Bjarne Stroustrup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bjarne Stroustrup
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Stroustrup in 2013
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| Born | 30 December 1950 |
| Nationality | Danish |
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| Known for | C++ |
| Spouse(s) |
Marian Tinson
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Scientific career | |
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| Thesis | Communication and control in distributed computer systems (1979) |
| Doctoral advisor | David Wheeler |
Bjarne Stroustrup is a famous Danish computer scientist. He is best known for creating the C++ programming language. C++ is a very important language used to build many different computer programs, from games to operating systems. Stroustrup worked at places like Bell Labs and Morgan Stanley, and he has taught at several universities, including Columbia University.
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Early Life and Learning
Bjarne Stroustrup was born in Aarhus, Denmark, on December 30, 1950. His family was working class, and he went to local schools.
He studied at Aarhus University from 1969 to 1975. He earned a degree in mathematics with computer science. He was very interested in how computers are built and how they work at a basic level. He also learned about object-oriented programming from its creator, Kristen Nygaard.
In 1979, he earned his PhD in computer science from the University of Cambridge. His research there was about how different computers can work together in a network.
Career and Research
In 1979, Stroustrup started working at Bell Labs in New Jersey. This is where he began creating C++ and developing new ways to program. He led the Large-scale Programming Research department at Bell Labs until 2002. He was recognized as a Bell Labs fellow in 1993 and an AT&T Fellow in 1996.
From 2002 to 2014, Stroustrup was a professor of computer science at Texas A&M University. He became a University Distinguished Professor in 2011.
From 2014 to 2022, Stroustrup worked at Morgan Stanley, a big financial company in New York City. During this time, he was also a visiting professor at Columbia University.
Since July 2022, Stroustrup has been a full professor of computer science at Columbia University.
What is C++?
Stroustrup is most famous for creating C++. He started developing it in 1979. At first, he called it "C with Classes." He designed C++, wrote its first rules, and created its first version. He also decided how C++ should work and helped guide its development.
C++ became available to everyone in 1985. Stroustrup also wrote a textbook about the language in 1985, called The C++ Programming Language.
C++ is special because it helps programmers:
- Use different types of data easily.
- Manage computer memory and resources well.
- Create programs using object-oriented programming. This means organizing code into "objects" that can interact.
- Write flexible and efficient code using "templates."
- Work directly with computer hardware and operating systems.
- Handle multiple tasks at the same time.
Stroustrup wrote about his ideas for C++ in his 1994 book, The Design and Evolution of C++. He also wrote several papers explaining how the language grew over time.
He was a founding member of the C++ standards committee, which started in 1989. This committee makes sure C++ works the same way everywhere. He has been an active member ever since.
Awards and Honors
Bjarne Stroustrup has received many awards for his work. Some of these include:
- The Charles Stark Draper Prize in 2018 for creating the C++ programming language.
- The Computer Pioneer Award in 2018 for bringing object-oriented programming to many people with C++.
- The Faraday Medal in 2017 for his important contributions to computing history.
- The William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement in 2005. He was the first computer scientist to receive this award.
- The ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award in 1993 for his early work on C++.
He has also been recognized as a Fellow by several important organizations:
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2004).
- Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (1994).
- Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1994).
- Fellow of the Computer History Museum (2015).
He has also received honorary doctorates and professorships from universities around the world.
Publications
Stroustrup has written or co-written several important books about C++:
- A Tour of C++
- Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++
- The C++ Programming Language
- The Design and Evolution of C++
- The Annotated C++ Reference Manual
These books have been translated into 21 different languages. He has also written more than 100 academic articles about computer science and programming.
See also
In Spanish: Bjarne Stroustrup para niños
