Gordon Foster facts for kids

Frederic Gordon Foster (born February 24, 1921 – died December 20, 2010) was an Irish engineer, statistician, and professor. He is famous for creating a special nine-digit code in 1965. This code became the basis for the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). You can find an ISBN on almost every book you read!

Early Life and Education

Gordon Foster was born in Belfast, which is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He went to school at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. Later, he studied advanced mathematics at Queen's University Belfast.

World War II Code-Breaker

During World War II, Gordon Foster was asked to join a secret team. He was recruited by MI6, a British intelligence agency. His job was to work as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park. This was a top-secret place where brilliant minds helped crack enemy codes.

After the war, he continued his studies at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was very interested in a new field called cybernetics. This field looks at how systems control themselves, like how a thermostat controls temperature.

Working with Alan Turing

After finishing his PhD, Foster became a lecturer at the University of Manchester. There, he met Alan Turing, another famous code-breaker from Bletchley Park. Turing is known as the "father of computer science".

Alan Turing asked Foster to help him work on the Manchester Mark I computer. This was one of the earliest electronic computers ever built.

Developing the ISBN

In 1956, Foster joined the London School of Economics (LSE). He taught statistics and helped develop a field called operations research. This field uses math and logic to solve problems in businesses and organizations.

The Birth of the ISBN

In 1965, while at the LSE, Gordon Foster got a special request. A big book company called WH Smith wanted his help. They needed a new computer system to organize their many books.

Foster created a nine-digit code for them. He called it the Standard Book Numbering System (SBN). This code worked so well that other publishers and booksellers in the UK quickly started using it too.

Just five years later, in 1970, the International Standard Organisation (ISO) made a change. They added an extra zero to the beginning of Foster's code. This made it a 10-digit number. They also gave it a new name: the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Today, the ISBN is used all over the world to identify books.

Later Career

In 1967, Trinity College Dublin asked Gordon Foster to start a new Department of Statistics. He became a professor there. He encouraged the use of statistics and computers in many different areas of study.

He created exciting programs for students. These programs taught them how to solve real-world problems using statistics. He also set up a special lab called the Statistics and Operations Research Laboratory. This lab helped businesses and public services with their problems.

In 1971, he became a fellow of Trinity College Dublin. He was also made Dean of Engineering and System Sciences.

Gordon Foster passed away in Dublin on December 20, 2010.