Willem Louis van der Poel | |
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| Born | (1926-12-02)2 December 1926 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Died | 22 July 2024(2024-07-22) (aged 97) Zoetermeer, Netherlands |
| Citizenship | Netherlands |
| Education | Delft University of Technology (B.S. 1950) University of Amsterdam (Ph.D. 1956) |
| Known for | DesigningZEBRA computer ALGOL work |
| Awards | Computer Pioneer Award (1984) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | Delft University of Technology |
| Thesis | The Logical Principles of Some Simple Computers (1956) |
Willem Louis van der Poel (2 December 1926 – 22 July 2024) was a Dutch computer scientist, who is known for designing one of the first computers to be designed in the Netherlands, theZeer Eenvoudige Binaire Reken Automaat (ZEBRA), translated asVery Simple Binary Automatic Calculator.
In 1950 Van der Poel obtained an engineering degree in applied science atDelft University of Technology, and in 1956 obtained his PhD degree from theUniversity of Amsterdam. The title of hisDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) thesis wasThe Logical Principles of Some Simple Computers.
From 1950 until 1967, he worked for the DutchPosterijen, Telegrafie en Telefonie (Netherlands) (PTT, renamedKPN). From 1962 until 1988, he was a part time professor at Delft University of Technology. One of his PhD students wasGerard J. Holzmann.
He was involved withinternational standards in programming and informatics, as a member of theInternational Federation for Information Processing (IFIP)IFIP Working Group 2.1 on Algorithmic Languages and Calculi,[1] whichspecified, maintains, and supports theprogramming languagesALGOL 60 andALGOL 68.[2] He was the firstchairperson,[3] from 1962 to 1968. He also contributed to developing the languages ALGOL 68 andLISP for the ZEBRA.
In 1971, Van der Poel was elected a member of theRoyal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.[4] In 1960, he received, together with H. Mol, the Visser-Neerlandia prize for the construction of aBraille translator.
Van der Poel died inZoetermeer on 22 July 2024, at the age of 97.[5]
Van der Poel is primarily known as a Dutch computer pioneer, designer of Testudo, the PTERA, the ZERO, and theZEBRA computers. He is said to be the originator of thezero one infinity rule,[6] which suggests that software designs should not impose arbitrary limits on the number of instances of a particular entity: if more than one instance of it is to be allowed, then the set size should have no fixed limit.
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