Taylor Lockwood Booth (September 22, 1933 – October 20, 1986) was a

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

known for his work in

automata theory Automata theory is the study of abstract machines and automata, as well as the computational problems that can be solved using them. It is a theory in theoretical computer science. The word ''automata'' comes from the Greek word αὐτόματο� ...

. One of his fundamental works is ''Sequential Machines and Automata Theory'' (1967). It is a wide-ranging book meant for specialists, written for both theoretical computer scientists as well as electrical engineers. It deals with state minimization techniques,

Finite state machine A finite-state machine (FSM) or finite-state automaton (FSA, plural: ''automata''), finite automaton, or simply a state machine, is a mathematical model of computation. It is an abstract machine that can be in exactly one of a finite number o ...

Turing machine A Turing machine is a mathematical model of computation describing an abstract machine that manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules. Despite the model's simplicity, it is capable of implementing any computer algori ...

Markov process A Markov chain or Markov process is a stochastic model describing a sequence of possible events in which the probability of each event depends only on the state attained in the previous event. Informally, this may be thought of as, "What happe ...

es, and undecidability.

Education

Booth studied at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

, where he received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

Professional career

At his alma mater Booth was professor at the

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...

and

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

department. He was the founder and director of the Computer Applications & Research Center (CARC) at the

's School of Engineering. In 1981 the center was created to support the school's growing need for centralized computing research and development services. After his death the center was renamed to "Taylor L. Booth Center for Computer Applications and Research" or in its shorter form the "Booth Research Center". In 2002 this merged with the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), another center at the School of Engineering, to form the "Booth Engineering Center for Advanced Technology" (BECAT). Booth was the first president of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, founded in 1984 and since renamed to CSAB.

Awards and honors

Professor Booth received following awards and honors: * The Frederick Emmons Terman Award from the

American Society for Engineering Education The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education. The purpose of ASEE is the advancement of education ...

in 1972, to recognize the outstanding young electrical engineering educator. * The IEEE Centennial Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1984. * The Distinguished Service Award from the

IEEE Computer Society The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

in 1985, for his accreditation work.

Taylor L. Booth Education Award

After Booth's death, the IEEE Computer Society established the Taylor L. Booth Education Award, to keep his name in memory. The award is given annually for individuals with an "outstanding record in computer science and engineering education".

References

External links

* Taylor Booth (1967) ''Sequential Machines and Automata Theory'', John Wiley and Sons, New York. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 67–25924. {{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Taylor 1933 births 1986 deaths University of Connecticut faculty 20th-century American mathematicians IEEE Centennial Medal laureates People from Manchester, Connecticut Mathematicians from Connecticut