Brian Randell
Brian Randell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1936 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Computer scientist, professor |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Employer(s) | Newcastle University, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, English Electric |
| Known for | Software fault tolerance, computing history, ALGOL programming languages, Bletchley Park recognition |
| Spouse | Liz |
| Children | 4 |
Brian Randell (born 1936) is a distinguished British computer scientist and emeritus professor affiliated with the School of Computing at Newcastle University, UK. His expertise lies in software fault tolerance and dependability, and he is widely acknowledged as an expert on the early history of computing hardware prior to 1950.
Biography
Between 1957 and 1964, Randell was employed by English Electric, where his work centered on developing compiler technology, including the notable Whetstone compiler designed for the English Electric KDF9, one of the early stack-based machines. In 1964, he joined the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, contributing to advancements in high-performance computer architecture and the methodologies for designing operating systems. By 1969, Randell had taken up a professorship in computing science at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, maintaining his research focus on software fault tolerance and dependability.
Randell holds membership in the Special Interest Group on Computers, Information and Society (SIGCIS) under the Society for the History of Technology and was a founding member of the Editorial Board for the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. He was honored as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery in 2008 and became a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2011.
Up until 1969, he contributed to the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) within IFIP Working Group 2.1 (WG2.1), responsible for specifying and maintaining the programming languages ALGOL 60 and ALGOL 68. Additionally, he co-established IFIP WG2.3 focusing on Programming Methodology and IFIP WG10.4 dedicated to Dependability and Fault Tolerance.
On a personal note, he is married to Liz, who teaches French, and they have four children.
Work
Brian Randell’s scholarly pursuits concentrate on computer science with particular emphasis on system dependability and fault tolerance. His fascination with computing history began more than three decades ago after uncovering the largely unrecognized contributions of Percy Ludgate. This discovery culminated in his book The Origins of Computers and further investigations into the wartime Colossus code-breaking machines.
Bletchley Park
In 1972, Randell reached out to then Prime Minister Ted Heath, securing official recognition for Bletchley Park’s wartime operations and their significance. This acknowledgment brought attention to Bletchley Park and its Eastcote outstation’s vital role in shortening World War II, as well as emphasizing the groundbreaking importance of the Colossus computer within computing history.
While preparing research on British computer science history for a 1976 conference at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Randell obtained authorization to present material on wartime COLOSSUS development from the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill. Following government declassification of related photographs in 1975, his work prompted a dedicated session where Randell and Allen Coombs responded to additional questions. In 1977, he authored The First Electronic Computer, published across various journals, further chronicling these historical advancements.
Software engineering
During the 1960s, Randell took part in the inaugural NATO Software Engineering Conferences held in 1968. At that period, he was engaged with IBM’s confidential Project Y and subsequently contributed to ACS supercomputer initiatives.
Software Reliability through Fault Tolerance
Beginning in the 1970s, Randell pioneered investigations into software fault tolerance, where he introduced the innovative concept known as the recovery block. Significant milestones in this field involved projects such as the Newcastle Connection and the experimental distributed Secure System.
Northern Informatics Applications Agency
During the 1990s, Randell played a pivotal role in enhancing data network infrastructure across Northern England, which culminated in establishing NiAA, the Northern Informatics Applications Agency. He actively participated on its Management Group for multiple years, contributing to its successful functioning over a seven-year period.
Genealogy
Randell has been a prominent volunteer for GENUKI, the genealogy portal dedicated to the UK and Ireland. He is responsible for curating pages related to Devon and has digitized a vast array of genealogical records to facilitate online availability.
See also
- Analytical engine
- ALGOL
- ALGOL 68
- Colossus computer
- Dependability
- Fault-tolerant system
- Friedrich L. Bauer
- National Programme for IT
Publications
Randell has authored numerous significant publications:[1]
Notable articles include:
External links
- , School of Computing Science
- , personal
- History of Computing Bibliography
- ↑ Brian Randell Archived 6 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine Publications.
- Articles with short description
- Pages using infobox person with multiple employers
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1936 births
- Living people
- Academics of Newcastle University
- British computer scientists
- IBM employees
- British software engineers
- Software engineering researchers
- 2008 fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery
- Fellows of the Society of Genealogists
- Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales
- Webarchive template wayback links