STARCHEY, Christopher v2

Published: 20 November, 2023  Author: admin

STRACHEY_CHRISTOPHER_v2

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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 _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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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 C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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 C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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. C. Strachey _ 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 C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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.) C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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. C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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 C. Strachey CSAC 71/1/80 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 CSAC 71/1/80 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.