computer science

John Hughes (computer scientist)

John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) rather than just read about it. In short: R. John M.

Key takeaways

John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of John Hughes (computer scientist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

R. John M. Hughes (born 15 July 1958) is a computer scientist and professor in the computer science department at Chalmers University of Technology.

Contributions In 1984, Hughes received his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Oxford for the thesis "The Design and Implementation of Programming Languages". Hughes undertakes research in the field of programming languages. He is a member of the functional programming group at Chalmers, and has written many research papers on the subject, including "Why Functional Programming Matters". Much of his research relates to the language Haskell. Hughes is one of the developers of the QuickCheck library, and a cofounder and CEO of QuviQ, which provides QuickCheck software and offers classes on how to use it. In 2016, he appeared in the popular science YouTube channel Computerphile explaining functional programming and QuickCheck.

Recognition Hughes was elected as an ACM Fellow in 2018 for "contributions to software testing and functional programming".

Illustrations

John Hughes (computer scientist) illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with John Hughes (computer scientist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist)

In research: John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1958 births, Academic staff of the Chalmers University of Technology, Alumni of the University of Oxford, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is John Hughes (computer scientist) in simple terms?

R. John M.

Why does John Hughes (computer scientist) 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 Hughes (computer scientist)?

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 Hughes (computer scientist).