Programming pioneer Fran Allen passes after a career of immense contributions to compilers
- Reference: 1597046168
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/08/10/programming_giant_fran_allen_dies/
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Allen is best known for her work on compiler organisation and optimisation algorithms. Together with renowned computer scientist John Cocke, she published a series of landmark papers in the late '60s and '70s that helped to lay the groundwork for modern programming.
In recognition of her efforts, in 2006 Allen in 2006 became [1]the first woman to be awarded the AM Turing Award , often called the Nobel Prize of computing.
After earning her masters degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1957, Allen took a job at IBM in Poughkeepsie, New York. She planned to stay only until she paid off her college debt, but ended up staying at the company for 45 years.
Her first major project was on the National Security Agency’s Stretch-Harvest project, which aimed to build a supercomputer capable of analysing communications intercepted by American spies around the globe.
Allen managed the compiler-optimisation team for both projects and helped design and build Alpha, a high-level code-breaking language capable of creating alphabets beyond the system defined alphabets.
In 1962, she rejoined IBM, where she joined a research team alongside Cocke and helped build more efficient compilers for mainframe computers.
It was during this time that Allen wrote her seminal 1966 paper, “Program Optimization”, which laid the conceptual basis for systematic analysis and transformation of computer programmes. Her follow-up papers of 1970, “ [2]Control Flows Analysis ” and "A Basis for Program Optimization" [PDF] established "intervals" as the context for efficient and effective data flow analysis and optimisation.
Her 1971 paper with Cocke, “ [3]A Catalog of Optimizing Transformations ” [PDF] identified and discussed many of the transformations commonly used today.
In later years, the duo applied similar ideas to "parallel computer", which aimed to use groups of low-cost, high-performance microprocessors to share the processing of smaller tasks in parallel. This process would go on to become an everyday part of most computers.
In 1989, Allen became the first female IBM Fellow, a rare award bestowed on the company's leading engineers, scientists, and programmers. The award mistakenly referred to her as a man - "In recognition and appreciation of his outstanding technical contributions."
The award, including the mistake, remained on her office wall until she retired in 2002.
Allen died of Alzheimer's disease at a nursing home in Schenectady, New York. ®
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[1] https://amturing.acm.org/award_winners/allen_1012327.cfm
[2] http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~suman/secure_sw_devel/p1-allen.pdf
[3] https://www.clear.rice.edu/comp512/Lectures/Papers/1971-allen-catalog.pdf
[4] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Sad on two levels.
You are totally right on both accounts.
It shows just how long computers have been with us when we start to see all of the people who basically laid the foundations for what we now do pass away one by one. Each and every one of them contributed hugely to the field - if we can see further now, its because we are standing on the shoulders of giants.
Your comment about IBM is also true - they made truly massive contributions in the early days of computing. Unfortunately a generation of bean counters took control in the 1980s and 1990s, and all of the innovation left the company. It is now a sad shell of its former glory.
Alzheimer's disease stolen another shining light
So sad that she wen't this way, gave so much of her brain during her life and ended in this terrible way.
Raising a glass in solute.
Allen and Cocke
In an interview collected in the book Coders at Work , Allen said that Cocke sketched out many innovative ideas on paper napkins over beers after work, and that such napkins were much sought after at IBM. No doubt the Register commentariat will think well of such a working environment.
Sad on two levels.
Very sad to hear about the passing of someone so intelligent and pivotal to what we all do today. Also sad to read that this sort of thing was supported by IBM, who then were a real innovative company changing the world, rather than the listless horde of second rate 'consultants' they are today.
RIP Fran Allen.