John Von Neumann

John Von Neumann was born on Decemeber 28, 1903 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a scientific genius who made the way for the modern computer and nuclear deterrence, assisting in the creation of the atom bomb in WWII. He also came up with the interior-point method which were algorithims to solve "linear and nonlinear convex optimization problems". Neumann also created the Von Neumann Architecture, specifying the fundamental architecture of the modern computer, which led to store-program computers, computers that store their memory in data and programs. He was a very creative mathematician and played an important role in post-war economic theory. Neumann published the "Theory of Games and Economic Behavior" in 1944 which was a mathematical theory of economic and social organization, based on a theory of games of strategy. He also wrote 150 published papers including, "The Computer and the Brain". On February 8, 1957 Neumann died of bone cancer. Before he died he recieved the first Enrico Fermi Award. Neumann designed and wrote some programs for the EDVAC which inspired the creation of the EDSAC. His contributions led to the "stored-program" computers aspect of computing.