Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge

{{Short description|UK university department}} {{Use British English|date=April 2018}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox university | name = Department of Computer Science and Technology | other_name =  | image_name = University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory.jpg | image_size = 320px | image_alt = | caption = The Computer Laboratory has been housed in the William Gates Building in West Cambridge since August 2001. | latin_name = | established = {{Start date|1937|05|14|df=y}} | closed =  | affiliation = | endowment = | head_label = Head of Department | head = Professor Alastair Beresford | academic_staff = 35 | administrative_staff = 25 | students = | undergrad = | postgrad = 155 | doctoral = | other = | city = William Gates Building, Cambridge | state = | province = | country = United Kingdom | coor = {{coord|52.211|0.092|display=title,inline|region:GB_type:landmark}} | campus = | former_names = Computer Laboratory<br/>Mathematical Laboratory | website = {{URL|https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk}} | logo = | footnotes = }}

The '''Department of Computer Science and Technology''', formerly the '''Computer Laboratory''', is an academic department within the School of Technology at the University of Cambridge.

{{As of|2023}}, it employed 56 faculty members, 45 support staff, 105 research staff, and about 205 research students.<ref name="academicstaff">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229083953/https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/people/directory/|archive-date=29 December 2022|url=https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/people/directory/|publisher=University of Cambridge|title='People - Department of Computer Science'}}</ref> The current Head of Department is Professor Alastair Beresford.

== History == The department was founded as the '''Mathematical Laboratory''' under the leadership of John Lennard-Jones on 14 May 1937, though it did not get properly established until after World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Computer Laboratory - The History of the Computer Lab |url=https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/relics/history.html |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.cl.cam.ac.uk}}</ref> The new laboratory was housed in the North Wing of the former Anatomy School, on the New Museums Site. Upon its foundation, it was intended "to provide a computing service for general use, and to be a centre for the development of computational techniques in the University".

In October 1946, work began under Maurice Wilkes on EDSAC (''Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator''), which subsequently became the world's first fully operational and practical stored program computer when it ran its first program on 6 May 1949.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Wilkes, W. V. |author-link=Maurice Wilkes |author2=Renwick, W. |title=The EDSAC (Electronic delay storage automatic calculator) |journal=Math. Comp. |year=1950 |volume=4 |issue=30 |pages=61–65 |url=https://www.ams.org/journals/mcom/1950-04-030/S0025-5718-1950-0037589-7/ |doi=10.1090/s0025-5718-1950-0037589-7 |doi-access=free}}</ref> It inspired the world's first business computer, LEO. It was replaced by EDSAC 2, the first microcoded and bit-sliced computer, in 1958.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wilkes|first=M.V.|others=PDF available by "View PDF" (expand "View on IEEE")|s2cid=11377060|title=EDSAC 2|journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing|year=1992|language=en-US|volume=14|issue=4|pages=49–56|doi=10.1109/85.194055}}</ref>

The Cambridge Diploma in Computer Science was the world's first postgraduate taught course in computing, starting in 1953.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A brief informal history of the Computer Laboratory |url=https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/events/EDSAC99/history.html |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.cl.cam.ac.uk}}</ref>

In 1961, David Hartley developed Autocode, one of the first high-level programming languages, for EDSAC 2. Also in that year, proposals for Titan, based on the Ferranti Atlas machine, were developed. Titan became fully operational in 1964 and EDSAC 2 was retired the following year. In 1967, a full (24/7) multi-user time-shared service for up to 64 users was inaugurated on Titan.

In 1970, the Mathematical Laboratory was renamed the '''Computer Laboratory''', with separate departments for Teaching and Research and the Computing Service, providing computing services to the university and its colleges. The two did not fully separate until 2001, when the Computer Laboratory moved out to the new William Gates building in West Cambridge, off Madingley Road, leaving behind an independent Computing Service.

In 2002, the Computer Laboratory launched the Cambridge Computer Lab Ring, a graduate society designed by Stephen Allott<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cambridge University |date=2025-02-24 |title=Cambridge University Computer Lab: Stephen Allott |url=https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/people/sa333 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=www.cst.cam.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> and named after the Cambridge Ring network.<ref name="cam.ac.uk ring">{{cite web | url=http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/ring/ | title=Cambridge Computer Lab Ring | publisher=University of Cambridge | accessdate=March 28, 2012}}</ref>

== Current ==

On 30 June 2017, the Cambridge University Reporter announced that the Computer Laboratory would change its name to the Department of Computer Science and Technology from 1 October 2017, to reflect the broadened scope of its purpose and activities.<ref name=namechange>{{cite web|title=Notices by the General Board – Cambridge University Reporter 6473: Renaming of the Computer Laboratory|url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2016-17/weekly/6473/section3.shtml#heading2-4|publisher=University of Cambridge|access-date=18 July 2017|ref=namechange|page=753}}</ref>

The department currently offers a 3-year undergraduate course and a 1-year masters course (with a large selection of specialised courses in various research areas). Recent research has focused on virtualisation, security, usability, formal verification, formal semantics of programming languages, computer architecture, natural language processing, mobile computing, wireless networking, biometric identification, robotics, routing, positioning systems and sustainability (''"Computing for the future of the planet"''). Members have been involved in the creation of many successful UK IT companies such as Acorn,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/arm/8243162/History-of-ARM-from-Acorn-to-Apple.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316092313/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/arm/8243162/History-of-ARM-from-Acorn-to-Apple.html|url-status=dead|title=History of ARM: from Acorn to Apple|date=6 January 2011|archive-date=16 March 2018|via=The Telegraph}}</ref> ARM,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://community.arm.com/servlet/JiveServlet/previewBody/10926-102-1-22184/ARM_1st_Press_Release.pdf | title = ARM's first press release | access-date = 19 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127093621/https://community.arm.com/servlet/JiveServlet/previewBody/10926-102-1-22184/ARM_1st_Press_Release.pdf |archive-date=27 January 2016}}</ref> {{proper name|nCipher}} and XenSource.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=5533663 |title=Xen |publisher=SourceForge.net |date=October 2, 2003 |access-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref><ref name="V2cS8">{{cite web |author=Jonathan Corbet |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/52033/ |title=The first stable Xen release |publisher=Lwn.net |date=October 2, 2003 |access-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref>

== Staff ==

===Professors=== {{As of|2024}}, the department employs 34 professors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=People: Faculty |url=https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/people/directory/faculty |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.cst.cam.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> Notable ones include:

* Alan F. Blackwell, Professor of Interdisciplinary Design * Ann Copestake,<ref name="GS">{{Google Scholar id |id=wqzh1HwAAAAJ |name=Ann Copestake}}</ref> Professor of Computational Linguistics * Jon Crowcroft, Marconi Professor of Communications Systems * Hatice Gunes, Professor of Affective Intelligence and Robotics * Neil Lawrence, Deepmind Professor of Machine learning * Anil Madhavapeddy, Professor of Planetary Computing * Cecilia Mascolo, Professor of Mobile Systems * Lawrence Paulson, Professor of Computational Logic {{div col end}}

Other notable staff include Sue Sentance, Robert Watson, Markus Kuhn.

{{See also|Category:Members of the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory}}

===Former staff=== Former staff include:

{{div col|colwidth=35em}} * Ross J. Anderson,<ref name=andersonswho>{{Who's Who | title=ANDERSON, Prof. Ross John | id = U70837 | volume = 2014 | edition = online edition via Oxford University Press}}</ref> * Jean Bacon * James Davenport * Andrew D. Gordon * Philip Hazel * Andy Hopper<ref name=hopperswho>{{Who's Who | title=HOPPER, Prof. Andrew | id = U20751 | volume = 2015 | edition = online Oxford University Press}}</ref> * Robin Milner<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Hoffmann | first1 = L. | title = Robin Milner: the elegant pragmatist| doi = 10.1145/1743546.1743556 | journal = Communications of the ACM | volume = 53 | issue = 6 | pages = 20 | year = 2010 | doi-access = free }}</ref> * Alan Mycroft * Roger Needham<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Hoare | first1 = T. | author-link1 = Tony Hoare| last2 = Wilkes | first2 = M. V. | author-link2 = Maurice Wilkes| doi = 10.1098/rsbm.2004.0014 | doi-access = free| title = Roger Michael Needham CBE FREng. 9 February 1935 – 1 March 2003: Elected F.R.S. 1985 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | volume = 50 | pages = 183 | year = 2004 | s2cid = 58340004 }}</ref> * Martin Richards<ref name="DBLP">{{DBLP |pid=24/3158 |name=Martin Richards}}</ref> * Peter Robinson, * Karen Spärck Jones<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Tait | first1 = J. I. | title = Karen Spärck Jones | doi = 10.1162/coli.2007.33.3.289 | journal = Computational Linguistics | volume = 33 | issue = 3 | pages = 289–291 | year = 2007 | s2cid = 219302075 | doi-access = free }}</ref> * David Wheeler<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Campbell-Kelly | first1 = M. | author-link = Martin Campbell-Kelly| doi = 10.1098/rsbm.2006.0030 | title = David John Wheeler. 9 February 1927 -- 13 December 2004: Elected FRS 1981 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | volume = 52 | pages = 437 | year = 2006 | doi-access = free }}</ref> * Maurice Wilkes<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Campbell-Kelly | first1 = M. | author-link1= Martin Campbell-Kelly| doi = 10.1098/rsbm.2013.0020 | title = Sir Maurice Vincent Wilkes 26 June 1913 -- 29 November 2010 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | year = 2014 | volume = 60 | pages = 433–454 | doi-access = free }}</ref> * Neil Wiseman * Neil Dodgson * Mike Gordon

=== Heads of the Computer Laboratory === The lab has been led by: * 1949 Maurice Wilkes * 1980 Roger Needham * 1996 Robin Milner * 1999 Ian Leslie * 2004 Andy Hopper<ref name=hopperswho/> * 2018 Ann Copestake * 2023 Alastair Beresford

== Achievements and innovations == Members have made impact in computers, Turing machines, microprogramming, subroutines, computer networks, mobile protocols, security, programming languages, kernels, OS, security, virtualisation, location badge systems, etc. Below is a list.

{{div col|colwidth=35em}} * EDSAC – world's first practical stored program electronic computer (1949–1958) * Subroutine (1951) * OXO – world's first video game (1952) * EDSAC 2 (1958–1965) * Autocode – one of the first high-level programming languages (1961) * Titan – early multi-user time-share computer (1964–1973) * Phoenix – IBM 370 with locally developed OS and hardware extensions (1973–1995) * TRIPOS operating system – became later the basis for AmigaDOS * BCPL programming language – ancestor of C * CAP computer – hardware support for capability-based security * Cambridge Ring – an early local area network * Cambridge Distributed Computing System * Trojan Room coffee pot – the world's first webcam (1993) * Iris recognition – biometric identification with vanishingly small false-accept rate * Nemesis – real-time microkernel OS * Active Badge System –<ref>url="http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/attarchive/ab.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127062225/http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/attarchive/ab.html |date=27 January 2013 }}"</ref> * Active Bat – ultrasonic indoor positioning system * Xen – virtual machine monitor (2003–''present'') * Isabelle and HOL – interactive theorem provers * CAD - Alan Grayer, Charles Lang and Ian Braid were researchers who left the department to found Shape Data, develop the Romulus CAD kernel and later the ACIS kernel that forms the basis of several modern CAD systems. Shape Data went on to develop Parasolid, which is used in many modern CAD systems. {{div col end}}

== Impact on business enterprise ==

A number of companies have been founded by staff and graduates. Their names were featured in the new entrance in 2012.<ref name="businessweekly 2012">{{cite news | url=http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/academia-a-research/13632-cambridge-technology-cluster-thriving-thanks-to-university-dynamism | title=Cambridge technology cluster thriving thanks to university dynamism | work=Business Weekly | date=24 February 2012 | access-date=13 March 2012 | author=Quested, Tony}}</ref> Some cited examples of successful companies are ARM, Autonomy, Aveva, CSR and Domino. One common factor they share is that key staff or founder members are "drenched in university training and research".<ref name="cabume vc fund 2012">{{cite news | url=http://www.cabume.co.uk/the-cluster/cambridge-university-plans-p30m-vc-fund-and-opens-door-to-non-uni-investment.html | title=Cambridge University plans £30m VC fund and opens door to non-uni investment | work=Cabume | date=5 March 2012 | access-date=14 March 2012 | author=Vargas, Lautaro | location=Cambridge}}</ref> The Cambridge Computer Lab Ring was praised for its "tireless work" by Andy Hopper in 2012, at its tenth anniversary dinner.<ref name="businessweekly quested 2012">{{cite news | url=http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/hi-tech/13791-gates-no-barrier-to-bango-enterprise | title=Gates no barrier to Bango enterprise | work=Business Weekly | date=27 March 2012 | access-date=28 March 2012 | author=Quested, Tony}}</ref>

== Notable alumni (industries) == {{div col|colwidth=35em}} * Demis Hassabis * Eben Upton * Bjarne Stroustrup * John Bates * Ian Pratt * David L. Tennenhouse * Michael Burrows * Andrew Herbert * Andy Harter * Andy Hopper * Spencer Kelly {{div col end}}

==See also== * lowRISC

== References == {{Reflist|35em}}

Category:University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory Cambridge Computer Laboratory Cambridge Computer Laboratory Computer Science and Technology, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Department of Category:History of computing in the United Kingdom