computer science

Peter Lucas (computer scientist)

Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (computer scientist) rather than just read about it. In short: Peter Lucas (13 January 1935 in Vienna, Austria – 2 February 2015 in California, United States) was an Austrian computer scientist and university professor. Life Peter Lucas graduated in 1953 and then studied telecommunications at the Vienna University of Technology.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Peter Lucas (13 January 1935 in Vienna, Austria – 2 February 2015 in California, United States) was an Austrian computer scientist and university professor.

Life Peter Lucas graduated in 1953 and then studied telecommunications at the Vienna University of Technology. He completed his studies in 1959 with a diploma thesis on the topic of programming electronic calculating machines. Then he was a member of Heinz Zemanek's group and was responsible for the system programming of Mailüfterl, the first fully transistorized computer in continental Europe. In 1961, he moved with the Mailüfterl Group from the Technical University to the IBM company, working at the IBM Laboratory Vienna, where he worked on the formal description of programming languages. Together with Hans Bekić, Kurt Walk, and Heinz Zemanek, he was responsible for the formal definition of the IBM programming language PL/I using the Vienna Definition Language (VDL), an important part of the formal method VDM. In addition, he worked together with Hans Bekić on a compiler for ALGOL 60. During this time, he gave lectures and lectures at the Vienna University of Technology and the Johannes Kepler University Linz, covering theoretical foundations of programming and the formal definition of programming languages. In 1978, he joined the Thomas J. Watson Research Center at Yorktown Heights, New York, United States, where he worked on experimental compiler projects. In 1979, he moved to IBM in San Jose, California, later the IBM Almaden Research Center. In 1988, he worked in John Backus' group on the definition and implementation of the functional programming language FL. In October 1993, he was appointed as a full professor in software technology at the Graz University of Technology, retiring to an emeritus position in July 2001. From 1994, he was chairman of Formal Methods Europe (FME) and corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Peter Lucas died on 2 February 2015 at the age of 80.

Awards 1968: IBM Outstanding Contribution Award for the formal specification of PL/I 1969: Association for Computing Machinery: ACM Best Paper (together with Kurt Walk) 1987: Honorary Doctorate at the Johannes Kepler University Linz

References

External links Peter Lucas at DBLP Bibliography Server

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Peter Lucas (computer scientist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (computer scientist)

In research: Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (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: Peter Lucas (computer scientist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1935 births, 2015 deaths, Academic staff of the Graz University of Technology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Peter Lucas (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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Peter Lucas (computer scientist)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Peter Lucas (computer scientist) in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Peter Lucas (computer scientist) in simple terms?

Peter Lucas (13 January 1935 in Vienna, Austria – 2 February 2015 in California, United States) was an Austrian computer scientist and university professor. Life Peter Lucas graduated in 1953 and then studied telecommunications at the Vienna University of Technology.

Why does Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (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 Peter Lucas (computer scientist).