Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge
TheDepartment of Computer Science and Technology,formerly theComputer Laboratory,is thecomputer sciencedepartment of theUniversity of Cambridge.As of 2023[update]it employed 56faculty members,45 support staff, 105 research staff, and about 205 research students.[1]The current Head of Department is Professor Alastair Beresford.
 The Computer Laboratory has been housed in theWilliam Gates BuildinginWest Cambridgesince August 2001. | |
Former names | Computer Laboratory Mathematical Laboratory |
|---|---|
| Established | 14 May 1937 |
| Head of Department | Professor Alastair Beresford |
Academic staff | 35 |
Administrative staff | 25 |
| Postgraduates | 155 |
| Location | William Gates Building, Cambridge ,United Kingdom 52°12′40″N0°05′31″E/ 52.211°N 0.092°E |
| Website | www |
History
editThe department was founded as theMathematical Laboratoryunder the leadership ofJohn Lennard-Joneson 14 May 1937, though it did not get properly established until afterWorld War II.[2]The new laboratory was housed in the North Wing of the former Anatomy School, on theNew Museums Site.Upon its foundation, it was intended "to provide a computing service for general use, and to be a centre for the development of computational techniques in the University". TheCambridge Diploma in Computer Sciencewas the world's first postgraduate taught course in computing, starting in 1953.[3]
In October 1946, work began underMaurice WilkesonEDSAC(Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator), which subsequently became the world's first fully operational and practicalstored programcomputer when it ran its first program on 6 May 1949.[4]It inspired the world's first business computer,LEO.It was replaced byEDSAC 2,the first microcoded andbit-slicedcomputer, in 1958.[5]
In 1961,David HartleydevelopedAutocode,one of the firsthigh-level programming languages,forEDSAC 2.Also in that year, proposals forTitan,based on theFerranti Atlasmachine, were developed. Titan became fully operational in 1964 and EDSAC 2 was retired the following year. In 1967, a full ('24/7') multi-user time-shared service for up to 64 users was inaugurated on Titan.
In 1970, the Mathematical Laboratory was renamed theComputer Laboratory,with separate departments for Teaching and Research and the Computing Service, providing computing services to the university and its colleges. The two did not fully separate until 2001, when the Computer Laboratory moved out to the new William Gates building inWest Cambridge,offMadingley Road,leaving behind an independentComputing Service.
In 2002, the Computer Laboratory launched theCambridge Computer Lab Ring,a graduate society named after theCambridge Ringnetwork.[6]
Current
editOn 30 June 2017, theCambridge University Reporterannounced that the Computer Laboratory would change its name to the Department of Computer Science and Technology from 1 October 2017, to reflect the broadened scope of its purpose and activities.[7]
The department currently offers a 3-year undergraduate course and a 1-year masters course (with a large selection of specialised courses in various research areas). Recent research has focused onvirtualisation,security,usability,formal verification,formal semantics of programming languages,computer architecture,natural language processing,mobile computing,wireless networking,biometric identification,robotics,routing,positioning systemsandsustainability("Computing for the future of the planet"). Members have been involved in the creation of many successful UKITcompanies such asAcorn,[8]ARM,[9]nCipher andXenSource.[10][11]
Staff
editProfessors
editAs of 2024[update],the department employs 34 professors.[12]Notable ones include:
- Alan F. Blackwell,Professor of Interdisciplinary Design
- Ann Copestake,[13]Professor of Computational Linguistics
- Jon Crowcroft,Marconi Professor of Communications Systems
- Hatice Gunes,Professor of Affective Intelligence and Robotics
- Neil Lawrence,DeepmindProfessor of Machine learning
- Anil Madhavapeddy,Professor of Planetary Computing
- Cecilia Mascolo,Professor of Mobile Systems
- Lawrence Paulson,Professor of Computational Logic
Other notable staff includeSue Sentance,Robert Watson,Markus Kuhn.
Former staff
editFormer staff include:
Heads of the Computer Laboratory
editThe lab has been led by:
- 1949Maurice Wilkes
- 1980Roger Needham
- 1996Robin Milner
- 1999 Ian Leslie
- 2004Andy Hopper[15]
- 2018Ann Copestake
- 2023 Alastair Beresford
Achievements and innovations
editMembers have made impact in computers, Turing machines, microprogramming, subroutines, computer networks, mobile protocols, security, programming languages, kernels, OS, security, virtualisation, location badge systems, etc. Below is a list.
- EDSAC– world's first practical stored program electronic computer (1949–1958)
- Subroutine(1951)
- OXO– world's first video game (1952)
- EDSAC 2(1958–1965)
- Autocode– one of the firsthigh-level programming languages(1961)
- Titan– early multi-user time-share computer (1964–1973)
- Phoenix– IBM 370 with locally developed OS and hardware extensions (1973–1995)
- TRIPOSoperating system – became later the basis forAmigaDOS
- BCPLprogramming language – ancestor ofC
- CAP computer– hardware support forcapability-based security
- Cambridge Ring– an earlylocal area network
- Cambridge Distributed Computing System
- Trojan Room coffee pot– the world's firstwebcam(1993)
- Iris recognition–biometric identificationwith vanishingly small false-accept rate
- Nemesis– real-time microkernel OS
- Active Badge System –[22]
- Active Bat– ultrasonic indoor positioning system
- Xen– virtual machine monitor (2003–present)
- IsabelleandHOL– interactive theorem provers
- CAD- Alan Grayer, Charles Lang and Ian Braid were researchers who left the department to foundShape Data,develop theRomulusCAD kernel and later theACISkernel that forms the basis of several modern CAD systems. Shape Data went on to developParasolid,which is used in many modern CAD systems.
Impact on business enterprise
editA number of companies have been founded by staff and graduates. Their names were featured in the new entrance in 2012.[23]Some cited examples of successful companies areARM,Autonomy,Aveva,CSRandDomino.One common factor they share is that key staff or founder members are "drenched in university training and research".[24]TheCambridge Computer Lab Ringwas praised for its "tireless work" byAndy Hopperin 2012, at its tenth anniversary dinner.[25]
Notable alumni (industries)
editReferences
edit- ^"'People - Department of Computer Science'".University of Cambridge. Archived fromthe originalon 29 December 2022.
- ^"Computer Laboratory - The History of the Computer Lab".cl.cam.ac.uk.Retrieved6 May2024.
- ^"A brief informal history of the Computer Laboratory".cl.cam.ac.uk.Retrieved6 May2024.
- ^Wilkes, W. V.;Renwick, W. (1950)."The EDSAC (Electronic delay storage automatic calculator)".Math. Comp.4(30): 61–65.doi:10.1090/s0025-5718-1950-0037589-7.
- ^Wilkes, M.V. (1992). "EDSAC 2".IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.14(4). PDF available by "View PDF" (expand "View on IEEE" ): 49–56.doi:10.1109/85.194055.S2CID11377060.
- ^"Cambridge Computer Lab Ring".University of Cambridge.Retrieved28 March2012.
- ^"Notices by the General Board – Cambridge University Reporter 6473: Renaming of the Computer Laboratory".University of Cambridge. p. 753.Retrieved18 July2017.
- ^"History of ARM: from Acorn to Apple".6 January 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 16 March 2018 – via The Telegraph.
- ^"ARM's first press release"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 January 2016.Retrieved19 November2015.
- ^"Xen".SourceForge.net. 2 October 2003.Retrieved18 October2012.
- ^Jonathan Corbet (2 October 2003)."The first stable Xen release".Lwn.net.Retrieved18 October2012.
- ^"People: Faculty".cst.cam.ac.uk.Retrieved6 May2024.
- ^Ann Copestakepublications indexed byGoogle Scholar
- ^"ANDERSON, Prof. Ross John".Who's Who.Vol. 2014 (online edition viaOxford University Pressed.). A & C Black.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ab"HOPPER, Prof. Andrew".Who's Who.Vol. 2015 (onlineOxford University Pressed.). A & C Black.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^Hoffmann, L. (2010)."Robin Milner: the elegant pragmatist".Communications of the ACM.53(6): 20.doi:10.1145/1743546.1743556.
- ^Hoare, T.;Wilkes, M. V.(2004). "Roger Michael NeedhamCBE FREng. 9 February 1935 – 1 March 2003: Elected F.R.S. 1985 ".Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society.50:183.doi:10.1098/rsbm.2004.0014.S2CID58340004.
- ^Martin RichardsatDBLPBibliography Server
- ^Tait, J. I. (2007)."Karen Spärck Jones".Computational Linguistics.33(3): 289–291.doi:10.1162/coli.2007.33.3.289.S2CID219302075.
- ^Campbell-Kelly, M.(2006)."David John Wheeler. 9 February 1927 -- 13 December 2004: Elected FRS 1981".Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society.52:437.doi:10.1098/rsbm.2006.0030.
- ^Campbell-Kelly, M.(2014)."Sir Maurice Vincent Wilkes 26 June 1913 -- 29 November 2010".Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society.60:433–454.doi:10.1098/rsbm.2013.0020.
- ^url= "http:// cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/attarchive/ab.htmlArchived27 January 2013 at theWayback Machine"
- ^Quested, Tony (24 February 2012)."Cambridge technology cluster thriving thanks to university dynamism".Business Weekly.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^Vargas, Lautaro (5 March 2012)."Cambridge University plans £30m VC fund and opens door to non-uni investment".Cabume.Cambridge.Retrieved14 March2012.
- ^Quested, Tony (27 March 2012)."Gates no barrier to Bango enterprise".Business Weekly.Retrieved28 March2012.