Chen Guangxi
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Chen Guangxi (; 1903–1992) was a Chinese engineer, computer scientist, and professor who founded the discipline of computer science at the
Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin Institute of Technology (; abbreviation: HIT or ) is a public research university and a member of China's elite C9 League and a member of the University Alliance of the Silk Road. HIT is a Chinese Ministry of Education Class A Doubl ...
.


Early life

Chen Guangxi was born in Tongcheng, Anhui Province on May 21, 1903, with his ancestral hometown in Shangyu, Zhejiang. His father was a former Qing dynasty government official. In May 1920, Chen left China to study and work in France. In 1922, Chen graduated as an agricultural machinery student and obtained a degree in agricultural mechanics. In 1929, he graduated from the
School of Engineering Engineering education is the activity of teaching knowledge and principles to the professional practice of engineering. It includes an initial education (bachelor's and/or master's degree), and any advanced education and specializations that ...
of the University of Leuven, Belgium with degrees in Process Manufacturing, Civil Engineering and Mining Engineering. In 1930 he graduated from the Graduate School of Geology and obtained a degree in engineering geology. Chen returned to war-torn China in October 1930. He found a faculty place to teach mathematics in a middle school in Beijing after one year of unemployment. He successively worked as a lecturer at National Labour University, a course interpreter in the Chinese Northeast Navy in
Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...
, a physics and chemistry teacher in Kaifeng and a math teacher in Beijing
Fu Jen Catholic University Fu Jen Catholic University (FJU, FJCU or Fu Jen; or ) is a private Catholic university in Xinzhuang, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university was founded in 1925 in Beijing at the request of Pope Pius XI and re-established in Taiwan in 1961 at ...
high school successively. In September 1933, he worked as a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at Fu Jen Catholic University. In September 1938, he was promoted to professor by Fu Jen. In 1945, at the end of the Second World War, Ministry of Education of the Chinese Nationalist Government newly founded the National Peking Senior Industrial Vocational School and appointed Chen Guangxi as principal. In late 1949, upon the establishment of Communist China, Chen joined a design institute in the Ministry of Machinery Industry and worked as the chief engineer. Chen paid close attention to
electronic computers A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These pro ...
were introduced in western countries in early 1950s. In 1957, he left for
Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...
. At
Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin Institute of Technology (; abbreviation: HIT or ) is a public research university and a member of China's elite C9 League and a member of the University Alliance of the Silk Road. HIT is a Chinese Ministry of Education Class A Doubl ...
, Chen initiated the first electronic computer discipline in China.


Research career


Analog computer

In 1958, Chen and his team developed the first-ever structural analog computer in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The machine could speak a few words and play chess. This intelligent chess-playing computer could calculate 40,000 times per second, was capable of logical reasoning, and could complete specific tasks of judgment.


Magnetic core

In 1963, Professor Chen presided over the development of ultra-small
magnetic core A magnetic core is a piece of magnetic material with a high magnetic permeability used to confine and guide magnetic fields in electrical, electromechanical and magnetic devices such as electromagnets, transformers, electric motors, generators, in ...
, the precondition for the development of megacomputers. Later, under the guidance of Chen, the team carried out the
magnetic core A magnetic core is a piece of magnetic material with a high magnetic permeability used to confine and guide magnetic fields in electrical, electromechanical and magnetic devices such as electromagnets, transformers, electric motors, generators, in ...
molding experiment of "rolling into a belt and rubbering into a core" and achieved success. This method was cutting-edge, was quickly promoted in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The molding technology supported the development of high-speed large-capacity memory and the manufacturing of transistor computers and small-scale
integrated circuit An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Large numbers of tiny ...
computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...
s. This project was a major contribution to the development of computer technology in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.


Fault-tolerant computer system

Chen was praised as pioneer of fault-tolerant computer system research in China for his research in this field. In 1973, Chen Guangxi, 70 years old, proposed a major research project to solve the problem of computer reliability, and worked on computer fault tolerance technology. The project was listed as a national project by Chinese Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and received a research fund of over 1 million Chinese yuan. Chen and his development team successfully developed RCJ-1, China's first fault-tolerant computer and "a dual-mode fault-tolerant system with self-test and self-correction". and its reliability increased by more than four times. Chen Guangxi also co-published the first fault-tolerant computing monograph "Diagnosis and Fault Tolerance of Digital Systems" in cooperation with Professor Chen Tingyu of Chongqing University. In 1981, it was published by the National Defense Industry Press and became a national textbook. Chen's computer fault-tolerant research team has achieved a number of impressive achievements, and has established a high prestige in China's aerospace industry, banking system and high-reliability computing field. The fault-tolerant technology was applied in the Chinese crewed spaceflight program Shenzhou.


Other projects

Chen has also guided other research projects such as algorithm hardware implementation and database machine, and have achieved significant scientific and technological achievements. Chen has won a number of first and second prizes of National Science and Technology Progress Award. The computer science discipline Chen initiated in HIT was listed key discipline, opened up key laboratories and postdoctoral research stations, and continued to play a leading role in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.


Legacy

In 2005, a bronze statue of Chen Guangxi was unveiled in the School of Computer Science and Technology, HIT.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Guangxi 1903 births 1992 deaths Academic staff of Fu Jen Catholic University Old University of Leuven alumni Academic staff of Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin Institute of Technology alumni Chinese computer scientists Engineers from Anhui People from Tongcheng, Anhui