When talking about the Second World War, very few remember the role of those heroes who were not present on the battlefield but who, in one way or another, put their grain of sand to end the devastating conflict that took the lives of millions and millions of people. If we list these heroes in the shadow, it will soon appear the name of Alan Turing, a man who is considered by many as a basic pillar in modern computer science and whose exploits had a more than a fundamental role in achieving that the Second World War will come to an end.
Turing was born in London in mid-1912, and from an early age he was truly passionate about mathematics, cryptography, and philosophy, and as he grew older he became interested in computing, something that throughout those years began to gain notoriety and thanks to which it would be able to decipher different war tactics of Nazi Germany.
Turing and his interest in artificial intelligence
Being a great lover of artificial intelligence, Alan Turing is known worldwide for the conception of the Turing Test, a test that seeks to identify a machine in front of a human being based on the answers it can emit.
It was thanks to his interest in artificial intelligence that Alan was able to develop 'The Turing Machine,' thanks to which they were able to intercept and decipher the code messages that the members of the axis powers were transmitted over long distances.
Turing machine
Using the Turing machine, different symbols can be manipulated on a strip of tape-based on a rule table. In addition, it is also capable of simulating the logic of a computer algorithm, whatever it is, and explaining the functions of the central processing unit.
Through an algorithm, the Turing machine was not only capable of solving any mathematical operation, but, with it, the codes by which the Nazis communicated with each other, something vital to intercept any of their attacks could be deciphered.
Today, the Turing machine has become one of the fundamental pillars in the study of computer theory.
Deciphering Enigma
The Enigma machine (patented in Germany by Scherbius & Ritter) was a key objective for the German Navy, who gave it a fundamental role during the war by using it to decipher and encrypt codes that worked as a method of communication between them. In this way, all kinds of messages and indications could be sent without fear that their messages would be intercepted and deciphered by the opposing forces.
At the beginning of the 30s, the Poles managed to intercept one of these machines and, after creating an exact replica, they began to intuit the operation and main objective of Enigma, something that was fundamental in the development of World War II.
Different experts in mathematics and cryptography joined forces to confront Enigma and all its variations in order to break the barrier that prevented them from deciphering their codes.
His important role in World War II
The participation of Alan Turing and many other people who were part of the decryption of Enigma was one of the most important reasons why the Allies won World War II. The fact of being able to intercept and anticipate any German attack remains admirable after decades of the end of the war. However, it was not until the 1960s that the truth was learned about everything related to the Turing Machine and all that it meant for the victory of the Allies.
The sad end of Alan Turing
After his work in World War II had concluded, Alan Turing's sexual orientation was discovered, and he was forced to undergo different and hard treatments to 'cure' his homosexuality. That, most likely, led to serious mental problems that eventually led to suicide.
Without being recognized in his day as he really deserved to be, Alan Turing is not only considered by many as the Father of modern computer science but one of the heroes thanks to which it was able to defeat the Nazis in World War II.