[comp.parallel] von Neumann reference wanted

martin@ollie.Solbourne.COM (Mark Martin) (02/22/90)

In article <8059@hubcap.clemson.edu> gvw@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk (Greg Wilson) writes:
>Hello.  I'm trying to locate any reference in which John von Neumann
>explicitly stated the basis of the von Neumann model of computation
>(i.e. one processor, one memory, serial execution).

When I took my Computer Architectures course at UNM, the concept of the
von Neumann machine was covered in the beginning, and we were forced to
memorize the three elements which comprise a von Neumann machine.  The
textbook was "Introduction to Computer Architecture" by Stone, Chen, Flynn,
Fuller, Lane, Loomis, Mckeeman, Magleby, Matick, Sites, & Whitney,
published by Science Research Associates Inc. (c) 1975, 1980.  Reference
is made to the original article in which the von Neumann machine is proposed:

   Burkes, A. G.; Goldstine, H. H.; and von Neumann, J. 1946.  Preliminary
   discussion of the logical design of an electronic computing instrument.
   U.S. Army Ordnance Department Report, 1946.  Reprinted in Bell and
   Newell (1971), pp. 92-119.

The machine was not actually built until a later date, and was not the
first computer to follow the precepts of the von Neumann model.

--
These opinions are mine and only mine.
				martin@ollie.Solbourne.COM

				-  Mark

dbradley@gibson.ncsa.uiuc.edu (David Bradley) (02/22/90)

Years ago I read something about this in a collection of books (five 
volumes, I think) called "The Collected Works of John Von Neumann", or
something like that.  Two of the volumes are on computer topics and may
contain the information you are looking for.

Some of the papers were pretty interesting.  Questions like "should we
use binary, or what?"  Stuff that we take for granted today.
--
	David Bradley
	University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign