Victor Vyssotsky

Victor Vyssotsky

Mathematician and computer scientist
Date of Birth: 26.02.1931
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Victor Vysotsky: A Pioneer in Operating Systems
  2. Multics and AT&T Bell Labs
  3. BESYS: The Precursor to Time-Sharing
  4. Shared Time with Multics
  5. Darwin and the Origins of Computer Viruses

Victor Vysotsky: A Pioneer in Operating Systems

Victor Vysotsky was an American mathematician and computer scientist who played a pivotal role in the development of operating systems.

Multics and AT&T Bell Labs

As technical director of the Multics operating system at Bell Labs, Vysotsky's expertise guided its creation. Multics, though not a commercial success, became an inspiration for future operating systems, including UNIX.

BESYS: The Precursor to Time-Sharing

Vysotsky's involvement in the BESYS project laid the foundation for Multics. BESYS aimed to expedite the execution of programs stored on punched cards. While internal to Bell Labs, its concepts influenced time-sharing operating systems.

Shared Time with Multics

Vysotsky's collaboration with Ken Thompson, the creator of UNIX, during the Multics project furthered his understanding of time-sharing operating systems. The ideas developed in Multics became integral to UNIX's design.

Darwin and the Origins of Computer Viruses

In the early 1960s, Vysotsky, Robert Morris Sr., and Doug McIlroy developed the computer game Darwin (later known as Core War) for the IBM 7090. In this game, programs battled against each other, modifying their opponent's code to achieve victory. Darwin's principles inspired the creation of computer viruses.

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