computer science

The pioneering mathematician talks about his work, computer science and artificial intelligence.

We talk to pioneering mathematician Stephen Cook, who came up with the concept of NP-complete problems, about his work, computer science, and artificial intelligence.

There are problems that are easy to solve in theory, but impossible to solve in practice. Intrigued? Then join us on a journey through the world of complexity, all the way to the famous P versus NP conjecture.

PhD student Yipeng Huang talks to us about his work in analog computing.

Leslie Lamport explains how he used logical clocks to set history straight in distributed systems.

Leslie Lamport explains how an understanding of special relativity helped him realise how to order events in computer science, and enabled the development of distributed computing.

My view of the events taking place on my computer is very different to how a computer scientist, a engineer or a physicist would view what is happening inside the box. Leslie Lamport explains how the definition of an event distinguishes between these areas of research.

Our digital lives rely on distributed computer systems, such as the internet, but understanding the order of events in such systems is not always straightforward.

Our digital lives rely on distributed computer systems, such as the network of banks that allow us to deposit cash in one place and withdraw it in another. But understanding the order of events in such systems is not always straightforward.

The simple act of packing your luggage can open a complex can of worms.

Are there problems computers will never be able to solve, no matter how powerful they become?

In the 1930s Alan Turing discovered a computer program that is logically impossible. What other limits are there to computation?