M. Douglas McIlroy, Adjunct Professor

2003 marked my golden anniversary as a programmer. Hooked when Bob Walker introduced his numerical analysis class to Cornell's newly-arrived IBM CPC, I have ever since applied my training in engineering, physics, and math to this endlessly fascinating vocation. I had the good fortune to head a research department at Bell Labs in which Unix was born, and to work with some of the most creative talents in computing. Some things I have worked on:

• Languages and compilers: macros, Lisp, PL/I, TMG (a compiler-compiler), regular expressions; influenced Snobol, Altran, C++
• Stream processing: Unix pipes, classic coroutine sieve, power series
• Computer security
• Unix programs: spell, diff, sort, join, graph, speak, tr, tsort, calendar, echo, tee, quiz, etc.
• Cartography: map projections
• Algorithms for graphics
• Storage allocation theory and practice; first conservative garbage collector
• Theorem-proving in logic and geometry
• Documentation: making Unix manuals short and accurate

Upon retiring from Bell Labs, I moved to another happy situation, at Dartmouth as adjunct professor of Computer Science and affiliate of the Institute for Security Technology Studies. Here I have taught

• Advanced operating systems, CS108
• Information systems, CS33
• Data structures, CS15
• Logic of programming, CS188
• Programming languages, CS118

and have given guest lectures in several other courses.

Gallery

Map fun
Rainbow icosahedron

Best Webstern word squares

W A S S A I L    R A C I S M    C H A P S    B L O C
A N T E N N A    E V I N C E    H O U R I    R U D Y
S T R I N G Y    P E R S O N    A R R A S    A X I S
S E I Z U R E    A S C E N T    M A I N S    G E N T
A N N U L A R    S T U C C O    P E C K Y
I N G R A T E    T A S T E R
L A Y E R E D

      HILLARY MENTORS SILVERY VERVAIN; BINDERY  SUCCORS CORRIDA SLOGGER.
      BARRENS HOLDING GARCONS CONCEAL  WALTONS' GYPPING PINNATE GRIFFON.

Power serious: Haskell magic

      revert (0:ft) = rs where rs = 0 : 1/(ft#rs)

      define(if,`if_$1(`$2',`$3')')define(if_T,`$1')define(if_F,`$2')

      s(a,n)int*a;{n-->1?s(a,n),s(a+1,n),n=*a,*a=a[1],a[n>*a]=n:0;}

      Cook's Travels and Other Salesmen's Tales — Dick Karp

Publications

Bloggish and other info

Extracurricular