as National Research Development Corporation.
The material is presented alphabetically.
It may consist
of formal and financial agreements, arrangements for visits and
meetings, working notes, research material and reports, and should be
read in cenjunction with items in Section C relating to e.g. work on
E.M.1. and Ferranti computers, and with the index.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
University of Adelaide Computing Centre.
Exploratory correspondence re project to write 7090 FORTRAN
translator for CIRRUS computer at Adelaide.
Strachey
was willing to undertake the project in conjunction with
A.S. Douglas of Corporation for Economic and Industrial
Research,and a costed plan was submitted.
The project
appears not to have developed.
May 1962
Bank of Ireland.
Brief corresomdence re advice on use of Computer for Bank of
: Ireland.
March 1963
Burroughs Corporation.
Brief correspondence and note of meeting, July-September
1962.
C.A.V. Limited.
January 1961-February 1963
Strachey was recommended to the firm by Lord Halsbury,
and acted as consultant for them in devising and supervising
acceptance tests for their new Leo III computer.
Computer Technology Limited.
Corporation for Economic and Industrial Research (C.E.1.R.).
Note by Strachey of visit from President, C.E.1.R. (H.W.
Robinson) re possible consultancy. 1960.
Brief correspondence with A.S. Douglas re NIGEL project,
1962.
Correspondence re proposal for Minicomputer Industry in
Europe, 1974,
Folder includes correspondence re meetings, working papers
and routines, programme and schedule of acceptance tests,
notes and memoranda on meetings and discussions, reports
on 6 days of acceptance tests, publicity leaflet issued on
formal acceptance of the machine.
Brief correspondence re possible consultancy arrangement,
and also re exchangeable disc for Mod. | at P.R.G.,
October-November 1973,
1958.
Included with the folder is
with I.B.M.
a letter re possible consultancy
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
Computer Analysts and Programmers Limited (C.A.P.)
Strachey became a Director in 1963, resigning this
title on his appointment to Oxfordin 1967 but remaining
a shareholder and 'Consulting Fellow’.
2 folders of general correspondence with directors and
officials re Strachey's associatian with the company,
statements of account and dividends, appointments, etc.
1962-64
(includes draft brochure of company's services).
- 1965-74
Correspondence with M. Dan Oestricher re visit to
Strachey's P.R.G., Oxford, and Strachey's comments
on a note to appear in C.A.P. Views about research
in progress at P.R.G.
1973
University of Edinburgh Department of Electrical Engineering.
Strachey acted as Consultant to J.V. Oldfield in his
research project 'A visual display system for dynamic
design’;
a copy of the research proposal is included.
Brief correspondence re project, and high-speed data
links required.
1964-65
D.11-D.13
Decca Radar Limited
Strachey acted as consultant on the design of a digital
data processor (D.D.P.) for the firm.
Tagged folder of correspondence re consultancy arrange-
ments and fees with members of Computer Division, Decca
Rader,
personnel of programming section. June-November 1961
including advice by Strachey on planning and
September 1961.
Ms. and corrected typescript versions of Strachey's
‘Preliminary Report on the Choice of an Order Code for
the D.D.P.', June, 'Supplementary report on the Choice
of an Order Code for the D.D.P.', July-August, and
‘Final Report on the Choice of an Order Code for the D.D.P.',
Tagged folder of Strachey's notes, calculations and routines,
various dates May-August 1961, with duplicated background
information sheets from Decca Radar Ltd.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
D.14-D.32
Electric and Musical Industries Limited (E.M.|.).
Consultancies
The Computer Division of the firm was
Strachey was retained as a consultant by E.M.1. from
June 1959,
bought out by Inteinational Computers and Tabulators
Lid. (I1.C.T.) in 1962; . Strachey continued his consultancy
(then for 1.C.T. Product Planning Division) until
30 November 1963.
See Section C for further notes and working papers
related to various E.M.1. projects, LISP, and high-
speed computers.
Tagged folder of general correspondence with officers
of E.M.1., April 1959-June 1964.
Includes:
Consultancy arrangements
Commission to report on EMIDEC 1100 (March 1960)
and EMIDEC 2400 and 3400 (May 1960)
Letters to N. Brown re Strachey's LISP functions
(October 1961)
"EMIDEC 1100 Programs’.
Miscellaneous ms. notes and routines.
‘Postmortem routine’.
EMIDEC 1100
Commission from E.M.1. Electronics Ltd.
develop an ALGOL compiler written in a machine
independent language’ (June 1962).
'to
Miscellaneous information sheets re Emidec 1100, and
miscellaneous notes
administrative structure.
by Strachey on machine and an
May 1960.
"Report on a study of the Emidec 1100'
(addressed and sent to Mr. C. Metcalfe in answer to his
letter of March 1960 (see D. 14)
Various notes and printouts headed 'Postmortem' (not in
Strachey's hand), various dates July 1959, March 1960.
Typescript and ms. draft, 26 pp., final version
17 pp.,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
EMIDEC 2400
Program Input Routine (Part 3 of EMIDEC 2400 Data
Processing System).
Strachey for information.
Background material sent to
2 Samples of data processing programs in use on EMIDEC
2400, sent to Strachey for information and referred to
with misgiving in his report (see D.24 below).
"Current 2400 Programs’.
‘Miscellaneous ms. calculations and routines by Strachey.
‘Current EMI 2400'.
Similar material.
‘EMI 2400 Completed programs'.
Similar material, on Floating Point.
"Report on the EMIDEC 2400, September 1960'.
~ Ms. notes, plans and drafts, first typescript with ms.
revisions 11 pp.+ 2 pp. addendum, typescript final
version 9 pp. + 2 pp. addendum.
EMIDEC 3400
Strachey's notes and calculations, mainly on administra-
tive and financial matters, staffing for 1100, 2400, 3400,
etc.
(kept with above).
E.M.1. duplicated memoranda on Fast Computer and
development of Emidec 3400, February, April,
November (2) 1959; undated table of comparison
of Emidec 2400 with 1.B.M. 7070.
n.d. (kept with above),
E.M.1. duplicated memoranda, progress reports, etc. on
3400, including ‘Proposals for the development of a new
high speed computer', May 1960, and Progress reports
May, June, August, September, October 1960.
Strachey's ms. notes and drafts on 'Dynamics' and
"Geodesics'.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
E.M.1. duplicated memoranda, reports, specifications,
tests, etc. on 3400 project, February, April (2), May,
June, July, August, September, October, November,
n.d. (December)1961, and a Note on Nebula,
'EMI 3400. A.V. Logical Design’.
Strachey's folder of notes, calculations, routines and
circuits.
Copy of letter from Strachey to P.M.S. Blackett on
‘the mathematical successor of the Emidec 2400' (written
‘ from N.R.D.C.), December 1958.
Copy of E.M.1. memorandum on ATHENE, March 1957,
heavily and unfavourably commented upon by Strachey.
D.33-D.37
Elliott Brothers (London) Limited.
1960
Strachey advised the firm on the Order Code for the
Elliott 502 Computer.
The material in D.33 is mainly official specifications,
codes and routines supplied by the firm, some annotated
by Strachey, with notes of meetings.
Strachey's own notes, etc. on the problem.
D.34-D.37 are
Tagged folder of specifications, layout and diagrams of
Elliott 502.
Minutes and notes of meetings, with papers and reports
on various
aspects of the micro-instruction code for
the 502, some annotated by Strachey; brief corres-
pondence re meetings is sometimes included from Roger
L. Cook (Technical Services Manager, Computer Centre,
Elliott Brothers).
Elliott.
Strachey's notes and calculations for Elliott 502 Micro
Order Structure.
The material relates to meetings on 6, 20 January,
10,
29 February 1960.
Similar material for meetings 9, 27 March, 1,
n.d., 9,
13 May 1960.
"Bull Code'.
Notes and routines with this name for
17, 24,
7 April,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
_ Consultancies
English Electric Company Limited,
Brief ms. notes by Strachey on English
DEUCE Computer Manual, 1956.
Electric
Brief correspondence 1961.
D.39, D.40
Evershed and Vignoles Limited, 1961.
Strachey submitted a report to the firm on a statistical
analyser.
D.39
- Ms. plan and draft of report, and final typescript version,
October-November 1961.
D.40
Miscellaneous ms. notes, diagrams and calculations
for the above, July-September 1961.
D.41-D.81
Ferranti Limited.
Following his resignation from N.R.D.C., Strachey acted
as private consultant to Ferranti Ltd. 1959-62, with special
responsibility for the development of an autocode for the
ORION computer.
principally engaged on this work under
The final report, scheduled for February 1962, was not
formally completed.
Strachey's assistant Peter Landin was
Strachey's guidance.
Correspondence with Ferranti, 1959-62.
The Computer Department of Ferranti Ltd. was sold
Because few records survive elsewhere
to I1.C.T. in 1963.
for the Orion project, the memoranda, researth papers,
manuals and company material circulated to Strachey by
the firm, have been retained.
Includes negotiations re consultancy, signed Agreement for
'the preparation of an autocode for scientific work on the
Orion Computer', schedule and provisional outline of report
on Orion Autocode November 1961-June 1962, termination
of consultancy as from November 1962.
and Landin for their Autocode Manual, September-October 1961.
Includes technical correspondence, invitations to and reports
on conferences or meetings attended by Landin vice Strachey,
comments on drafts of proposed manuals, and notes by Strachey
Folder of correspondence exchanged with P. Landin as
Strachey's assistant with responsibility for Orion Autocode,
1960-63.
Miscellaneous correspondence 1961 re despatch of manuals
and Company literature, company conferences, etc.
Includes correspondence re data transmission links.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
Material on Mercury Autocode Programme, 1956-62.
Mainly duplicated papers, notes of meetings, etc.
on Mercury Autocode and its extension to programs
for Orion and Atlas.
Includes papers and Autocode Bulletins 1-3 by R.A.
Brooker, and Ferranti papers: Extended Mercury Auto-
code on Orion and Atlas, November 1961, and
Addendum to above, February 1962.
Miscellaneous ms. and typescript notes and working
papers for programs on Orion project (not in Sirachey's
‘ hand).
Some dated March-April 1961.
D.46, D.47
Departmental memoranda, technical notes; minutes
and notes of meetings and discussions on various aspects
of Orion design, extension of Mercury autocode to Orion,
etc. attended by Strachey or sent to him for information.
D.46
6 October 1960 - 30 December 1960.
D.47 |
6. January 1961 - 4 October 1963.
D.48-D.81
Ferranti Orion Data-Processing System.
In date order, 1959-62.
Orion System (publicity booklet), 1959.
Ferranti Orion Data-Processing System.
Provisional des-
cription, August 1959, annotated by P. Landin.
Official research papers and drafts prepared for or
circulated by Ferranti Computer Department on various
aspects of design and programming of Orion;
some with
annotations by P. Landin.
Ferranti Orion. — Provisional Order-Code, July 1959, ‘with
some amendments inserted by P. Landin (especially
for times) 6/4/60'.
Monitoring Program, April 1960.
Description of a
provisional Program-Input routine, annotated by
P. Landin, March 1960.
Ferranti Orion Data-Processing System.
Organisation and
The Orion Nebula.
A brief description of the proposed
commercially oriented language for Orion,
28 March 1960.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
Orion.
Proposed Scheme for Program-Input, (diagram
with note by P. Landin on verso, April 1960).
Ferranti Orion.
Provisional description of a symbolic
input routine, with corrections and revisions
by P. Landin, April 1960.
Ferranti Orion.
Provisional Description, 2nd edition,
April 1960.
'A preliminary note about the execution on Orion of
Mercury autocode programs that include machine orders’,
‘by P. Landin, 4 May 1960.
Ferranti Orion.
Primitive Input scheme, July 1960.
Ferranti Orion.
The built-in programmes, November 1960.
Ferranti Orion.
Provisional Description, 4th edition,
January 1961.
Amendment to above, March 1961.
Ferranti Orion.
The built-in programs, 3 January 1961.
6 March 1961.
gramming, 14 March 1961.
Ferranti Orion.
Examples of the Use of the 101 Output
Conversion Instruction, 22 March 1961.
Ferranti Orion.
Examples of complete problems for pro-
Ferranti Orion.
Programming Exercises (machine coding),
Draft of Portion of Chapter XIII of the Nebula Programming
Manual, 31 January 1961.
Two sample complete programs, May 1961.
Insurance Office Work, for programming,
24 March 1961.
Ferranti Orion.
Asimple program ‘Special Factorize',
Ferranti Orion.
Two simplified problems relating to
Ferranti Orion.
Description of Card Readers, Card Punches
and Line Printers, 7 March 1961.
n.d. CMarch 19619.
Ferranti Orion.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
D.74
D.75
D.76
Consultancies
Ferranti Orion.
Sorting time graphs, June 1961.
Ferranti Orion.
Programming Exercises (addendum to
D.64), 11 August 1961.
Ferranti Orion.
Description of Card Reader, Card Punch
and Line Printers (revised version of D.69),
26 January 1962.
Ferranti Orion.
A Fortran Compiler for Orion,
16 January 1962.
Ferranti Orion.
Data Input System. Specification,
1 August 1962.
Ferranti Orion.
Data Input System. Specification
(revised version of above), 22 October 1962.
DiFFeU. 77
3 copies of Draft 'Orion Autocode - Users' Handbook',
70 pp.+4 pp. Index, October 1961.
All copies bear annotations, comments, deletions, etc.
by P. Landin, 'CMP', G.E. Felton, and Strachey.
D.80, D.81
Orion Programmers' Reference Manual, Vols. 1 and 2.
D,82-D.84
Foster Brothers Limited.
1950-51
Strachey was recommended to this firm by a mutual
acquaintance, during his period at Harrow School.
The firm, which manufactured tapered steel poles for
telegraph lines, required formulae for the calculation
of stress loads vertically and horizontally.
2 Ring-backed looseleaf binders of programs and instructions
bearing various dates 1961-63, and many annotations and
corrections in several hands as above.
additions, etc.
Notes, calculations and graphs on the problem, many on
verso of class exercises at Harrow.
Correspondence re problem and Strachey's progress with
it, June 1950-May 1951.
Ms. and typed versions of Strachey's report 'Calculation
of test loads for tapered tubular poles’.
Miscellaneous drawings, diagrams and specifications sent
by Foster Bros. to Strachey and with his annotations,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 1965.
Correspondence re possible use of computer for
Glyndebourne Opera bookings.
D.86-D.90
International Computers and Tabulators Limited (I.C.T.)
Note:
I.C.T. bought E.M.1I. Computer Division in 1962
and Ferranti Computer Department in 1963, and became
International Computers Limited (1.C.L.) in 1968.
Strachey became a consultant in 1963, his contract
being renewed periodically to May 1965 when he left
He resumed his consultancy in July 1966.
' for M.1.T.
Correspondence on consultancy and renewals, 1964-65.
Includes one letter on Mercury Auto Code, 1960.
Correspondence on consultancy, visits, etc., and on
disc store, 1966.
Correspondence re Basic Language Machine.
Includes 1.C.T. draft manual, with comments and annotations
by Strachey, January 1967.
Includes reports and papers.
D.91-D.96
Mullard Equipment Limited.
1961-65
Correspondence re 1908 computer design, June 1967.
Correspondence re meetings and projects, 1968-71,
especially re Interactive Programming System and user
methods.
Strachey was appointed Consultant to the firm from December
1961 for four years, to work in 'the field of telegraph
switching'.
He terminated the consultancy in 1965 when
winding up his existing consultancy business before leaving
for M.I.T.
was kept in a separate file (D.95 below).
Correspondence, memoranda, etc. re meetings and projects,
mainly on Electronic Telegraph Switching, and patents on
‘Memory Systems' arising therefrom (1962). Some briefer
correspondence on Parcel Conveyor Control (1964) is included.
Includes 2 reports by Strachey, 7 March 1962:
Telegraph Switching.
to a Drum'.
Note: Fuller correspondence, drafts and information on Patents
‘Electronic
Draft Proposals' and ‘Parallel Access
November 1961-November 1964.
General correspondence re consultancy, including copy of
Agreement, 1961-65.
C.A. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
Brief notes and working papers by Strachey on Electronic
Telegraph Switching project, December 1961- March 1962.
"Mullard Equipment.
Working Notes’.
Tagged folder of notes and routines for the Electronic
Telegraph Switching project, various dates January-
February 1962.
This is the full record of Strachey's
work on the project, and the basis of his summary reports
in D.92, an extra copy of which is included here.
Correspondence, drafts, amendments, etc. re patenting of
«Improvements in or relating to information storage systems'
(joint inventors were Strachey and Peter Swift of Mullard)
Patent Application 19287/62. PHB 31100, on Drum Storage;
Patent Application PHB 31141 (inventor Strachey) on Random
Access to Drum Store.
March 1962-August 1964
‘Logarithmic Calculator’.
Ms. and typescript drafts for a paper with this title, pre-
pared for Mullard Ltd. and dated 17 August 1961. (This
antedates Strachey's formal consultancy with the firm, but
was kept with the later material.)
Bee
National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science
ATLAS Computer Laboratory, Harwell.
3 Folders as follows:
Correspondence re meetings, research projects, appoint-
ments, publications of books or reviews, miscellaneous
proposals for ATLAS laboratory.
Strachey was appointed Consultant to ATLAS Computer
Laboratory, initially for one year from September 1962,
the appointment being renewed in 1963 and 1964.
On
his appointment at Oxford he continued to serve as member
of the Extramural Research Panel.
1966-70.
1962-63.
1964,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
D.100-D.103
National Research Development Corporation
(N.R.D.C.), 1959-62.
See also A.39-A.42, C.27-C.115.
Strachey ceased work as a full-time salaried employee
of the Corporation in March 1959.
entered into an Agreement with the Corporation to work
for it as a private consultant for a specified number of days
in each of the three years to 1962.
renewed in May 1962 for a further six months, covering the
From 1 June 1959 he
The Agreement was
. period June-December 1962.
Some of the material in Section C relates to commissions
undertaken for N.R.D.C. under this Agreement; see
especially work for Royal Radar Establishment, on Ship
Fairings, Traffic Control and EMIDEC, and Strachey's
tabulated chronicle of his activities
in D.103.
'N.R.D.C. Agreement and correspondence relating',
1959-62.
Strachey's tagged folder, including drafts of agreement,
final 'Deed' as signed 1 June 1959, and letter of renewal
for six months from 1 June 1962.
'N.R.D.C. Pension Fund’.
'N.R.D.C. General Correspondence'
1959-62.
Strachey's tagged folder of miscellaneous correspondence,
1959-61 re above.
Strachey's tagged folder of correspondence and reports
exchanged with Michael A. Wright (Strachey's successor
with responsibility for computer activities at N.R.D.C.)
on various projects with which Strachey was concerned.
Computer Patents, August-September 1962.
Strachey's report on 'Information Processing Languages’,
in particular LISP, 5 pp., February 1961 (see also
CilZie, 135);
Plans for conference and meetings in USA, February 1961.
Correspondence on Ship Fairing, November 1961 (see also C.117).
They include:
Letter re LIST structure problems, August 1960.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Consultancies
Tabulated chronicle of activities, 1960-62.
3 pp.
With 1
p. to a year, this gives, in very compressed form,
a complete breakdown of Strachey's work and allocation
of his time as between N.R.D.C., E.M.1., Decca,
Mullard and other projects for the 3 years 1960-62.
As in A.6 a considerable amount of information is
encapsulated in small compass.
Rio Tinto Management Services (U.K.) Limited.
Correspondence, notes of meetings and discussions re
‘possible use of computer for ore-bed and other mining
assessments in the Company's work.
July 1961.
October 1960-
D.105-D.108
Siemens Edison Swan Limited.
1958-60
Papers relating to Joint N.R.D.C./Siemens Computer
Project, in which Strachey was one of N,R.D.C.
representatives;
project from 1 January 1960.
Mainly committee papers, progress reports, etc. re 405
Computer.
the project became A.E.1./N.R.D.C.
Memoranda and reports prepared for Progress meetings
by N.R.D.C. and Siemens, some written or annotated
by Strachey.
Agendas and Minutes of Progress Meetings, October 1958,
January, March, May, June, July, August, October,
November, December 1959, January, February, March,
August 1960.
'Eurocontrol Radar Simulation’, 1962-63.
Looseleaf ring-binder of specifications, preparation sheets,
etc. prepared by Siemens for the machine, 1959.
Miscellaneous duplicated notes and schedules for machine.
Various dates, January-June 1959.
Paper, 4 December 1958, by C.R. Merton outlining
history of the 405 project, and future policy.
Paper, 8 December 1958, by Strachey on 405 project
and future policy.
Schedules for acceptance tests and reports on machine's
performance.
November 1958-August 1960
Includes:
Solartron Electronics Group
Brief correspondence and working notes on project for
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
SECTION E
COMMITTEES AND SOCIETIES
E.1- E.63
The material is presented in alphabetical order of name
of committee or organisation.
Committee and background papers have been included
when they deal with projects in which Strachey played a major part.
Association for Computing Machinery, British Chapter.
1968-72.
‘The British Chapter was formed in 1968.
Correspondence, papers re organisation of the Chapter,
minutes of 2 meetings.
Automatic Programming Information Centre (A.P.1.C.)
Notices and minutes of meetings of the Advisory Committee,
correspondence, especially re relationship between
British Computer Society and A.P.1.C.
1959-61.
See also E.10.
A National Conference on Automatic Programming held
in Brighton, April 1959, recommended the establishment
at Brighton Technical College of a National Centre of
Information on Automatic Programming - to maintain a
comprehensive library of the literature in the field and
to publish an annual review.
Advisory Committee; the Organising Secretary was
R.H. Goodman.
Strachey served on its
Correspondence with R.H. Goodman, mainly re Strachey's
and P. Landin's requests to borrow or have photocopies of
articles from the A.P.I.C. library.
Some correspondence
re reviews by Strachey or Landin for publication in A.P.1.C.
bulletin is also included.
following the death of R.H. Goodman, 1967.
Correspondence, 1965, with R.H. Goodman re possible
publication of Strachey's paper on a general purpose
macrogenerator in Annual Review in Automatic Programming.
The paper was published in The Computer Journal, see F.32.
Later correspondence and papers re future of Annual Review
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
British Computer Society (B.C.S.)
The Society was founded in 1957.
Strachey served on many of its committees and study
groups, and as Chairman 1959-62 of the Committee
on Scientific Programming Languages.
He also con-
tributed papers to The Computer Journal, and acted
as referee for manuscripts submitted for publication.
He was made a Distinguished Fellow of ihe Society
in 1971.
. For other material re conferences or projects sponsored
by B.C.S. see the general index.
Miscellaneous papers and correspondence re activities
of B.C.S. (conferences, discussion meetings, Annual
General Meetings, etc.) 1959-62, 1972-75.
Mainly printed material, but includes correspondence
re proposed European Computer Society (ECI).
Conference planned for Amsterdam 1976 for which
Strachey was to serve on the Programme Committee.
Correspondence and papers re Strachey's membership
in the B.C.S., his appointment as a Distinguished
Fellow (1971) and re his membership of I.F.1.P. Working
Groups 2.2 and 2.3
1968-75
Correspondence and papers on 'Non-Numerical Analysis’,
1961-62.
Correspondence for 1968 refers to the Extraordinary
General Meeting of the Society in March to consider
revision of articles of membership.
Continued
In October 1961 The Computer Journal (Vol.4, No.3,
p.212) published an article by L. Fox called 'Computing
Machines for Teaching and Research! which elicited a
lively correspondence in the Journal re the validity and
importance of non-numerical analysis,
S. Gill replied immediately to Fox 'Your stirring article
which has just appeared in the Computer Journal was
obviously intended to cause controversy and we have risen
to the bait'.
They wrote a lengthy letter which was
published in Vol.4, No.4, January 1962, and which
was answered by Fox in the same issue.
Strachey and
In this second
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Es7
(continued)
Committees and societies
letter Fox offered to organise a Summer School in
Oxford in 1963 'on "Non-numerical applications",
"Artificial intelligence", or whatever title is thought
desirable, at which Gill and Strachey and other
workers in these fields could give us the benefit of their
knowledge’.
School on Advances in Programming and Non-Numerical
Computation. (See H.11, H.12 forcorrespondence and
papers re this School).
This became the very successful Summer
Folder does not contain a copy of Fox's original article,
but includes:
Typescript, stencilled typescript and proof of
Strachey's and Gill's letter.
Typescript and stencilled copy of Fox's rejoinder.
Correspondence between Strachey, Gill, Fox and
E. Mutch (Editor of the Journal).
Photocopies of numerous letters sent to the editor
of the Journal and passed along to Strachey, Gill
and Fox (these letters have not been indexed),
Copy of interesting, lengthy letter from Gill to
the editor, 18 January 1962, re philosophical
‘packground' to the controversy.
B.C.S. Committee on programming notation, 1958-62.
In July 1958 the British Computer Society established
an Advisory Committee on Standardization of Automatic
Coding Notation to formulate suggestions for a uniform
programming language for scientific problems.
The
Committee went through numerous changes of name:
it became the Research Committee on Scientific Programming
Notation in December 1958, the Committee on Scientific
Programming in November 196] and the Committee on
Scientific Programming Languages in February 1962.
served as Secretary of the Committee throughout its
existence and Strachey served as Chairman from October
1959 until the Committee was disbanded in July 1962.
The B.C.S. established a Standard Programming Languages
Committee which held its first meeting on 13 February 1962
and on which Gill and Strachey served. No material relating
to this committee survives here.
S. Gill
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Research Committee on Scientific Programming Notation.
Includes:
Minutes of meetings 1-22 (21
1962).
Agenda for meetings 2-22.
July 1958-1 May
Committee on Automatic Coding for Business Problems
(the parallel committee to the Scientific Committee).
Minutes of meetings 1-4 (31 March 1959-6 November
1959).
Folder of drafts for papers produced by the Committee,
1959-62.
Includes:
its meeting on 3 March.
3pp-, 4
all annotated by Strachey.
6 pp. ms. and 4 pp.
"Suggestions for Notations':
typescript draft by Strachey, 26 February 1959,
considered by the Committee at
'Towards a Common Programming language’.
3 typescript drafts of paper by Gill describing the
aims of the Committee and including examples drawn
pp- and
fran Strachey's notes (above).
The final
5 pp. drafts,
version was published in the Computer Bulletin, vol.3,
no.1, April 1959.
Typescript draft (5 pp-, annotated by Strachey) o
paper on layout of cycles and on operators (probably
prepared by H.H. Robertson with M. Woodger),
29 June 1959, published in the Computer Bulletin,
vol.3, no.3.
‘Notations for Subroutines', 5 typescript drafts of paper
on this subject (4 pp-, 5 pp-, 7 PP+y 7 pp-, 8pp-,
all annotated by Strachey).
comments by P.
'Some notes on the use of auxiliary subroutines', 2 pp-
draft by D. Wheeler, 2 pp. note by Strachey, 19 February
1960, commenting on Wheeler's draft, 2 pp. ‘Some further
notes on the use of subroutines', 31 March 1960, annotated
by Strachey and Landin.
The last one bears extensive
_
Landin.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Folder of correspondence and papers re the work of the
Committee.
Topics include:
Proposals of Association for Computing Machinery
and the German Association for Applied Mathematics
and Mechanics on standardization.
ALGOL and the November 199 meeting in Paris.
The Automctic Programming Information Centre in
Brighton.
An Expanded Alphabet.
Notification of meetings.
Disbandment of the Committee, etc.
Much of the material consists of carbons of letters written
by Gill on behalf of the Committee or of photocopies of
letters received.
1958-62.
E.11-E.13
Working Party on a Travelling Computer for Schools, and
computers in education.
1961-63
*
feasibility of the scheme (their replies were
Minutes and notes for meetings.
Numerous drafts of explanatory proposals and papers
re above.
This was originally an independent working party chaired
by R.H. Tizard to explore a proposal by Strachey that a
small computer be mounted in
a lorry and taken round to
schools for demonstrations, lectures and practical
experience.
the British Computer Society.
The Working Party was later sponsored by
Correspondence re proposals, correspondence with school
masters re
uniformly favourable), and with the School Mathematics
Project.
1962
Extracts from replies and comments by schools re the
proposal (see correspondence in E.11).
Strachey's ms. notes.
Estimates of costs.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Miscellaneous material relating to the teaching of
computation in schomls and examinations at A-level
in the subject, 1963
Proposals, sample examination papers, carespondence
re meetings to discuss project.
See F.29, F.30, H.10 for further material relating to
computers in education.
Study Group on Artificial Intelligence and Simulation
of Behaviour (A
is B).
- Following a one-day symposium on A, is
B_
held at
Northampton College of Technology in September 1964,
Strachey joined a committee to further the project.
The other members were D.E. Broadbent, |.J. Good and
D. Michie, and the Secretary was M.B. Clowes until
December 1965, when the position was filled by
R.M. Burstall.
The B.C.S. encouraged the project with publicity and
a small financial grant.
Correspondence re project, 1964-65.
Includes first Newsletter.
Correspondence 1966-69.
Strachey resigned from the Committee in June 1969.
Includes some correspondence on CPL.
Joint Mathematical Council.
Brief correspondence re appointment.
Background material re Council.
Strachey succeeded M.V. Wilkes as B.C.S. representative
on the Council from July 1974.
January 1965, 7.
Miscellaneous correspondence arising from publications by
Strachey in the Computer Journal, especially re
'An
Impossible Program! published as a letter to the Editor,
Miscellaneous reviews by Strachey for the Computer
Journal and the Computer Bulletin, 1960-67.
Miscellaneous reports by Strachey on mss. submitted
for publication in the Computer Journal, 1961-70.
a Strachey
_CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Invitation to lecture to various 2.C.S. groups and
branches, 1957-73.
British Standards Institution Panel on Punched Tape
Coding.
Committee papers, drafts of British Standard for
Codes for Punched Tapes, with comments by Strachey
and C.R. Merton, N.R.D.C., and others.
Strachey's ms. notes, July 1959-September 1960.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
E.22-E.31
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (D.S.1.R.).
Working Party on Computer Science
This material should be consulted in conjunction
Note:
with that relating to the Science Research Council (S.R.C.)
(E.42-E.63) which developed from D.S.1.R.
Following proposals by D.L.J. Perkins of I.C.T. and
his correspondence with Sir Philip Morris, a meeting was
called for 31 July 1962 under the Chairmanship of Sir
Harry Melville (Secretary, D.S.1.R.) 'to discuss a proposal
that a school of Computer Science or Computational
* Philosophy should be founded' (E.22).
appoint a Working Party to review the current use of
computers in research and to recommend proposals jor
further research.
It was agreed to
The Working Party, which was Chaired by L. Howarth,
held its first meeting on 23 October 1962.
invited to act as its consultant (E.23), his main task being
to review previous work and research in progress in UK
(E ..29-E.31) and to present reports to the Working Party
(included in E.26, E.27).
Strachey was
The final report of the Working Party was issued in
April 1964 (E.28).
Preliminary correspondence and papers.
Correspondence re Strachey's appointment 'to act as
consultant and expert adviser' to the Working Party,
conditions of appointment, termination of agreement with
effect from 1 April 1963.
| August 1962-May 1963.
Includes invitation to meeting, copies of prqosal by
D.L.J. Perkins (June 1961) and subsequent correspondence,
list of those invited to meeting on 31 July 1962 and
Note of its decisions.
Papers for Working Party meeting, 23 October 1962.
Correspondence re Strachey's paper on 'Computers and
University Research', written 26 June 1962, which was
circulated to the Working Party and appeared as Appendix II
of its final report, April 1964.
A copy of the paper is included.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Papers for Working Party meeting 26 January 1963.
Paper 8 is Strachey's 'Report on computer science
in the U.S,A.', Paper 9 is his 'Report on computer
science in the U.K.', Paper 11
M.V. Wilkes and Strachey.
is a memorandum from
Papers for Working Party meeting 26 March 1963.
Paper 14 is Strachey's 'Note on Present Position’,
Paper 15 is the report on his enquiry on ‘Current
Computer Research in England', Paper 16 is a
. Memorandum by Strachey 'in my private capacity’.
Minutes of meetings.
Drafts of final report, April 1964, which recommended
support for Wilkes's and Strachey's proposals for a
research group at Cambridge.
Letter of thanks for participation.
Material collected by Strachey for his enquiry into
current research.
In February 1963 Strachey circularised numerous uni-
versities and researchers who made ‘unusual’ uses of
computers in their work.
elicited 35 replies by 15 March (the date on which he
prepared the report);
subsequent to that date.
several replies were received
He sent out 63 queries which
Folder includes a copy of Strachey's original letter, a
list of those circularised, Strachey's ms. notes and a
copy of his report on the enquiry (4 typescript pages;
circulated as paper 15 of the Working Party - see E.27).
Strachey numbered each reply as it was received and they
are presented in this order, He also numbered corres-
pondingly the names on the mailing list and thus this list
serves as a useful index to the material.
Brief routine correspondence re Working Party, 1962-63.
Ms. notes by Strachey on visits to research projects in UK,
for memoranda for the Working Party.
Includes photo-
copies of letters sent to D.M. MacKay from workers in
various UK universities, passed on to Strachey for information.
1962-63.
See E.30 for replies to letters received by D.M. MacKay
on this subject.
"Notes'.
Miscellaneous correspondence on visits by Strachey, research
projects in UK and overseas, etc.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research,
Research Grants Committee.
Strachey was appointed tothe newly-constituted
Computing Science Sub-committee of the above in
October 1963.°
The Chairman was Lord Halsbury.
Letter of appointment and brief correspondence re
first meeting of the Sub-committee on 18 November 1963.
Committee papers on support for computer research,
heavily annotated by Strachey who describes one as
'a quite deplorable paper calculated to put irrelevant
‘bureaucratic difficulties in the way of anyone trying
to start anything interesting in computer research.
lt should be resisted’.
March 1965.
Various dates November 1963-
Diebold Research Program - Europe, Advisory Committee,
1970-72.
Strachey was invited to become a member of the Advisory
Committee when it was formed in 1971.
Correspondence and committee papers.
European Association for Theoretical Computer Science,
1972-73.
This Association was formed in 1972 and held its first
meeting in Warwick, March 1973.
Brief correspondence re Association and meeting.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
E.35-E.4]
International Federation for Information
(cbs 1.P.), 1962-75,
Processing
Miscellaneous material relating
to I.F.1.P. conferences
and activities, and in particular to Working Group, 2.2.
(Programming Languages) and 2.3 (Programming Methodology)
on both of which Strachey served.
Symposium on Advanced Computer Organization, I.F.1.P.
Congress, Munich, 27 August-1 September 1962.
Strachey did not attend the Congress.
* Prospectus.
Correspondence re invitation to Strachey to be one of
the speakers (invitation declined;
David Wheeler was
the UK representative).
Formal Language Description
Conference, Vienna, 14-18 September 1964.
Languages, |.F.1.P. Working
Programme, list of participants, correspondence.
Strachey described
See F.3]
I.F.1.P. Working Conference on Symbol Manipulation
Languages, Pisa, September 1966.
Committee No.2.
Strachey chaired one of the sessions.
Sponsored by Technical
Strachey contributed a paper on ‘Towards a Formal
Semantics' which was not published until 1966 in Formal
Language Description Languages for Computer Programming,
ed. T.B. Steel Jr., North Holland.
this paper as 'the beginning of a mathematical (as opposed
to operational) approach to formulating the semantics of a
programming language’.
Folder includes invitation, programme, list of participants,
information re arrangements for the conference, 4 pp.
typescript by Strachey 'of what | would have liked to say'
for publication in the proceedings (on a
Continued
Technical Committee No.2 Working Conference, Oslo 1967,
on 'Simulation Languages’.
1.F.1.P. Congress, Edinburgh, August 1968.
Miscellaneous papers and correspondence re_
meetings.
I.F.I.P.
‘tree sort',
in CPL).
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
E.38
(continued)
Technical Committee No.2 Working Conference,
Norway, August 1973.
Technical Committee No.2 Working Conference,
Hungary, September 1975.
I1.F.1.P. Working Group 2.2.
In 1967 Technical Committee No.2 (Programming
Languages) established 'a working group on the problem
of formal language description languages for the
purpose of creating some order in the area of describing
programming languages for digital computers’.
"Strachey served as a member of this working group from
its inception.
Correspondence, lists of members, notices of meetings,
discussion of topics to be covered.
correspondence with S.R.C. re
meetings inB.10.
grants to attend the
See also Strachey's
1967-74
Strachey's 'Fundamental Concepts in Programming
Languages' appeared as Paper 1
by the Working Group 20 February 1969.
F.54).
in Bulletin no.1 issued
(See F.40-
I1.F.1.P. Working Group 2.3
Strachey served as a member
See note by M. Woodger,
Folder of Strachey's notes on technical papers and
questions for discussion at W.G, 2.2 meeting, Copenhagen,
July 1968.
Includes 3 pp. typescript 'Some Features of Programming
Languages’, notes on types, Ist and 2nd class objects,
LandR values, sequencing, definitional structure, etc.
and copy of Strachey's letter to D. Scott, 3 September 1969.
At its meeting in October 1969 the I.F.I.P. General Assembly
authorised the establishment of a Working Group on
Programming Methodology.
of W.G. 2.3 from its inception.
Chairman of W.G. 2.3, 22 December 1969, on the origin
and background of the Working Group.
to attend the meetings in B.10.
Correspondence, lists of members, notices of meetings,
agenda, informal minutes (including extensive sets of
informal notes by the chairman) of Ist meeting, Copenhagen,
March 1970 (17 pp.) and 8th meeting, Munich, December
1974 (62 pp.).
See also Strachey's correspondence with $.R.C. re grants
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
E.42-E.63
Science Research Council (S.R.C. )
Computing Science Committee.
1965-74
Strachey had been a member of the Computer Science
Sub-committee of ithe Research Grants Committee of the
D.S.I.R. since its inception (see E.32).
When this was disbanded and the $.R.C. was established
he was invited to become a member of the new Committee
(from 1 October 1965 to 1968).
visited various university research teams and continued to
referee grant applications for research in the field.
During his service he
Letter of invitation to serve on the Committee, corres-
pondence re meetings and visits, Committee papers,
letter of thanks on termination of service, 1965-68.
Some similar correspondence is included in B.10.
‘Software workshop', 1966-68.
Strachey's tagged folder of papers and correspondence
re the establishment of a national software workshop/
research centre.
Draft papers were prepared by D. Michie and Strachey
S.R.C. Working Group on Computer Education, 1966-67.
Strachey and N.S. Sutherland were asked by the
Computing Science Committee to prepare a paper
"embodying members' criticisms of the Report' of the
Working Group.
See B.17 for similar material.
The folder
notes of meetings and proposals for action.
includes various drafts for discussion papers,
(June~September 1966) and were discussed at various
meetings with colleagues.
See also the Minutes of the
Committee for 21 February 1967 when the workshop was
discussed (included in E.42).
comments and of Mathematics Committee's comments.
Strachey's tagged folder includes correspondence and
comments by other members of the Computing Science
Committee, drafts of Strachey's and Sutherland's paper,
final agreed copy of Computing Science Committee's
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Committees and societies
Long-Range Computing Research Policy Panel,
Computing Science Commitee, $.R.C.
1970-71
Includes:
Committee papers and correspondence.
Reports on 2 special meetings for the Panel, at
Edinburgh on 28 October 1970, on artificial
intelligence, and in London on 8 December 1970
on programming theory and the theory of computation.
First draft of 'Final Report of the Long Range
Computing Research Policy Panel', February 1971,
heavily annotated by Strachey.
Correspondence on forecast of future research
developments, 1971.
E.46-E.63
Reports on grant applications, research projects, visits
to laboratories, research teams, etc., 1962-74.
17 folders in chronological order.
1962-63
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1968
1968
1964
1974
1972
1973
1969
1970
1971
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
P
a
136
SECTION F
PUBLICATIONS, REVIEWS, REPORTS & PAPERS F.1 - F.76
Most of the bibliographies
and lists of publications prepared
by Strachey in his lifetime were incomplete or selective, omitting early
works or those which he considered to have been superseded by develop-
ments in the subject and in his own field of interest.
The list below there-
fore includes several items which do not appear in the various bibliographies
in A.3.
Many of the items comprise working notes, correspondence,
background or research material, and examples of the extensive drafts,
consultative comments and redrafts to which Strachey - for whom formal
academic writing was reputedly a chore - submitted his work.
The items are presented chronologically and cross-references
are given where possible to related material in other Sections of the
collection,
See especially the introduction to Section H for a list of
talks, papers and contributions by Strachey at conferences, symposia,
etc. and which are included in that Section.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
"An expression for the Sine of a Fourier Series', by
C. Strachey and P.J. Wallis, Phil. Mag. Ser.7,
xxxvii, February 1946.
Offprint.
‘Hahn's Functions S,, (A) and Um (%)', by C. Strachey
and P.J. Wallis, Phil. Mag. Ser.7, xxxvii, February 1946,
Offprint.
Both these papers acknowledge permission to publish from
Standard Telephones and Cables Limited.
Note: For Strachey's paper 'Logical or non mathematical
programmes', Proc. A.C.M. Conf. 1952, see C.32.
'The "Thinking" Machine', Encounter, III, October 1954,
Xerox copy of published article.
The Institution of Electrical Engineers, Measurement and
Control Section: Specialist discussion meetings on new
digital computer technique, 16-17 February 1959.
Proc. 1.E.E., 106, Part B, no.29, September 1959.
Offprint.
Duplicated typescript.
See also C.112.
(An early version of work later published as F.12).
‘Time Sharing
"Elimination" methods in matrix eigenvalue problems',
by Strachey and J.G.F. Francis, June 1959.
Contains Strachey's paper 'Programme-controlled time
sharing', his opening remarks to Discussionon ‘Special
aspects of logical design -I' and various contributions to
discussions at other sessions.
Strachey describes the paper as follows:
in Large Fast Computers was probably the first paper to
discuss time-sharing and multi-programming as we now
know them. _
idea became extremely fashionable in the middle sixties
and dominated much of the work on computing at that time.
When | wrote the paper in 1959 I,
in common with every-
one else, had noidea of the difficulties which would arise
in writing the software to contro] either the time-sharing or
multi-programming. If
enthusiastic about them.'
‘Time sharing in large fast computers'.
Typescript abstract, and 2 typescript versions of paper
read at UNESCO conference on information processing,
Paris, July 1959.
It
is a matter of history that the time-sharing
| had I should not have been so
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
'On Taking the Square Root of a Complex Number’,
The Computer Journal, 2.
Offprint.
Paper on ‘learning programmes’.
2 drafts (not identical), dated April 1960, of comments
and discussion by Strachey on ideas for self-organising
programmes by Mr. Maine and Dr. Ross Ashby.
"Initial Definition of Interpreted Functions’.
_2 drafts, variously dated October and November 1960
erhaps related to work on List Processing Language).
Pp
P
'Two Contributions to the Techniques of Queuing Problems’,
The Computer Journal, 3, July 1960.
Ms. draft, carespondence with editors and colleagues re
paper, revisions and corrections, corrected proof, offprint
of published paper.
'The Characteristics of Computers of the Second Decade’,
discussion meeting of British Computer Society, held at
Northampton College, September 1960.
March 1961.
Computer Bulletin,
‘Real Eigenvalues on EDSAC'.
Offprint of proceedings.
July 1961.
See also C.112, F.5.
F.13, F.14
Strachey opened the first general discussion session, and
made several contributions to the discussion.
'The Reduction of a Matrix to Codiagonal Form by
Eliminations', by Strachey and J.G.F. Francis, The
Computer Journal, 4,
Ms. drafts of paper, correspondencewith editor, offprint
of published paper.
Matrix', 5 pp., March 1961.
Notes, routines and printouts, some with notes and comments
by M.V. Wilkes, various dates April 1961.
2 folders of notes, routines and correspondence on use of
an ALGOLprogram to reduce a matrix to a codiagonal
form.
Based on program outlined in F.12 above.
Typescript of paper on 'Real Rootsof an Unsymmetric
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
"ALGOL Programs
Codiagonalisation
Derivative Form
Real Roots'
5 bundles and loose papers of notes and routines on
above topics, various dates, March-April 1961.
Includes correspondence from M.V. Wilkes expressing
satisfaction with the use of ALGOL for these problems.
Foy ste
‘Some proposals for improving the efficiency of ALGOL 60'
. (with M.V. Wilkes), Comm, ACM, 4A, November 1961.
A paper linked to F.13-F.14 above, first published as
Technical Memorandum 61/5, 29 July 1961, of University
Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge.
Miscellaneous ms. plans and drafts for paper, including
comments by P.J. landin, various dates June-July 1961.
A copy of Technical Memorandum 61/5 is included here.
Correspondence with collaborator, colleagues and editors
re publication of paper and reactions to it.
February 1962.
May 1961-
An offprint of the published paper is included here.
[9].
P. 7sF 99
Shorter publications, reviews, reports, 1959-62.
Report on Chorofas: 'Advanced Programming Systems',
12 October 1960
£102.
Comment on Genie. An Intermediate Range Assembly
System, 20 July 1960
The numbers in square brackets indicate a numbering
system used by Strachey, not corresponding to chrono-
logical order, or including his major papers.
Ms. draft paper on ‘Automatic Programming', n.d. [14].
Press~cutting of Art Buchwald's interview with Strachey
in New York, N.Y. Herald Tribune, 19 June 1959 £132.
Letter to Editor, New Scientist, on 'Computers and
Decision Making’, 16 February 1960 £119.
Review for Computing Reviews, 20 July 1960
[124].
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
Copy of The Times Supplement on Computers in Commerce,
4 October 1960
(151.
Review by Strachey of 'Annual Review in Automatic
Programming', ed. R. Goodman. (Contains the papers
presented at the Brighton Conference, April 1961, see
E.2), several drafts and versions, January 1961
C16].
'Bitwise Operations', 3 pp. with 3 pp. calculations, for
Communications of the A.C.M., January 1961
(177.
Review of P.H. Nidditch, 'Elementary Logic of Science
_and Mathematics', 24 January 1961
[18].
Ms. solution to problem in New Scientist, 7 March 1961 £19].
See also A.72.
Review of C.V.L. Smith, ‘Electronic Digital Computers',
for Computing Reviews, 11 July 1961
£224.
Review of J.E. Whitesitt, ‘Boolean Algebra and its
Applications', for Computing Reviews, 11 July 1961
£23].
Review of 'The Logical Design of STRETCH', ed. W. Buchholz,
ms. and typescript versions, May 1962
[£28].
Review of Cooper, 'Formal Differentiation of Algebraic
Expressions', 8 February 1962
(301.
Association of Computing Machinery.
£321.
is now of
Review of K.E. Iverson, 'A programming language’, for
Computing Reviews, 1962 €33].
Review of G.L. Hollander, 'Drum Organisation for Strobe
Addressing', for Computing Reviews,
(311.
Offprint of report on Zurich Conference on ALGOL with
ms. note by Strachey, 'This is one of the early papers on
ALGOL and in fact refers to ALGOL-58. It
historical interest only’.
1960-62, 1966, 1973-74.
Correspondence with editors re Strachey's contributions
to Computing Reviews and Communications of A.C.M.
Includes reviews and reports by Strachey, various dates
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
Ms, and typescript notes on 'Use of Computers', perhaps
for talk given at Manchester College of Science and
Technology, or prepared for B.V. Bowden, Principal
of College.
Includes 2 lefters
from B.V. Bowden, September 1961
and November 1962 and printed background material,
including script of talk 'From Hunch to Science’, by
Barbara Wootton, broadcast 20 February 1962.
"A new tool of the intellect', The Observer Weekend
Review, 18 February 1962.
Ms. draft of article, revisions and coirections, editorial
correspondence and correspondence with readers of
article, press-cutting of article as published.
Contributions to Discussion meeting of British Computer
Society, 18 April 1962.
Reprint from The Computer Journal, 5, 1962.
'The main features of CPL' (by Barron, Buxton, Hartley,
Nixon and Strachey).
Reprint from The Computer Journal, 6, 1963.
See also C.141.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
F.25-F.30
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
Reports, notes and correspondence on computer research
in British industry and universities, prepared on
various occasions, 1962-65.
‘Computers and University Research’.
Includes:
2 drafts (June 1962) of a paper prepared at the
request of P.M.S. Blackett, and later circulated
as a paper for D.S.1.R. Working Party on Computer
Science.
See E,22-E.31
Correspondence with Blackett and H. Jones re
feasibility od establishing a research team in computing
theory at Imperial College.
‘Proposed Group to Study Mathematical Aspects of
Computer Use', 4 pp. typescript annotated by
Strachey 'Gill's proposals to Imperial College’.
Copy of application to D.S.I.R. by H. Jones for
grant to investigate 'the mathematical basis of
computer programming', and copy of letter with-
drawing application.
F.26, F.27
'The Computer Industry’.
2 pp. 'A project for investigation’ by P.J. Landin,
29 June 1962.
1 p. untitled note by Strachey, 27 June 1962,
on mathematical theory of information processing, with
ms. note by Strachey ‘submitted to Churchill College’.
A paper prepared by Strachey at the request of
P.M.S. Blackett, based orginally on a Report from
E.M.1. Research Laboratories, by W.E. Ingham and
L.F. Broadway, but developed into a comparative
survey of the Computer Industry in UK and America,
with proposals.
press-cuttings, etc.
Correspondence, including invitation to write paper,
list of those to whom it was circulated, and comments
from them (includes 2 pp. typed comments from S. Gill).
A copy of the E.M.1. Research paper is included here.
Ms. draft, typescript and duplicated versions of paper,
9 June 1964.
Research material with comparative performance figures,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
F.29, F.30
B29 ©
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
'The Future of Computers in Great Britain’.
Several ms. drafts of paper prepared by Strachey for
B.V. Bowden, January 1965, on the use of small
computers for teaching purposes in schools.
Folder also includes copy of 'Tentative Plcn for a
National Computer Authority’ by S. Gill,
1964, sent to Strachey for information; correspondence
with Bowden and C.P. Snow; correspondence and
information re Digital Equipment Corporation to whom
Strachey had written for information re their PDP 8
Computer and its suitability for teaching purposes;
September
‘ copy of 'The Government, The Computer Industry and
16 February 1965.
Computer Technology in the United Kingdom', by
W.S. Elliott,
and Computer Courses for Schools and Colleges draws
on Strachey's papers 'The Computer Industry', June
1964 (F.26 above) and the paper prepared for Lord
Bowden above. )
(Section 5: Computers
Work on Computers for Schools, 1965.
Carbon of note by Strachey 'Computers in Great Britain'
(on computer education) sent January 1965 from Churchill
College, especially on use of PDP8 for the purpose, and
related correspondence.
See E.11-E.13, H.10 for other material on computers in
education.
Ms. (untitled and undated, but probably prepared for above
scheme) of information about computing, devised for school
children and introducing competition 'to arouse interest in
electronic computers and in the process of writing pro-
groms for them', accompanied by problems for solving.
See E.36.
Offprint of paper from conference proceedings ed.
T.B. Steel, North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam,
1966 (includes discussion of paper at conference).
"Towards a Formal Semantics’.
Paper submitted at |.F.1.P. Conference, Vienna,
September 1964.
Typed draft with ms. corrections and revised version
dated July 1964, ms. list of errata and references.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
'A general purpose macrogenerator', The Computer Journal,
8, Octcber 1965.
' Offprint of published paper.
‘Proposed Scheme for Segmenting Cl's
2 related papers:
and SSR's' signed CS, February 1965;
of the Facilities of TRAC, SNOBOL, LISP, COMIT
and the General Purpose Macrogenerator of C. Strachey',
Cambridge Language Research Unit Document 4, August
1967, annotated by Strachey.
'A Comparison
See: €,197-C.201.
Draft Specification for 'Magtyper', 2 July 1966, 3 pp.
"How to make computers do difficult things easily’.
Summary only of paper given by Strachey at Machine
Intelligence Workshop, 1966, held at Experimental
Programming Unit (later, Deportment of Machine
Intelligence), Edinburgh.
Folder contains abstracts of all papers given at the
Workshop, which included R. J. Popplestone's POP-1,
and related material on the Experimental Programming
Unit.
Strachey found difficulty in writing, and
Fsg5-F. 39
‘Systems Analysis and Programming', Scientific American,
215, September 1966.
Strachey described this as 'a popular article ... if
describes, amongst other things, a draughts-playing
program'.
in adequately illustrating, the article, of which many
drafts, revisions and alternatives survive in the folders
both of working papers and editorial correspondence.
Ms. drafts and revisions (not spare copies).
Editorial correspondence including invitation to write
article (for special September issue of Scientific American
on Information) and its content, miscellaneous additions
and revisions, proposed German translation, 1966-69.
Extensive ms. working papers, plans, diagrams and drafts,
including comments by colleagues.
Folder labelled 'Scientific American. Spare copies’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
Extensively revised proofs and diagrams.
Copy of Scientific American, 215, with article as
published.
Later correspondence re inclusic of article in
Scientific American Reader on computers and
computation, 1970.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
F.40-F.54
‘Fundamental Concepts in Programming Languages’.
This was a course of lectures given at the International
Publication of the Proceedings was held up
Summer School in Computer Programming, Copenhagen,
August 1967.
by editorial dilatoriness for so long that it was shelved,
and Strachey continued to revise and rewrite his paper in
the hope of having it published elsewhere as an extended
journal article or a monograph. It remained unpublished,
though some 250 copies were privately circulated.
Strachey described Fundamental Concepts as ‘an
. important paper;
it describes the basic principles under-
lying computing in a relatively unmatnematical manner’.
In view of the importance Strachey attached to this
unpublished paper, a full record of its composition and
revisions has been retained.
See H.19-H.21
Lecture notes, circulated for Summer School on Computer
Programming, Copenhagen, August 1967, duplicated
typescript with ms. corrections and revisions, 17 pp.
The lectures were originally given from these notes, which
were the basis for all subsequent written versions.
3.5.
F.41
F.42
F.43
F.44
F.45
F.46
3.1-3.2.
F.41-F.53
3.3-3.4.
Recursion.
Conceptual Constructs.
1.1, 1.2.
Preliminaries,
2.1-2.6.
Basic Concepts.
Commands and Sequencing.
Abstraction and Application.
Autograph ms., corrected typescript and revisions of
paper, as follows:
First typescript version, with ms. corrections.
(originally 3.7). Compound Data Structures.
Functions and Routines as Data Items.
3.7
(originally 3.6).
Types and Polymorphism.
4,
Miscellaneous Topics.
3.6 (originally 3.5).
F.47
F.48
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
November 1967 version of paper, with ms. comments
and alterations by Halsbury, and errata list dated 1967.
Note: The table of contents shows some reallocation and
renumbering of sections from that in the ms. version
above,
when the section on 'Recursion' was replaced.
‘Author's Copy' of above, with some ms. corrections
by Strachey and Halsbury, a letter (with 2 pp. list of
'notes') by Lord Halsbury to whom it had been sent for
comment, December 1967 (see F.49 above).
-
'FCPL Working Papers', miscellaneous notes and drafts,
including title pages, errata lists, etc. of various
dates, 1967-70.
Pressboard binder, titled ‘Fundamental Concepts in
Programming Languages 1970', a photocopy of sections
1-3 only.
Another photocopy of above, with index dated October
1973, and extensive corrections and comments by R.
Milne, J.E. Stoy and Strachey.
Correspondence with publishers re paper or monograph,
mainly with editor of Computing Surveys (includes referees'
favourable reports and comments), 1969-71.
A duplicated copy of the paper appeared in Bulletin No.1
of I.F.1.P. Working Group 2.2, 20 February 1969
Correspondence with Edinburgh University Press, Clarendon
Press, Academic Press (1970), North-Holland Publishing
Company (1971).
(see E.39).
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
'The Provision of Software’.
2 pp. note dated December 1967.
Duplicated typescript.
Report on the’ Multipop system, and POP-2 language,
prepared for Department of Machine Intelligence and
Perception, University of Edinburgh (formerly Experimental
Programming Unit), 1968.
Ms. and typescript versions of report, with Strachey's
notes on performance of system, and related material
_on reference manual, etc.
Brief corresponderice with D. Michie.
See also F.34 above.
'Varieties of Programming Language’.
A paper read at the International Computing Symposium,
Venice, April 1972 and published in the Proceedings.
See H.3]
p. note on 'Varieties of Programming Language’ dated
1
August 1971, perhaps prepared for conference programme.
Errata and comments on paper, March 1972.
Offprint of
‘Paper on Programming Languages’.
© GOL, n.d. and kept
"Paper on Programming Languages’.
Ms. of text as circulated as Technical Monograph PRG-10,
September 1972.
Ms. drafts and working notes for paper, including headings
for talk or speech at meeting on
with above but perhaps intended for another occasion.
published article.
'OS6 - An experimental operating system for a small
computer. Part |: General principles and structure! (with
The Computer Journal, 15, September 1972.
J.E. Stoy).
Folder of drafts, mainly on existing languages, ‘Assignment
Statements', 3 sections on ‘Subroutines’.
(Material kept together in this folder by Strachey, though
possibly used on different occasions.)
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
F.61-F.75
'A theory of programming language semantics', 1973-75.
This work was submitted as a joint entry by Robert E.
Milne and Strachey for the Adams Prize Essay of the
University of. Cambridge (closing date for entries 31
December 1974).
Strachey was Milne's Supervisor for his Thesis 'The
formal semantics of computer languages and their
implementations', submitted for a Doctorate of Philosophy
at Cambridge (see F.61-F.64 below).
sequent collaboration for the Adams Prize, Strachey devoted
After their sub-
‘much of the last months of his life to preparing the manu-
script for publication, but died in May 1975 with the task
incomplete.
which was published as 'A Theory of Programming Language
Semantics' by Robert Milne and Christopher Strachey,
Chapman and Hall, 1976.
Milne rewrote and completed the work,
F.61-F.64
Typescript copy of R.E. Milne's thesis.
F.6]
F.62
Chapter I.
Chapter II.
F.63
F.64
Chapter III.
Appendix.
The three 'chapters' all include
and notes by Strachey.
pages of ms. comments
in Strachey's hand, with some notes
Variqus dates, mainly October-
Ms. draft for the Adams Essay, including abstracts, contents
list, etc. almost all
by Milne and others.
December 1974.
September-December 1974.
Strachey's worksheets for Adams Essay, November 1974:
an itemised breakdown of the work, specifying dates of
composition, typing, checking, comments, etc. for each
sub-section.
"Elementary Results', miscellaneous notes and calculations,
various dates, November 1973, February, July, September 1974.
Ms. notes, and first ms. drafts, July-September 1974.
Ms. notes and drafts, Preface and sections 1.2-1.9,
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Publications, reviews, reports and papers
Ms. notes and drafts, sections 3.1-3.8, August- November
1974.
‘Technical’.
Folder of miscellaneous notes and calculations, mainly
testing out various hypotheses, November 1974-
March 1975.
Includes copy of a note by R. Milne on ‘Induction rule
for loops' and two bundles of more extended notes (each
10 pp.) by Strachey, March 1975.
‘Miscellaneous ms. notes of plans for essay, queries and
problems to be checked, notes of ‘Possible changes, etc.
for Book', list of 'Late Alterations', Strachey's 7 po.
list of comments.
1975.
Various dates, March 1974- January
"SAL Standard Semantic Equations’.
Miscellaneous notes and examples for SAL 'a large and
powerful paradigm programming language’ introduced as
Chapter 3 of Adams Essay.
Photocopy of Preface, Abstract and specimen pages of
Essay, submitted to publisher.
Includes errata list.
Brief correspmdence with University of Cambridge regarding
Essay.
Circulation lists for Strachey's publications, 1961-63.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
SECTION G
LECTURES, TALKS AND PAPERS G.1 - G.42
The material is presented chronologically.
The substance varies from brief notes and headings for talks
to substantial manuscript or typescript drafts, sometimes accompanied by
research material, manufacturers' literature and correspondence.
The earlier lectures were undertaken while Strachey was
employed by N.R.D.C. and often at
its request;
almost all of these
refer to problems arising from projects in hand such as the Ferranti Pegasus,
CPL, theory of programming, etc.
See Sections F and H for other lectures or papers by
Strachey.
See General Introduction for a note on lectures given
by Strachey at Oxford and retained at Programming Research Group.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
‘Programming for the F.P.C.1.', a course of 10 lectures
delivered by Strachey at Northampton Polytechnic,
13 January to 17 March 1955 (see also C.65-C.81 for
working notes on Ferranti Pegasus).
Includes:
Printed programme and synopses of the lectures.
Ms. synopses of the lectures.
Ms. draft of Ist lecture ‘Introduction to Programming
for Computers', 7 pp.
Ms. notes for lectures 2 and 3,
Ms. notes for last lecture ‘Mathematical Theory
of some Subroutines', 10 pp.
Printed material for distribution to students - programming
exercises, diagram of conputing store, etc.
Folder also includes programme for series of lectures by
JH. Wilkinson on 'Programming for Pilot Ace and Deuce’,
and 'Short Bibliography on Automatic Digital Computing
Machines’.
‘Birmingham Lecture Notes’.
He was invited to repeat his lecture
"Notes for a talk at Birmingham University Operational
Research Course', 13-14 October 1955.
(6 pp.), correspondence.
Ms. notes
"Electronic Digital Computers', lecture for courses in
April and May 1957.
synopsis), printed notes for distribution.
Ms. notes (6 pp. draft,
Strachey contributed lectures to courses on operational
research, sponsored by the University of Birmingham
Institute for Engineering Production, on several occasions
in 1955 and 1957.
on 'Electronic Digital Computers' in September 1957, but
declined.
Correspondence.
Programmes for course on ‘Operational Research',
13-14 May 1957 and on 'Electronic Computers in
Industry', 15-19 April 1957.
as a speaker for this course.).
1 p.
(Strachey is not listed
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
"Notes for Various Lectures’.
Folder of miscellaneous sets of ms. notes;
labelled 'Notes on Binary Floating Point’.
one is
Includes correspondence with M.V. Wilkes and E.N.
Mutch re
Summer School on scientific applications
of digital computers held in Cambridge in September
1957.
Commercially Available Computers’.
Strachey's lectures were titled 'Review of
Folder also includes brief correspondence re a British
Council Course on Digital Computers, November 1957,
‘at which Strachey lectured, and brief correspondence
with manufacturers and firms re details of their machines,
for use in the lectures.
Talk to Senior Officers' Training Course, Royal
Army Pay Corps, Devizes, September 1958.
1
p. ms. notes for talk.
Correspondence with organiser re arrangements for talk
which was originally scheduled for January 1958 but
postponed because of Strachey's ill-health.
The subject was 'Problems attendant upon installing
a computer' with special reference to the N.R.D.C./
Siemens project.
Includes:
Includes:
Printed programme and information re the course,
correspondence.
‘Computer Techniques', 2 lectures for course on Electronic
Computers and Business Problems, Dundee Technical
College, 23-27 June 1958.
Ms. notes prepared by Strachey for his lecture.
'Some Commercially Available Computing Machines’,
lecture at Course on Applications of Computers,
Faculty of Applied Science, University of Nottingham,
15-19 September 1958.
Stencilled lecture notes (3 pp.) for Strachey's lecture.
Gill on programming,
Carbon copies of lectures by S.
programming developments, information and coding,
which were delivered at the same course.
Programme of the course, correspondence re Strachey's
‘lecture.
Lecture notes prepared for distribution (typescript with
ms. annotations and printed copy).
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
'Some Aspects of the Logical Design of Very Fast
Computers’, lecture to the Middlesbrough and District
Branch of the British Computer Society, 7 January 1959.
Includes:
Printed notice of lecture.
Ms. notes and drafts for lecture (10 pp. and 6 pp.).
Typescript draft (3 pp.).
Transcript of lecture and of ensuing discussion with
ms. corrections, amendments and additions by
Strachey (26 pp.).
‘A method for finding the real eigenvalues of unsymmetric
matrices’.
Talk given to Numerical Analysis Study Group of British
Computer Society, 15 February 1962.
Brief correspondence with H. Goldenberg (organiser)
re delivery of talk.
Includes programmes for finding real roots, and
miscellaneous bundles of notes and
the subject.
loose papers on
Lectures 1962-63
Programme announcing lecture (to
"Notes on a Talk to a School', ms., 3 pp., 21 February
1962.
"Computers and the Intellectual Revolution', ms. 3 pp.,
30 October 1962.
the Middlesbrough and District Branch of the British
Computer Society) with reproductionof Strachey's article
in The Observer Weekend Review, 18 February 1962
"A New Tool of the Intellect’ (see F.22).
talk, correspondence re arrangements.
Lecture to Study Group of Institution of Electrical Engineers
on Computer Design, 24
"How to Make Computers Do Complicated Things Simply',
ms. 8 pp., 17 November 1962, for meeting of Oxford
and District Branch of the Mathematical Association held
at University of Reading.
Correspondence and programme.
Lecture on the importance of computers, King Edward's
School, Surrey, 10 October 1962.
Correspondence with science master re arrangements
(no notes or text of lecture).
April 1963.
1p. ms. notes for
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
‘Digital Computers and Automation’.
Film made by Central Office of Information for release
on television in the Commonwealth by British Information
Services.
the sequences and provided the conclusion.
Strachey introduced the programme, linked
Correspondence, C.O.1. research document, script with
Strachey's annotations, typescript of Strachey's contribu-
tion, short film strip.
‘Mathematical Theory of Programming Languages’.
_ Seminar given at M.1.T., autumn 1965.
Typescript synopses of seminar with ms. additions by
Strachey, list of topics for term paper.
Ms. notes (1 p.) for introduction tothe seminar.
This
is a very interesting exposition of Strachey's approach
to teaching; 'Not a carefully prepared logical sequence
of arguments leading irresistibly to a splendid conclusion.
But a series of guerilla forays into a jungle of incompre-
hension in the course of which we shall retrace our steps,
| hope
change our minds, run up against blank walls, but,
finally emerge with some inkling of the lay of the land
and a smattering of the techniques of jungle warfare’,
These have been left in
Extensive ms. notes, calculations and diagrams prepared
by Strachey for the seminar.
their original ordering and groupings.
In his letters to Leslie Fox (B.4), Strachey describes the
seminars ('l was somewhat disconcerted to find that there
are nearly thirty people who want to come') and comments
... partly as a result of
on their value as a catalyst ('
having to prepare for them and partly as a result of the
actual discussions in the seminars, | have managed to
clear up my ideas on a number of points and am now even
more convinced than before that we have a new branch
of mathematics to deal with').
at M.I.T. (C.202-C. 207).
See also correspondence and working papers re CPL
(C.136-C. 184)
and re Strachey's later visits and work
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
Lectures 1965-66
‘Importance of computers', notes for talk at Southampton,
July 1965, 7 pp. ms., 2 pp. typescript program.
Probably for Schools Mathematical Project.
'The Relationship of Operating Systems and Programming
Languages', talk at Mathematics Seminar, Harwell,
13 October 1966:
ms. draft of talk.
abstract and correspondence, 6 pp.
" Lectures 1967
‘Outline of CPL', lecture for AF.IR.O. in Paris,
20 March 1967, 6 pp. ms., typescript of abstract.
‘Computing Research in U.K.', lecture in Grenoble,
21 March 1967, 3 pp. ms. (see H.19 for correspondence
re this lecture).
‘Names and Addresses', or 'What Happens when Variables
Vary', Oxford Invariant Society, 14 November 1967.
7 pp. ms.
See General Introduction for a note on lectures given
by Strachey at Oxford and retained at Programming Research
"Introduction to Non- Numerical Programming.
notes for Course to Psychologists, 1967".
Lecture
Ms. notes for a collaborative course at Oxford with
D. Park.
Both Strachey's and Park's contributions
are tagged together, presumably in the order in which
they were given.
'First and Second Class Citizens in Programming Languages',
Birkbeck College, London, 28 November 1967.
9 pp. ms., programme, correspondence re arrangements
for talk.
Group.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
Lectures, c.1966-69
‘Notes for Talks, etc. Mathematical Basis of Programming
Languages’, folder of miscellaneous ms. and typescript
material of various dates, as kept by Strachey under the
above heading.
‘Fundamental Mathematical Concepts Underlying
Programming Languages', 2 typescript drafts (2 pp.
and 3 pp.) with numerous ms. amendments by Strachey,
for introduction to a longer talk or paper on this subject.
‘Abstract of 'Towards a Formal Semantics', 2 pp. typescript
(1966), 7 pp. ms. of same title.
"Basic Mathematical Concepts Underlying Programming
Languages', lecture given at Pisa, December 1969.
8 pp. ms. notes.
'A problem with loops', 4 pp. ms.
"Appendix.
5S pp. ms.
Summary of notation used in this paper',
Miscellaneous pages of ms. and typescript draft, notes,
calculations.
Lectures 1968-69
"Computers for Engineers', Oxford, 15 March 1968.
6 pp. ms.
See also B.23 re loan of films from Bell
Telephone Laboratories, to illustrate this lecture.
5Spp.ms., correspondence re delivery,
Lectures 1969
‘What Will Computing Systems Be Likein 1980?',
Leicester Branch, British Computer Society, 21 March
1968.
synopsis for distribution to members.
Continued
"Future of Programming Languages'.
5 pp. ms. of talk
delivered at |.C.L. Bracknell, 20 February 1969, and
I.C.L. Stevenage, 24 February 1969,
"Programming Languages', Oxford Branch, British
Computer Society, 28 January 1969.
all in Strachey's hand), printed notice of lecture.
16 pp. ms. (not
'How to Try without really computing', 3 pp. ms. of
talk to the Oxford Invariant Society, 21 October 1969.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
G.27
(continued)
Misce!laneous notes and 'Problems for Invariants’
on 'The Game of Moo! for the Invariant Computer
Group, founded Michaelmas Term 1968.
'BCPL usage and research’, 1
talk delivered at 1.C.L. Advanced Programming
Techniques Symposium, December 1969.
p. typescript abstract of
Lectures 1970
'Games, Playthings and Learning Programs for St.
Edward's School', Oxford.
8 pp. ms., 22 January 1970.
‘Computers and Civilization’, or 'What Kenneth Clark
Left Out?'
5pp.ms., 30 January 1970.
'Computers', talk at Mathematics Today course for
teachers of mathematics, Oxford, 5-18 April 1970.
2 sets of ms. notes, programme of the course.
‘Current Literature Seminar. The work of Dana Scott.
Outline of a Math. Th. of Computation’, 8 pp. ms.,
12 November 1970.
'An unusual operating system written in a high level
language’.
Intelligence, Edinburgh, December 1971, given in the
course of visit with S.C.R. Board of Visitors.
Seminar at Department of Machine
8 pp. ms.
Typescript summaries of 3 talks:
Storage’ (Essex,
of a Single User Operating System' (Cambridge, 20 May
1971) and ‘Experiments on the Design of Processors to
work efficiently with Compilers', with correspondence.
'Games on Computers.
Scientists (?) - Oxford Schools', 3 pp. ms., 16 November
197%,
'Work in progress at the Oxford Programming Research
Group', seminar at Cambridge, 25 April 1973.
Notice of seminar and brief ms. notes only.
Lectures 1971-73
19 May 1971), ‘The Logical Structure
'An Abstract Model for
Bristol Association of Young
iG. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Lectures, talks and papers
Correspondence re seminar on semantics of programming
languages, tobe given at Department of Artificial
Intelligence, Edinburgh, 19 February 1975, in the course
of visit with S.R.C. Board of Visitors.
Includes programme of visit.
Folder of notes for lectures, undated.
‘Use not construction of computers', 7 pp. ms.
Lecture on methods of programming, 8 pp. ms.
* Typescript of contribution to discussion on
programming languages, paginated 53-69;
heavily annotated by Strachey.
7 pp. ms. notes, under 9 sub-headings, for talks
on compufers.
G.39-G.42
Correspondence re lectures and papers.
invitations to lecture, contribute to seminars, etc.
in UK and overseas.
Mainly
In chronological order.
4 folders as follows:
1960-64.
1969-71.
1965-67.
1973-75.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
SECTION H
CONFERENCES AND VISITS 1956-75
H.1- H.41
The material is presented chronologically.
It includes correspondence with organisers of conferences
re invitations, travel arrangements, fees, etc.,
lists of speakers or
participants, Strachey's oral or written contributions and the like.
Several folders contain ms. or printed versions of
lectures or papers by Strachey which do not appear in Strachey's
highly selective bibliographies of his own work in A.3, or in Section F.
For ease of reference, such folders are listed below.
H.
ag
H.
rt.
H.
+
A.
A.
H.
H.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
1956
1957
Conferences and visits
Congresso della Societa
delle Scienze, Sicily, 15-21 September 1956.
Italiana per il Progresso
Correspondence, travel arrangements, list of speakers
at Mathematical session.
"American Trip 1957'.
Strachey made the trip in order to attend the
Association for Computing Machinery Conference,
19-21 June 1957, Houston, Texas.
While in USA
he also visited the Lincoln Laboratoriesof M.I.T.,
the 1.B.M. laboratory at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., the
“University of Illinois, the Remington Rand laboratory
in Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr College.
Strachey
kept a notebook recording details of these visits
(staff, equipment, programs, procedures, specifications
and design of machines) as well as notes of addresses,
travel arrangements, expenses incurred, during his
journey.
Thisjournal is an interesting record of the
state of computing in USA at that time.
The folder also includes a small amount of corres-
pondence re scheduling of visits and material collected
at the conference.
See C.33 for a similar notebook kept on Strachey's
journey to Canada and USA in 1952.
p. ms. notes on the
Includes:
Lists of delegates.
Symposium on the Mechanization of Thought Processes,
National Physical Laboratory, 24-27 November 1958.
1958-59
Copies of 3 papers presented at the symposium,
including one by A.M. Andrew on ‘Learning
Machines’.
at the Symposium ond in the press.
Strachey commented on this paper, both
publication.
Folder includes Strachey's 1
paper, 2 ms. drafts of letters to the press and 3 pp.
typescript of Strachey's contribution to the discussion
following the paper.
Transcripts of Strachey's remarks in the various dis-
cussions at the Symposium, heavily amended and
annotated, sent to him for corrections before
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Conferences and visits
Strachey's extensive ms. notes and calculations.
Printout of computation of single and double digit
decimal sums, prepared as background material for
his comments above on A.M. Andrew's paper.
Symposium on Matrix Computations, sponsored by
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics,
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, April 1961.
1960-64
Another symposium (with the same title) was held in
Gatlinburg in April 1964,
Strachey attended both
symposia.
On the 1961 visit he also spent some
‘time at the Carnegie Corporation, M.I.T., and 1.B.M.
Includes:
Correspondence re arrangements to attend Symposia
and to visit American research laboratories and
institutions.
Strachey's ms. notes on papers presented by
others at the 1961 Symposium.
Lists of participants (1961 and 1964) .
Programmes of lectures (1964) .
1961
Includes:
Typescript drafts of various portions of his talk.
5 pp. typescript summary for distribution at session.
Printed copy of B.V. Bowden's talk on 'The Impact
of Automation’.
Photographs (1964) .
Duplicated papers as distributed at 1964 Symposium.
British Association for the Advancement of Science,
Norwich, 30 August-6 September 1961.
Strachey
delivered a paper on 'Developments in mathematical
and information processing languages', at a discussion
on universal languages.
Press-cuttings re Strachey's paper.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Conferences and visits
Symposium on Symbolic Languages in Data Processing,
sponsored by International Computation Centre, Rome,
26-31 March 1962.
at the discussion on 'Metasyntactic and Metasemantic
Languages’. _
Strachey was one of the panellists
1961-62
Includes:
Correspondence re arrangements for symposium
and for travel.
Printed material (programme, memoranda, etc.)
distributed at symposium.
‘The discussions were printed in the 1.C.C. Bulletin, I,
July 1962, of which a copy is included in the folder.
Conference on Automatic Programming Languages
for Business and Science, sponsored by the British
Computer Society and Northampton College of
Advanced Technology, London, 17-18 April 1962.
Includes:
Correspondence, programme, list of participants.
2 pp. Strachey's notes for his talk.
Includes:
Correspondence, programme, list of participants.
Abstract of Strachey's talk on ‘Programming in
Function Languages’.
Copy of paper by P. Wegner on 'Communication
between independently translated blocks’.
Programming Systems Symposium, London School of
Economics, 2-6 July 1962.
1962
13 pp. transcript of Strachey's talk on 'Future
Prospects’ and transcripts of his several contri-
butions to the discussion.
Continued
2 pp. ms. note, transcript
and revised typescript
of Strachey's contribution 'What are the demands
made by computer science on the educational
systems'.
Strachey on the potential uses of computers, the
importance of software vs. hardware, and the
intellectual revolution brought obout by the advent
of computers.
Conference on Computer Education, Hatfield
College of Technology, 30-31 May 1963.
Includes:
Prospectus, programme, list of participants,
correspondence.
This is a very interesting exposition by
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
H.10
(continued)
Conferences and visits
Folder contains copies of papers presented by others
(H.G. Ap Simon, D.W. Hooper, E.C. Clear Hill,
W.G. Bickley, J. Crank, B.S. Walker, S. Gill,
F.S. Ellis, M.M. Barritt).
See E.13, F.29, F.30 for further material relating to
computers in education.
Summer School on 'Advances in programming and non-
numerical analysis', Oxford,| 26 August-6 September
1963.
1961-65
_ The Summer School was sponsored by the Oxford
University Computing Laboratory in association with
the Delegacy for Extra-Mural Studies and was organised
by Strachey, L. Fox and S. Gill.
at the Summer School were published by Pergamon Press
in 1966.
Strachey and D. Barron gave 8 lectures on
‘Programming’; see the note in A.1, written by Barron
after Strachey's death and published in Computer Bulletin,
which describes the Summer School and the writing
ge
of the lectures.
The lectures given
2 folders as follows:
List of participants.
Programme.
Correspondence re publication.
See also E.7.
Draft pamphlet with comments by Gill.
Correspondence between Strachey, Gill and Fox, re
organisation and programme of the School (preliminary
work began in 1961). Copies of letters from Fox to
lecturers.
One folder of technical papers, drafts and notes for
lectures on programming, 3 pp. drafton 'Other
Problems', 1
Intelligence'.
Correspondence, travel documents and notes of expenses.
Visit to Centro Studi Calcolatrici Elettroniche,
Pisa, to deliver lectures on the mathematical con-
cepts underlying programming languages, and to
CERN to talk about time-sharing, December 1964,
p. on'Machine Design’, 1
p. on ‘Artificial
Notes on ‘Automatic Abstracting’.
Conferences and visits
Seminar on the Teaching of Computational Science,
Liverpool University, 31 March-1 April 1965.
1964-65
Correspondence, programme, information for
participants.
School Mathematics Project, conference at
Southampton, July 1965.
Includes:
Programme, list of participants, correspondence
re arrangements for Strachey's lecture.
Synopsis of Strachey's contribution, 'Computer
Programming'.
2 sets of ms. notes ‘Solutions to examples’ for
class following the lecture.
Copies of synopses and example sheets for other
lectures in the conference.
Programming Languages and Pragmatics, A.C.M.
Working Conference, San Dimas, California, 8-12
August 1965. Strachey chaired the session on
‘Descriptive or Declarative Languages’.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
16,71, 7
Copies of other papers presented at the conference.
Preliminary notices and planning papers.
and list of participants.
Programme
Correspondence re organisation of sessions and subsequent
publication in Communications of the ACM.
Strachey's notes on descriptive languages, list of 'Words
which are not well understood' (see C.180), 'How is
translating like other data processing?'.
several sets of notes (11 pp. total).
Seminar on Time Sharing, University of Bergen, 6-8
February 1967.
1966-67
Strachey's talk was called 'The Ecenemtcs of Time
Sharing in a Not Perfectly Affluent Society’.
Correspondence, programme, list of participants.
Ms. draft of talk;
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
H.19-H.21
Conferences and visits
SOE TSrences
and visits
1966-68
International Summer School on Computer Pro-
gramming, sponsored by NATO Science Committee,
organised under the auspices of the Technical
University of Denmark, 7-25 August 1967.
Strachey delivered a course of lectures called ‘Fundamental
Concepts in Programming Languages'. He wrote the
lectures up for publication, but the official conference
proceedings were not published. Several hundred copies
of Strachey's paper were circulated privately.
In his
annotated bibliography (A.3) Strachey called it ‘an
important paper;
lining computing ina relatively un-mathematical
‘manner’,
it describes the basic principles under-
See F.40-F.54.
Correspondence re arrangements for Strachey's lectures,
and organisation of summer school.
Preliminary notices,
list of participants, programme, correspondence re
publication.
2 pp. typescript abstract and 1 p- outline of Strachey's
lectures.
Includes:
Printed material distributed at conference.
Includes
stencill ed copy of notes distributed by M. Nivat prior
Ms. draft of lectures
(34 pp.).
Typescript, annotated (24 pp.)
‘Some remarks on C. Strachey's lectures', typescript
of talk by R.M.
Burstall, who conducted the closing
discussion after Strachey's lectures.
to his address at one of the closing sessions.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Conferences and visits
Symposium on Computer Science, Girton College
Cambridge, 8-12 August 1969.
Strachey gave a
talk ‘ls Computing Science?' which was later published
in the Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematics and its
Applications, 1970.
1968-72
Includes:
Correspondence re organisation of Symposium and
publication of its proceedings.
Several versions of Strachey's talk:
ms. notes (6 pp.)
typed transcript (11 pp.)
ms. notes for revision for publication (1 p.)
annotated typescript (8 pp. +1 p. ms. table)
final typescript (10 pp.)
photocopy of published version (1970) with later
revisions (October 1972) to table of subjects
for inclusion in computing courses graded accord-
ing to relevance and to state of development.
NATO Conference on Techniques in Software
Engineering, Rome, 27-31 October 1969.
1969-70
Includes:
Strachey visited the Institut
1968-70
Papers re proposed establishment of International
Institute for Software Engineering.
Formal notification of conference, list of participants,
correspondence re publication of conference
proceedings.
Visit to Germany, 7-16 December 1969, sponsored
by the British Council.
fUr Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung in Bonn and
the Technical University in Munich but had to cancel
his lectures in Erlangen due to illness.
System', 2 pp. notes.
p. of notes
'Fundamental concepts of Prog. Lang.': 1
for 'one lecture', 2 pp. of notes for 'three lectures’.
‘Logical Structure of a small Experimental Operating
Correspondence re arrangements for trip (lecture
schedule, topics, travel documents).
Itinerary and programme as organised by the British
Council.
Includes:
Strachey's report (2 pp.) on his visit.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/ 80
Conferences and visits
Symposium on The State of the Art, sponsored by
Infotech, March and May 1970.
'The Influence of Software on Machine Design’ in
the 'Fourth Generation’ series of lectures in May.
Strachey spoke on
1969-70, 1972
Includes:
Correspondence, programme, list of speakers.
Printed abstracts of talks by participants, including
synopsis of Strachey's contribution.
See also H.28.
‘Computing and Data Processing’, CERN Summer
School, Varenna, 30 August-12 September 1970.
Strachey served on the Advisory Committee which
organised the Summer School.
1969-70
Includes:
Correspondence re meetings of the Advisory
Committee, copies of invitationsto prospective
_ speakers, sent to Strachey for information.
Minutes of the meetings of the Advisory Committee,
committee papers, timetables.
Copies of abstracts of lecture courses
at the School.
Strachey spoke on
1970-71
Bulletins 1 and 3.
Strachey's ms. notes taken at meetings.
Symposium on the State of the Art, sponsored by
Infotech, February 1971.
'Varieties of programming language: Language
comparison techniques’, in the 'High Level Languages’
series of lectures.
See H.25 for a previous Infotech Symposium.
based on State of Art lectures, June 1972.
Correspondence, programme, list of speakers.
Printed summaries of talks by various participants,
including synopsis of Strachey's contribution.
Correspondence re publication.
Folder also includes later request (1972) for Strachey to
contribute a paper on systems measurement to the report
Includes:
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Conferences and visits
Visit to Denmark to lecture in Aarhus and Copen-
hagen, September 1971.
Correspondence re arrangements for Strachey's visit.
fourth in a
'The Teaching of Computer Design',
series of International Seminars in Computing Science
sponsored by 1.B.M. and the University of Newcastle,
held in Newcastle, 7-10 September 1971.
had intended to participate but a change in scheduling
of his lectures in Denmark (see H.29) made it impossible
for him to attend.
Strachey
1969-74
Correspondence re travel and conference arrangements,
programme, lists of participants and speakers.
Folder also includes invitations to attend the 1969-70,
1972-74 Seminars.
(Strachey did not attend any of them.)
International Computing Symposium, organised by
the European Chapters of the A.C.M. in cooperation
with the Associazione Italiana Calcolo Automatico,
Venice, 12-14 April 1972.
paper ‘Varieties of Programming Languages’.
Strachey presented a
1971-72
See:F .57-F 5?
p. abstract and 12 pp.
1
of Strachey's talk.
(+ 1
p. errata list) typescript
Correspondence, programme, list of participants.
Conference on Undergraduate Curriculum in Computer
Science, University of Waterloo, 2-3 October 1972.
Strachey gave a position paper on 'The Academic
Viewpoint’.
Folder also includes correspondence with Paolo Ercoli
re arrangements for 2 seminars Strachey gave in Rome,
6 and 7 April 1972, on 'Outline of a Mathematical
Approach to Programming Language Semantics’.
14 pp.
Continued
2 pp. typescript synopsis of Strachey's presentation.
27 pp. partial transcript of talk.
Correspondence, list of participants, copy of the
proceedings with report of Strachey's talk.
ms. notes for these seminars (see also H.32).
Includes:
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
H.32
(continued)
Conferences and visits
Folder also includes summaries of 4 talks which Strachey
offered to give to the University of Waterloo Computer
Science Department.
Ms. notes (9 pp.) for 2 seminars on 'Outline of a
Mathematical Approach to Programming Language
Semantics' (see also seminars delivered in Rome,
August 1972 - H.31)
See C.249
Workshop on String Processing Techniques, sponsored
by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information,
20-21 November 1972, Watford.
Programme, list of participants, abstracts and printed
copies of some of the lectures given.
one of the speakers.)
(Strachey was not
Logic Colloquium, University of Bristol, 16-20 July
1973.
Problems in the Theory of Computation’.
Strachey presented a paper on 'Some Unsolved
1972-73
Includes:
Includes:
Strachey spoke on 'How can
1973-74
Correspondence, preliminary notices, programme,
list of participants.
Typed abstract and 2 pp. ms. notes for Strachey's
contribution, July 1973.
Software '73 Conference, Loughborough University of
Technology, 9-11 July 1973.
we put programming theory into practice?’.
1973 and 1974, but declined.
This talk was used as a basis for a presentation
at the I.B.M. Scientific Center, Peterlee, on
14 August 1973.
The folder includes corres-
pondence and travel documents re this presentation.
Strachey was also invited to repeat the lecture at
the Computing Laboratory, University of Kent,
Correspondence, list of delegates, transcript of
questions and answers at the discussion following
Strachey's lecture.
2 pp. ms. notes and 20 pp. typescript (+
abstract and 1
contribution.
p.
p. bibliography) of Strachey's
1
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Conferences and visits
Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science Semester,
Stefan Banach International Mathematical Center,
Warsaw, January-June 1974.
during April but had to cancel his visit owing to pressure
of work in Oxford.
Strachey planned to attend
1973-74
Correspondence, programme.
Presentation by Strachey to the Real Time Software
‘Techniques Study Group, set up by Computers, Systems
and Electronics Requirements Board of the Department
of Industry in 1974 'to study the background to pro-
gramming methodology, for future real-time computing
systems'. — Strachey spoke on ‘Problems of specifying
languages and their influence on machine design’,
20 January 1975.
Strachey's 3 pp. ms. draft, typescript extracts from
minutes of meeting of 20 January summarising Strachey's
presentation and comments, correspondence.
H.38-H.41
H.38
H.39
H.40
H.41
1969-70.
197 1°72.
1966-68.
Shorter correspondence re conferences, symposia,
overseas visits, etc.
4 folders presented in date order:
197sr75;
op Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
CORRESPONDENCE J.1 - J.72
The material is presented as follows:
Jed
i 86
Correspondeiice with individuals and organisations
J.47-3.53
Shorter correspondence with publishers and editors
J.54-J.67
References and reports
J.68-J.72
Miscellaneous shorter correspondence (not indexed)
The correspondence is presented alphabetically, with dates and
a note of any material of particular personal or technical interest.
Extensive correspondence with an individual is lodged in a
personal folder or folders;
shorter exchanges are grouped together in
a
miscellaneous folder.
Shorter correspondence relating to projects undertaken when
Strachey was on the staff of National Research Development Council appears
under N in J.27, J.28 and is itemised.
See also correspondence with Lord
Halsbury, J.12 - J.19.
see G.39 - G. 42.
noo
For shorter correspondence re conferences and visits, see
entries for cases when only Strachey's carbon remains.
Not all the letters survive, and a note has been made in the
For shorter correspondence re invitations to give lectures or papers,
4.41.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence with individuals and organisations.
Alway, G.
Ashby, W.R.
Averback, I.L.
Bastian, A.L.
Baver, F.L
(macrogenerator, CPL)
(memory score)
(Contract Bridge Bidding Language,
LISP)
Birmingham and Midland Institute
(machine-produced poetry)
Belnap, N.D.
Bowden, B.V.
Bray, J.W.
Brooker, R.A,
Buckingham, R.A.
(Computer Sub-Committee)
(Strachey's carbon only)
(Labour Science & Technology
Group)
(Institute of Computer Science,
London)
1965
1957
1962
1962
1961
1968
1970
1961
1965
1960
ior3
1963-64
Clegg, D.
Colin, A. J.T.
Burstall, R.M.
Clauser, F.H.
(hierarchical methods in
programming)
Churchhouse, R.F.
(first mention of 'multi-access')
(offer (declined) for Strachey to lead
computing program at University of
California, Santa Cruz)
papers)
(photocopy of letter to J.E. Stoy
retained by Strachey with his own
(Chair of Computing, Leeds
University)
Cornford, C.
Cowling, T.G.
Davy, J.
De Lotto,
I.
Dijkstra, E.W.
(chess-playing program)
(macrogenerator)
CG: Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
Duncan, C.J.
(Monotype control tape)
Eperson, D.A.
(film strip on calculating machines)
(CPL)
Ershov, A.
Evans, A.
Flexner, W.W.
Fraser, A.G.
Frost, P.H.
Givens, W.
1962
1958
1966
1968, 1971
, 1963, 1971
1969, 19721
1963, 1966
1972
Bola ae
Halsbury, J.A.H.G.
Correspondence and memoranda exchanged re
N.R.D.C., its projects and policy 1953-55 as
follows:
7 pp. memorandum by Strachey on ‘Future Work' re
his own projects especially for 401 and Autocode, _
May 1953
3 pp. note by Strachey on 'Digital computing and
information handling’, prepared for and sent to
P.M.S. Blackett,
Sept.
Jel
Sept .-Oct.
Comments by Halsbury on Strachey's paper on 401
Code,
5 pp. memorandum from Halsbury on machine logic,
heavily annotated by Strachey,
'N.R.D.C. Policy on computers', note prepared by
Halsbury and submitted for comment to Strachey
and D. Hennessey, with Strachey's annotations, copies
of his comments and those of Hennessey, letter from
Halsbury,
sequence control of cell cycles)
Memoranda by Strachey on his dealings with
and Manchester University over Mark I] computer,
2 versions,
1968, 1970 (includes note by Halsbury on Desargues' Theorem),
1971, 1974 (includes note by Halsbury on possible
interesting comparison of ‘Tristram Shandy’ with
a computer ‘supervisor program’)
projects
Personal and
’
publications, general developments in computer science, etc.
professional correspondence on research
pro]
p
Pp
J.18
1960-65
— (Halsbury's letter of 22 April 1965 draws an
Sept.
Oct.
Ferranti
7 and 11 Jan.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
Higman, B.
(macrogenerator)
Home Office
(classification of fingerprints)
Institute of Contemporary Arts (Computer Art)
International Business Machines
Joseph, Sir Keith
Knuth, D.E.
(history of 'time-sharing')
(includes copy of letter on Strachey's terminology
1968)
‘Landin, rad;
(Strachey's carbons only)
Laski, J.G.
(mathematical semantics and Adams
Prize work)
1964-65
1964
1966
1965-75
1959
1974
1965
1974
Levinstone, A.
(CPL)
1966-67
Lighthill, Sir (Michael) James (re
Lighthill's enquiry into
current research into Artificial
Intelligence)
Includes also brief correspondence with producer
of BBC TV 'Controversy’ programme on the Lighthill
report, at Royal Institution, July 1973, which
Strachey attended, re
a correction to be made
following advice from J. McCarthy.
1962-73
Lindop, N.
Madge, J.
Michie, D.
Maddison, R.N.
(macrogenerator)
(computers for hospitals)
(general scientific correspondence,
including references to A is B
Committee, Machine Intelligence
Workshops at Edinburgh, etc.)
Re, Ip 97S
Milner, R.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
Jiel cients
National Research Development Corporation.
Correspondence exchanged with individuals or re.
various projects undertaken by Strachey during his
service with N.R.D.C.; in alphabetical order.
Blackett, P.M.S.
(Stretch)
British Transport Commission
(check digits)
Brooker, R.A.
(matrices)
(Bull Printer code)
Elliott Bros.
E.M.I.
Ferranti
Greig, W.A.
nt
Remington Rand
1959
1959
1958
1956
1957
1957-58
1959
1957
1958
Rose
(Fast adder & multiplier)
1958, 1959
Siemens project
1958
Silver City Airways
1958
Playfair, Sir Edward
1966
1967
1961-64
Miscellaneous internal memoranda.
Needham, R.
Nygaard, K.
(includes draft of speech to be given by Playfair
at Computer Conference in USA, with Strachey's
annotations and comments)
National Science Foundation (including Strachey's own
description of his work in progress 1960, 1961 for
Current Research & Development in Scientific Documentation) 1960-61
Riding, G.
(closing down of Elliott
NRDC 401)
Rees, D.H.
:
Rego, F.A.
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
3.32: J400
Richards, M.
1965-67, 1974
The correspondence, which is amost entirely technical,
deals with CPL (and manual), BCPL, KDF9 and general
matters relating to the setting up of Strachey's Programming
Research Group at Oxford.
During the period of the corres-
pondence, either Strachey or Richards was at Project MAC,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hence the long and
detailed accounts of technical projects and problems.
Strachey hoped that Richards might cccept a post with the
Programming Research Group, Oxford, but he remained
to complete his thesis and work on BCPLin America.
December 1965-March 1966 (includes Strachey's offer to
Richards of a post and his outline of projects for
the Programming Research Group, and letters by
Richards on CPL work at Cambridge, England)
December 1966-December 1967 (on CPL, BCPL, KDF9, written
while Strachey was in Oxford and Richards in Cambridge,
Massachusetts) and one letter 1974.
Samuel, A.L.
(Strachey's own projects, and
current state of computer activities
in UK)
Schwarz, H.R.
1957
1967
196]
1962-75
Saville, N.R.
(macrogenerator)
J.35-J.41
Scott, Dana S.
(ALGOL as standard language)
Continued
Scott and Strachey collaborated closely from 1969
In December 1971, Strachey
until Strachey's death.
wrote:
'In September 1969 Dana Scott came to Oxford
and as a result of discussion about the formal semantics
produced his theory of continuous lattices and was able
to give for the first time a set theoretic model of
A- calculus.
whole basis of the theory of computing and promises
to provide the sound mathematical foundation which
has so far been lacking.
work still to be done in applying this to the problems
of actual programming languages and developing
general theorems and techniques for providing
properties of programs.
work on systems continue to form my main pre-
occupation. '
To my mind this work has changed the
This work and the practical
There is a great deal of
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
J.35-J.41
(continuex)
Correspondence
The collaborative work was often carried on by
correspondence when Strachey or Scott were abroad,
and these frequent and lengthy exchanges enable the
growth of ideas to be charted.
Though other matters
are discussed, such as travel and conference plans,
publication and circulation arrangements, appoint-
ments, etc., the bulk of the correspondence remains
primarily technical in content.
Papers discussed, often by their initials, are
‘Outline of a Mathematical Theory of Computation'
(OMTC), ‘Lattice of Flow Diagrams' (LFD), 'Towards
a Mathematical Semantics for Computer Languages'
(TMSCL).
Copies of letters from colleagues, pub-
lishers, etc. are sometimes included.
correspondence was kept by Strachey in 2 looseleaf
ring binders, with an (incomplete) index by him
(J. 36,.. 3.37);
The 1970
April-September 1969.
Arrangements for Scott's stay in Oxford, travel and
conference itinerary, correspondence on 'push-down
stores' (PDS), axioms, etc. (some letters are annotated
by Strachey), and including some correspondence with
C.A.Té: Hoare.
Looseleaf ring binder of correspondence, while Scott was in
Princeton, April-July 1970.
Letters are
Mss. and working notes are also included.
Includes ms. index by Strachey.
numbered in sequence as follows: DS I, CSI (with
ms. and notes), DS Il, CS Il, DS Ill, DS IV (including
plans for series of P.R.G. Technical Monographs),
CS Ill, DS V, DS VI (including correspondence with
D. Michie, N. Belnap), CS IV (including ms. by
C. Wadsworth), CS V (including ms. of Scott's OMTC
papers), CS VI, CS VII, DS unnumbered (reply to C. Wadsworth)
DS unnumbered (including correspondence with A. Evans,
D. Michie),
’
DS IX.
G. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
J.37
Correspondence
Looseleaf ring binder of correspondence, August 1970-May 1971.
DS I (New Series) (including
Letters numbered as follows:
correspondence with N. Belnap, C. Béhm), DS II
(including correspondence with E. Engeler, C. Wadsworth,
and Scott's ms.), CS I (New Series) (including Strachey's
ms. on Jumps), CS Il, CS Ill, DS IV (including corres-
pondence with L. Smullin), CS IV, CSV, DS V, DS III,
DS VI, CS VI, DS VII, CS VII, CS VIII (including
circulation lists for papers), DS VIII, CS IX, CS X, DS
unnumbered (including correspondence with J. Fox)
“Correspondence 1970-71, not included by Strachey in
looseleaf binders, but covering same period and material;
includes suggestions from colleagues, correspondence
with editors, annotated draft of paper "Towards a
Mathematical Semantics for Computer Languages'.
Correspondence with J. Reynolds
Correspondence with D. Michie and D. Park
1971
1970
Miscellaneous correspondence with Scott, various dates
1970-75
Trask, M.
Wadsworth, C.
Wilkes, M.V.
Ullman, J.D.
(loop theorem)
Sessions, R.E.
Térning, D.
Tocher, K.D.
Van Horn, E.C.
(CPL)
1974
1967
1959
1974
197]
1966
(macrogenerator)
(history of computing)
(plant simulation programme)
Includes earlier correspondence (1970) with
H.B. Curry re work in which Wadsworth was
interested, on Bdhm's Theorem.
1965
(brief correspondence on LISP
and ALGOL)
(draft mss. by Wilkes annotated
by Strachey)
(early ALGOL) postcard
(ALGOL, macrogenerator)
(KLS and LISP systems)
(macrogenerator)
Weizenbaum, J.
Walden, D.C.
Wallace, V.L.
1966
1962
1960
1970
Young, D.A.
.
1964-65
1957
Woodger, M.
Wynn, P.
1974-75
1967-68
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
1.4/7 5.95
Shorter correspondence with publishers and editors.
Correspondence
Requests to Strachey to write or advise on books or
articles, report on mss. submitted for publication, etc.,
including various possibilities for the publication of
the work on programming language semantics submitted
for the Adams Prize (see also F.61-F.75).
The correspondence is presented alphabetically, with
dates, and a note of any material of particular interest.
7 folders as follows:
‘Academic Press
(on A-calculus, lattice
theory and programming
language semantics)
Cambridge University
(Computers for schools)
Press
Chapman & Hall
Collins Publishers
Computer Weekly
(entries for Dictionary
Thought)
of Modern
1970,
1973-74
1964
1974
1974-75
1971
Encounter
L' Informatique
1966
1970
G.T. Foulis & Co.
1966
1969
1972
1967
1970
Macdonald & Co.
Encyclopedia Britannica
(invitation
(declined) to con-
History & the 20th Century
tribute article on 'Computers')
Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (Journal)
(Bulletin)
1968, 197
(computers for schools)
1974
1962
1960
Oliver & Boyd
Penguin Books
Macmillan
A. J. Moakes
New Scientist
1964, 1974
1961, 1964
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
Pergamon Press Ltd.
Prentice-Hall Inc.
(re Programming Language
semantics)
Software (Wiley interscience)
Springer-Verlag
Transcripta Books
The Times Publishing Co. Ltd.
Includes:
Letter to the Editor on STD 1962 (not published)
(and a letter to Marghanita Laski on same subject)
Ms. letter from Assistant Editor requesting article
on computer and the arts, 1964
Letter to the Editor on 'A Computed Name',
published 25 January 1972
1964
1974
1971
1973-74
1975
1962-74
Letter on spelling of 'program' to correct mis
spelling of the word in above letter, January 1972
Letter to the Editor on production costs of fuel,
January 1974
Miscellaneous reports on books or articles submitted to
Strachey by publishers and editors for comment
1967-72
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
J.54-J.67
References. and reports,
3.04") .57
Academic appointments.
6 folders in alphabetical order.
J.54
J.99
506
Ji3/
J.58
M-P
Jeoe
R- W
J.60-J.63
Research projects, reports and prizes.
4 folders in chronological order.
1965
1968-70
J.60
J.61
Js82
J.63
1969-72
1973
J.64-J.66
J.65
1970
J.66
1973-74
J.64
1961
Examinations and theses.
3 folders in chronological order.
Personal.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Correspondence
J.68-J.72
Miscellaneous shorter correspondence (not indexed).
J.68
Shorter scientific correspondence.
Requests for information, exchange of reprints, permission
to quote material, sent or received by Strachey. (Many
refer to Macrogenerator, Time-sharing and ‘Fundamental
Concepts' papers.)
1959-73
Strachey's requests for reprints or information from
colleagues.
Brief correspondence re
permission to quote from Strachey's publications.
requests for information, references,
Brief correspondence to accompany publications seni to
Strachey.
Miscellaneous shorter correspondence.
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS, ORGANISATIONS AND FIRMS
ALEXANDER, S.
N.
ALLANSON, J.
T.
ALWAY, Gerald
ANDREW, A.
M.
ANNAN, Noel Gilroy, Baron Annan
ARGYLE, Michael
ARNTH-JENSEN, H.
ASHBY, W.
Ross
ASHILL, Maurice C.
ASSOCIATION FOR COMPUTING
MACHINERY
H.2
Sey
Je
B.19
A.30
G.40
H.23
Jil
E.6
Eyl
ATKINSON, Christopher S. — L.
C.186, D.88
ATKINSON, J.D.
AUDLEY, R.
J.
AUERBACH, Isaac L.
AUTOMATIC PROGRAMMING
G.42
cae
Jul
BANERJEE, O.
of Windrush
BALOGH, K.
BALZER, Robert M.
Eaor
H.36
H.41
B.19
BARNES, J.
OG.
BAECKER, Harry D.
BARRON, David W.
E.2-E.4
D:7,-D.8
BAKER, John Fleetwood, Baron Baker
INFORMATION CENTRE (APIC)
See also C.208-C. 212
BARRON, lann M.
BASEWICZ, Mieczytaw
BASTIAN, A.
BAUER, F.
BAUER, Walter F.
BAYLIS, Michael H.
Sires
See also A.1, J.54 and under CPL
sy
H.41
Jed
BB
Eb)
D.89
Lewis
L.
BCPL
C. 472; CABS-CA195
C. 188
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Index of Correspondents, Organisations and Firms
BELNAP, Nvel D.
dehe. aoe
See also J.36, J.37
BIRMINGHAM MIDLAND INSTITUTE
BEMER, Robert W.
BENNETT, Joan
BENNINGTON, Bernard J.
BERLIN, Sir Isaiah
BIGR LET AW.
RS,
a2
H.5
A.14
Bc 1?
A. 68, B.27
G.39
BLACKETT, Patrick Maynard Stuart,
P05 F 26, 3,27
Baron Blackett of Chelsea
BLEANEY, Brebis
BOCUTT, Christopher T.
BOHM, Corrado
BOLLIET,
BOON, Chris
BOSTON, 0.
C.
BiJ2
B.10
See J.37
H.19
H.28
Rian
BOTT, M.
Frank
Bowden of Chesterfield
Brwebly Ve
cb.
BRAY, Jeremy William
Mice
B.10
E26
dink
E.2]
bees
B.27
Baron Boyle of Handsworth
BOWDEN, Bertram Vivian,
Baron
BOYLE, Edward Charles Gurney,
BRITISH COMPUTER SOCIETY (BCS)
BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION
P71. F326,: Even
See also J.3
E.5-E.20
See also G.7, G.8, G.10, G.24,
G. 25; tue
ae
C.94
See also C.129, C.130, D.14,
D.27, D.29
6.43, £31, GC. 39, G.40,11.38,
C.70,-D. 43; &. 10. ae J .5,
JZ 5 3-3
See also D.44
BRITISH TRANSPORT COMMISSION
BUCKINGHAM, Richard Arthur
BROCK, Michael George
BROOKER, R.
Anthony
BROWN, Norman
C. Strachey
CSAC 71/1/80
Index of Correspondents, Organisations and Firms
BULLOCK, Alan Louis Charles
Baron Bullock of Leafield
BUNYAN, Chris
BURROUGHS CORPORATION
BURSTALL, Rod M.
BUSH, lan Elcock
BUXTON, John N.
CAMPBELL, Harmish M.
CAPLAT, Moran Victor Hingston
CAPON, lan N.
CARACCIOLO DI FORINO, Alfonso
CARCASSON, George V.
CARPENTER, Harry
CARR, John W.
C.A.V. LIMITED
A.68
H.28
D.3
Ba hie. toh, ©. 15, eee; Ga,
Hele, 3,4
See also J.54
bar
Crl49, C186
See under CPL, BCPL
G.4
D.85
D.1
H.13
D.92, D.95
A.44
E.19
D.4
E.29
£.33
G.39
E.29
CLARKE, Norman
CLAUSER, Francis H.
STARCHEY, Christopher v2
Published: 20 November, 2023 Author: admin