01 · The idea
In everyday language
A computer executes very small operations. A programmer usually wants to describe a larger idea: repeat a calculation, organise a table, or call a reusable procedure. Alan Perlis helped establish the programming techniques and compiler construction that connect those two levels. The inaugural Turing Award recognised this bridge between human expression and machine execution.
Why it matters
High-level languages make programs easier to write, share and improve. A compiler turns their structure into executable instructions.
