Neumann, John Von
Neumann, John Von (1903–1957), pioneer of computation; founder of game theory.Von Neumann's wide‐ranging genius shaped more scientific and technological fields than probably anyone of the century. Born in Budapest, he made basic discoveries in set theory, algebra, and quantum mechanics. In 1930, he moved to Princeton University and, as war loomed, turned to weaponry, studying the mechanics of shock waves for the optimal height of explosion attacking a structure. For the Manhattan Project, he researched the implosion trigger for an atomic bomb.
Von Neumann's pervading contribution was promoting computers for military and scientific research. As the United States entered World War II, computers were primitive. Typically used to calculate mathematical tables, they required operators manually to plug in connector cables for each task. Von Neumann's group put the commands...
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