Alan Turing, Turing Machines and Stronger

This positional paper claims that the achievements of Alan Mathison Turing in computer science and informatics are comparable to those of Albert Einstein in physics. Turing's contributions are presented through his most important events and achievements, particularly through the concept of the hypercomputer; that is, computers that are stronger than the Universal Turing Machines. The paper analyzes several essential AI and human-intelligence concepts that Turing introduced. Part of the paper discusses Donald Michie, Alan Turing's co-worker and contemporary and an honorary member of the Jozef Stefan Institute. Even though 2012 marks a century since Turing's birth, he remains largely unknown around the world. This paper makes an appeal for Turing's full recognition and acknowledges contributions to Turing's career.