h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: John Horton Conway - Mathematician - A2939259
Author: Gnomon - U151503

Anybody ever heard of this guy?

Yes, the game of life is a hot topic in the field of computer science.....

in fact, the graduate database class at our university has an entire project with it as a final class project.....

No. Thanks for introducing him!



HELL

Certainly heard of him Regularly mentioned in Martin Gardner's books. Will read and comment more when time permits (having been on holiday I have a backlog to clear)

Pimms

Gnomon,

This is a wonderful article, exceptionally well written, and packed with information. I had not heard about him, although I suspect his reputation will grow in the years to come.

Well done.

Woodpigeon

Thanks.

Allow me to add my applause.

Advanced mathematics makes my brain hurt, but I still found this entertaining. I love the idea of a top academic with a penchant for making up games. I bet DNA would have loved this guy!

Great work, Gnomon!

Excellent entry. What else can I say?

I had added external links to a number of topics: Sprouts, Game of Life, surreal numbers etc, but they've all disappeared! I must have not pressed the old Update button. I'll hunt them down and add them again.

OK, I've added back in the external links.

Great entry, not that I was expecting anything else. Comments:

- Footnote One requires a comma after 'December'.
- Perhaps a footnote defining what a 'Universal Computing Machine' is.
- I'm not sure whether the 'Game of Life' requires quotation marks, italics or nothing. Probably a matter of preference rather than grammar/style.

I'm afraid I can't comment much on the technical side, but will post any typos/errors if and when I see them

Yes v. good

The other aspects of Conway's work that sprang to mind (brussel sprouts and categorisation of games) were found from the links - I particularly liked the Life link with its applets


Re: knots, I would be tempted to link to A1011826 (plug ) since the mathematical knots considered are similar to the single endless knotted loops that are often found in knotwork.

I'm not sure if my recollection of a picture of a hairy John 'horned' Conway is relevant... I'll try and dig it out and refresh my memory.

Pimms

I'd heard of him, but forgotten just how much he does. I've spent a recent Amazon credit, a present, on two of his books. Thanks Gnomon for an excellent reminder.

Thanks!

I don't want to put a link to the picture of "horned Conway" - the horns are just too bizarre! I found it offputting rather than enlightening when I first saw it in Scientific American (70s?).

I'll rewrite the knots section slightly so that I can put a link to that knotwork entry.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Yay!

Wow, that was a fast PR experience. Two weeks in review is a very swift time, nowadays.

It seems that you and I have both been successful today

Yiepppieeee

Congrats to You!!!

Well done, Gnomon! A splendid addition to the Guide!