The timeline of operating systems (OS) is a rich history that marks the advancements in computing, moving from simple command-line interfaces to modern graphical user interfaces and beyond. Here's a general timeline highlighting significant milestones in the evolution of operating systems: ### 1950s: - **1956**: **IBM 704**: One of the first computers to support a very primitive form of time-sharing.
"Calculus ratiocinator" is a term coined by the 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. It refers to a formal system of reasoning that combines elements of logic and mathematics to enable the computation of truths. The concept is part of Leibniz's broader vision of a universal language or a "characteristic language" (lingua characteristica) that could express all human knowledge and facilitate clear reasoning.
"Gestell" is a German term that translates to "framework" or "scaffolding" in English. It is notably associated with the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, particularly in his essay "The Question Concerning Technology." In Heidegger's thought, Gestell refers to a way of understanding and organizing technology and the world, characterized by a mode of revealing that reduces nature and human beings to mere resources or "standing-reserve" (Bestand).
Concurrency control algorithms are techniques used in database management systems (DBMS) and multi-threaded applications to manage the execution of concurrent transactions or processes in a way that maintains the integrity and consistency of the data. Since multiple transactions may attempt to read and write to the same data simultaneously, concurrency control is essential to prevent issues like lost updates, dirty reads, and uncommitted data.
A parallel algorithm is a type of algorithm that can execute multiple computations simultaneously by dividing a problem into smaller sub-problems that can be solved concurrently. This approach takes advantage of the capabilities of multi-core or multi-processor systems, allowing for more efficient processing and reduced computation time. Key characteristics of parallel algorithms include: 1. **Decomposition**: The problem is split into smaller, independent tasks that can be executed in parallel.
A **complete quadrangle** is a geometric configuration consisting of four points (vertices) that are not all on the same line, along with the six lines that connect each pair of points. More specifically, these four points form a set of lines, and every pair of distinct points is connected by a line segment.
Funding bias refers to the potential influence that the source of funding may have on the outcomes of research or studies. This bias can arise when the financial support for research comes from entities that have a vested interest in the results, such as companies, organizations, or groups that could benefit from positive findings or conclusions. The key implications of funding bias include: 1. **Research Design and Methodology**: Researchers may consciously or unconsciously design studies that favor the interests of their funders.
The AGT correspondence, named after the researchers Alday, Gaiotto, and Tachikawa, is a fascinating relationship between gauge theory and string theory. Specifically, it connects certain classes of supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions with superstring theory on higher-dimensional curves (specifically, Riemann surfaces).
The Polyakov action is an important concept in theoretical physics, particularly in the context of string theory. It is a two-dimensional field theory that describes the dynamics of strings in spacetime. Named after the physicist Alexander Polyakov, the action provides a framework to model how strings propagate and interact in a background spacetime.
The term "scaling dimension" can refer to different concepts depending on the context in which it is used, particularly in physics and mathematics. Here are a couple of relevant interpretations: 1. **In Physics (Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory)**: The scaling dimension is a property of operators in conformal field theories (CFTs). It describes how the correlation functions of those operators change under rescaling of the coordinates.
The Chronology Protection Conjecture is a theoretical idea in physics that was proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking. It suggests that the laws of physics may prevent time travel to the past in order to avoid potential paradoxes and violations of causality.
Ehrhart's volume conjecture is a conjecture in the field of combinatorial geometry and involves the study of convex polytopes and their integer lattice points. More specifically, it relates the number of integer points in dilates of a polytope to the volume of the polytope.
The Duffin–Schaeffer theorem is a result in the field of number theory, specifically in the study of Diophantine approximation. It addresses the question of how well real numbers can be approximated by rational numbers under certain conditions.
Dimitri Bertsekas is a prominent American researcher and professor known for his contributions to the fields of optimization, dynamic programming, and computational methods in areas such as control theory, artificial intelligence, and operations research. He has authored several influential books and papers and has taught at institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Bertsekas is particularly well-known for his work on algorithms for optimization problems and for his contributions to reinforcement learning and approximate dynamic programming.
Jacquelien Scherpen is a prominent figure in the field of engineering and control systems. She is known for her work in systems and control theory, often focusing on topics related to robust control, decision-making, and the application of these principles in various technological contexts. Scherpen is also recognized for her academic contributions, including her role in teaching and conducting research at the university level, as well as her involvement in various professional organizations related to engineering and control.
Steve Ciarcia is an American engineer, writer, and publisher known for his work in the field of electronics and computer programming. He gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, primarily through his contributions to magazines like "Byte" and "Popular Electronics," where he wrote articles and columns focusing on microcontroller applications, hobbyist electronics, and programming.
The Dini test is a method used in mathematics, particularly in real analysis, to determine the convergence of a sequence of functions. More specifically, it is applicable to the study of pointwise convergence of a sequence of real-valued functions defined on a common domain. The test is based on the idea of comparing the behavior of the functions in the sequence with a "monotone" function or to establish some control over their convergence through the use of integrals.
The Arcminute Microkelvin Imager (AMI) is an innovative radio telescope designed to study the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and to investigate the large-scale structure of the universe. It operates in the microwave frequency range and is specifically aimed at measuring faint astronomical signals with high angular resolution and sensitivity.
The Chicago Air Shower Array (CASA) is an experimental facility designed to study ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) by detecting air showers that result from the interaction of these cosmic rays with the Earth's atmosphere. Located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois, CASA was developed as part of a broader set of experiments aimed at understanding the origins and characteristics of cosmic rays that have energies significantly greater than those produced by human-made accelerators.
"The Quantum Universe" can refer to a couple of different concepts depending on the context. 1. **Quantum Mechanics in Physics**: In a general sense, it refers to the fundamental framework of physics that describes the behavior of matter and energy at very small scales, such as atoms and subatomic particles. Quantum mechanics challenges classical intuitions about how the universe works, introducing concepts such as wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, superposition, and entanglement.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact