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John Cocke
Computer scientist

John Cocke

Famoose for

Reduced-instruction-set computing and compiler optimisation.

RISC development · Parsing

Born
30 May 1925
Birthplace
Charlotte
Died
16 July 2002

More people

Ada LovelaceRecognising what a programmable machine could do beyond arithmetic.Alan TuringHelping break Enigma and laying foundations for computer science.Grace HopperHelping make computer programming readable in English-like language.

John Cocke

American IBM researcher whose work helped make computer architectures more efficient. His contributions brought the 1987 Turing Award.

Early life

Duke education

Studied mechanical engineering and later mathematics at Duke, completing his doctorate in 1956.

Career

  1. 1956

    IBM

    Began his industrial research career.

  2. 1972

    IBM Fellow

    Received the company’s senior research distinction.

  3. 1987

    Turing Award

    Recognised for computer architecture and compiler work.

Contributions

RISC development

Matched a streamlined instruction set to the operations compilers used most.

Parsing

Helped develop the algorithm known as CYK.

Beyond work

Home life

Lived with his wife Anne in Bedford, New York, away from the IBM research laboratories where he developed much of his work.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Additional biographical or achievement source ↗Additional biographical or achievement source ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

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