computer science

John F. Hughes

John F. Hughes is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand John F. Hughes rather than just read about it. In short: John F. "Spike" Hughes is a Professor of Computer Science at Brown University. Contributions Hughes' research is in computer graphics, particularly those aspects of graphics involving substantial mathematics.

Key takeaways

John F. Hughes belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect John F. Hughes to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of John F. Hughes from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

John F. "Spike" Hughes is a Professor of Computer Science at Brown University.

Contributions Hughes' research is in computer graphics, particularly those aspects of graphics involving substantial mathematics. He is perhaps best known as the co-author of many widely used textbooks in the field of computer graphics. Hughes is an avid sailor, and for years maintained the FAQ for the Usenet rec.boats group.

Selected publications Foley, James; A. van Dam; S. Feiner; J. Hughes (1995). C Edition, Interactive Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice. Reading, MA, USA: Addison-Wesley. p. 1174. Foley, James; A. van Dam; S. Feiner; J. Hughes; R. Phillips (1993). Introduction to Computer Graphics. Reading, MA, USA: Addison-Wesley. p. 559. Foley, James; A. van Dam; S. Feiner; J. Hughes (1990). Interactive Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice. Reading, MA, USA: Addison-Wesley. p. 1174.

References

External links John Hughes home page

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with John F. Hughes

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what John F. Hughes claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to John F. Hughes before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about John F. Hughes ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of John F. Hughes

In research: John F. Hughes appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses John F. Hughes in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: John F. Hughes is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Brown University faculty, Computer graphics professionals, Computer graphics researchers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for John F. Hughes outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study John F. Hughes in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what John F. Hughes means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain John F. Hughes out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is John F. Hughes in simple terms?

John F. "Spike" Hughes is a Professor of Computer Science at Brown University. Contributions Hughes' research is in computer graphics, particularly those aspects of graphics involving substantial mathematics.

Why does John F. Hughes matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study John F. Hughes?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on John F. Hughes.