Maya Seiden

Biography of Alan Mathison Turing

 Alan Turing, a British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and biologist is regarded as one of the most influential figures in his field. His discoveries regarding artificial intelligence are still used today, as is the Turing machine. His work during World War II, in which he aided in code breaking the German messages, saved countless lives and contributed to Britain's success. Turing's discoveries and influence will forever shape our modern world. 

Alan Turing was born on June 23, 1912 in London, England to Julius Mathison Turing and Ethel Sara Stoney (Andrew, Alan Turing the Enigma). With his parents living in India due to his father's job in the Indian Civil Service, Turing lived in foster homes with his brother John. Until their father retired in 1926, the two boys remained in English foster homes (Andrew, Alan Turing the Enigma). Turing was sent to a public school in England but didn’t seem to be gaining anything from it so he was soon removed from his school (Hodges, Alan Turing - a Short Biography). He was then sent to Hazelhurst Preparatory School, and after completing his Common Entrance Examination in 1926 (age 13) he began attending the independent Sherborne School (Hodges, Alan Turing the Enigma). From a young age it was clear Turing was gifted, and he quickly became fascinated by math and science. At the Sherborne School, Turning formed a relationship with a fellow student named Christopher Morcom who encouraged him to prioritize his academics and soon became one of his most trusted friends (Andrew, Alan Turing the Enigma). Christopher died in 1930; devastated, Turing turned towards science to relieve his pain. He began studying quantum mechanics, and eventually developed a fascination with the mind and brain, specifically Christophers mind and whether it was released from matter by death (Hodges, Alan Turing - a Short Biography). Turing continued to build upon this research later in his career. 

In 1931 Alan began attending the University of Cambridge. There he studied mathematics, and upon his graduation in 1934, the University of Cambridge granted him a fellowship in recognition of his research in probability theory (Hodges, Alan Turing - a Short Biography). As his success continued, in 1936 Turing's paper “On Computable Numbers, With an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem (Decision Problem)” was published by the American mathematical logician Alonzo Church (Hodges, Alan Turing - a Short Biography). Through his work on the Entscheidungsproblem Turing invented the Turing machine. The Turing machine was an abstract machine designed to understand the limits of computing and computer algorithms (Hodges, Alan Turing). While the machine doesn’t currently exist in a physical sense, concepts have been taken from it and are now used in different mathematical fields. In 1936 Alan received a Smiths Prize for his work on probability theory, and soon published two more papers (Hodges Alan Turing - a Short Biography). One was about methods of approximating Lie groups by finite groups, and the other paper provided a simpler approach to a theory previously established by Reinhold Baer (Hodges, Alan Turing - a Short Biography). Later that year Turing started at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton University to study mathematics and cryptology, and in 1938 earned his Ph.D.; he then returned to Cambridge and started working with the Government Code and Cypher School, a British code-breaking organization. There he helped in their work to break the German Enigma codes which is arguably what Turing is most known for. 

In 1939 Turing began working full-time at the Government Code and Cypher School. Later that year World War II began and Turing was transferred to the organization's wartime headquarters at Bletchley park (Hodges, Alan Turing). Along with mathematician Gordon Welchman, Turing developed the Bombe which decoded all the messages sent by the Enigma machines of the Luftwaffe. By mid 1942, all German navy signals were successfully decoded at Bletchley. Turing then created the first systematic method for breaking messages encrypted by the German cipher machine. In 1945 he became an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) due to his exquisite code-breaking skills (Hodges, Alan Turing the Enigma). In 1947 Turing returned to Cambridge where he studied neurology, physiology, and computer programming (The Alan Turing Institute). His interests extended beyond sciences and mathematics; near the end of the war Turing became interested in running, and joined the Walton Athletic Club. There he won the 3 mile and 10 mile championship in record time, and placed 5th in the A.A.A. Marathon in 1947 (Hodges, Alan Turing - a Short Biography). In 1950 Turing published Computing Machinery and Intelligence in Mind. In 1951 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London due to his work on Turing machines in 1936 (Hodges, Alan Turing). As a Fellow he began working on the application of mathematical theory to biological forms, and in 1952 published part one of his study on morphogenesis (Hodges, Alan Turing). His theory was based on showing the consequences of non-linear equations for chemical reactions (Turing 1952). Turing himself never got the opportunity to finish this work, however his work was developed in the 1970s and is regarded as central to the field of morphogenesis (Hodges, Alan Turing). 

In March 1952 Turing was found committing an act of “gross indecency” with Arnold Murray. Homosexuality was illegal in Britain at the time; Turing was arrested and sentenced to trial in which he pleaded guilty on all counts (Alan Turing’s Trial Charges and Sentences). He was charged and given the option to choose between jail time and a full year of estrogen injections. He chose the injections. Due to his criminal record Turing was soon banned from working for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), which was the British government's post war code-breaking center (Hodges, Alan Turing). While people advocated for Turing - “He was a national treasure, and we hounded him to his death,” said John Graham-Cumming, a computer scientist who campaigned for Turing to be pardoned (Cowell) - it wasn’t until years later that the British government apologized for Turing's punishment after all the help he provided (Hodges, Alan Turing). In 2009, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official apology on behalf of the British government for the way in which Turing was treated post-war. Unfortunately, only two years after his sentencing Turing passed away (The Alan Turing Institute). He was  found dead in his bed, poisoned by cyanide. While the final verdict was suicide, people are still unsure of the actual cause of death (Hodges, Alan Turing). According to friends of Turing, his mental state was in order and he had no intention of harming himself. His death can be attributed to the hormone treatment he received, however, Turing died a year after his treatment ended so it is unlikely. There is the possibility he was poisoned by cyanide fumes in the midst of an experiment, or that he was killed by the secret services due to his knowledge of cryptanalysis, but we will never know (Hodges, Alan Turing).

Alan Turing was an incredibly talented and influential mathematician, logician, biologist and cryptanalyst, whose work continues to impact science, technology, and society. Turing is best known for the role he played in World War II by cracking the German Enigma code, but he has done far more than just this. His work with artificial intelligence and the creation of the Turing Machine introduced the fundamentals of computer science, and while unfinished, his paper on morphogenesis laid the groundwork for those who came after him. Although his life ended early, Turing’s theories are still being implemented, and his legacy will never be forgotten. 

Works Cited

Achenbach, Joel. “What ‘the Imitation Game’ Didn’t Tell You about Turing’s Greatest Triumph." The Washington Post. 20 Feb. 2015.

Cowell, Alan. “Overlooked No More: Alan Turing, Condemned Code Breaker and Computer Visionary.” The New York Times, 5 June 2019. 

Hodges, Andrew. “Alan Turing’s Trial Charges and Sentences, 31 March 1952.” Alan Turing: The Enigma. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024. 

Hodges, Andrew. “Alan Turing - a Short Biography." My Publications. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024. 

Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing the Enigma. Walker, 2000. 

Hodges, Andrew. “Alan Turing.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 30 Sept. 2013. 

Hodges, Andrew. “Conference on Information Theory, 26-29 September 1950.”  Alan Turing: The Enigma. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024. 

“Report on Enigma Decipherment, 1 November 1939.” Enigma Report, November 1939, Turing Sources. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024. 

Artist Statement

I chose to do my dramatis personae project on the esteemed Alan Turing because I find his life incredibly interesting, and while his story is well known, not everyone is aware of the last few years of his life and what he had to undergo. In war, the war heros tend to be those fighting in battle, those gathering information from enemies, and those risking their lives for the good of their country. Individuals like Alan Turing are often overlooked regardless of the impact they have on the outcome of the war. Turings contributions to the decoding of the enigma bombe was arguably what made the difference in World War I. However, due to his sexual orientation he was sent to trial and forced to endure chemical castration through hormonal treatments. Despite the efforts he made for the good of his country he was mistreated at the end of his life. He deserved better, so I wanted to highlight that in my film. That's why I chose to make the first part about his trial, then highlight his accomplishments, and then finish my film with the dissapointing ending to his life. I think Alan Turing is a fascinating person who I loved learning more about and whose story I couldn’t wait to bring to life.