Friedrich L. Bauer
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Friedrich Ludwig Bauer (born June 10, 1924 in Regensburg) is a German computer scientist and professor emeritus at Munich University of Technology.
[edit] Life
Bauer earned his Abitur in 1942 and served in the Wehrmacht from 1943 to 1945. In 1946 he started studying mathematics and theoretical physics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich (till 1950). Since 1963, he worked as a professor for mathematics and (since 1972) computer science at Munich University of Technology. He retired in 1989.
Bauer's early work involved the construction of computing machinery (e.g. the logical relay computer Stanislaus in 1951). In this context, he was the first to propose the widely used stack method of expression evaluation. Bauer also worked in the committee that developed the imperative computer programming language ALGOL 60, an important predecessor to all modern imperative programming languages. In 1968, Bauer coined the term Software Engineering which has been in widespread use since.
Bauer was an influential figure in establishing computer science as an independent subject in German universities.
His scientific contributions spread from numerical analysis (Bauer-Fike theorem) and fundamentals of interpretation and translation of programming languages, to his later works on systematics of program development, especially program transformation. He also wrote a well-respected book on cryptology, Decrypted secrets, now in its third edition.
Bauer received various honors and awards, among others the IEEE Computer Pioneer Award.
