Contents
Edgar F. Codd
Creating the relational model that underpins modern databases.
Cellular Automata · Boyce–Codd normal form
- Born
- 19 August 1923
- Birthplace
- Fortuneswell, United Kingdom
- Died
- 18 April 2003
More people
Edgar F. Codd
Edgar F. Codd developed a mathematical approach to storing and querying data while working at IBM.
Early life
Dorset beginnings
Grew up on the Isle of Portland and attended Poole Grammar School.
Oxford and wartime
Studied mathematics and chemistry before flying for RAF Coastal Command.
Career
- 1949
IBM programmer
Moved to New York and joined the company.
- 1965
Doctoral research
Completed a University of Michigan doctorate on cellular automata.
- 1970
Relational proposal
Published his model for large shared data banks.
- 1980s
Independent consultancy
Left IBM and continued developing and defending the relational model.
Selected work
Cellular Automata
Examined machines capable of computation and self-reproduction.
Boyce–Codd normal form
Helped formalise rules for reducing problematic data dependencies.
The Relational Model, Version 2
Extended his framework for database management.
Beyond work
Time in Canada
Moved to Ottawa in 1953 amid his opposition to McCarthyism.
Professional recognition
Received the 1981 Turing Award; SIGMOD later named its innovations award after him.
Sources & photo credit
Wikipedia biography and references ↗Further biography and career ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.