“The Challenge of the Multicores”
Frances "Fran" Allen
IBM Fellow Emerita
Recipient, A.M. Turing Award (2006)
Twelfth Annual Lynford Lecture
Introduction by Tondra Lynford
November 19, 2009
Before I begin my introductory remarks, I must admit to being more a poet than a mathematician. For a long time this meant to me that I operated in metaphors and the math theorist in numbers. Then I met David and Gregory Chudnovsky. I vividly remember David telling me (in a most tantalizing way): "Tondra, dear, the mathematician is much more of an artist than even a poet." At that moment, I was not sure whether David meant this as a point of interpretation or a hard fact, but I was far too intimidated to question him further. Now, after 13 years of observation from the edges of their world, I have come to taste its richness; and, I agree, this is a most worthy dialectical question. For it is here, within these sciences, that we seek the playground of the gods. It is the language of curiosity, wisdom, and enlightenment. Thank you, David and Gregory, for all your work.
As a woman today, I am safe in the knowledge that women have established positions of parity in the fields of mathematics, biology and other areas of science and engineering. This is not the case in the field of computer science.
In spite of this reality, there are more people involved in computer science now than ever, there is an ever-increasing need for talent, and companies are often looking for this talent offshore. We need bright and highly motivated WOMEN.
Older women may remember the early role of women who were literally defined as "computers," individuals who did computations or engaged in the "active use of algorithms." Younger women think of computer science as geeks, pocket protectors, isolated cubicles and a lifetime of staring into a screen.
We all need to make certain young women are aware of the revolutionizing way our society will do medicine or create synthetic molecules or study our impact on the climate of the earth. We need to make them aware of the intellectual challenge of applying the study of cognition and the tools of computation to law and chemistry. Clearly, we need to rethink and redesign how we introduce this science on the high school and college entry level. We need to offer more challenging material to
young women as they are making critical career decisions. We need to prepare them for leadership roles in theory and application.
Today is particularly thrilling for Poly and IMAS as we prominently feature one of this country's great women, Fran Allen. Dr. Allen also happens to be a great Leader in the field of computer science. She has contributed substantially to the historic role of women in the evolution of computer science. Women such as Ada Byron, Edith Clarke, Adele Goldstine and Joan Margaret Winters. Women who were present during the early Mechanical Era and right through the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and now Sixth generation. Dr. Allen is a true pioneer in the area of optimizing compilers in programming and parallelization of processors. This is exciting stuff. How many young female scientists know about this? Dr. Allen's work has significantly impacted the program theory that we use today. How many young women have had the opportunity to applaud her? And wow...she was part of "breaking the code" during the Cold War. Let us enthusiastically respond by following her lead. This amazing woman became the first female recipient of the A.M. Turing Award. This is an astounding accomplishment and we are profoundly pleased and honored to have Fran Allen here to address the NYU/Poly community.
May we applaud her great leadership!