Romanian Informatics Pioneers, Leon Livovschi and Octavian Bâscă at the University of Bucharest

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1 Romanian Informatics Pioneers, Leon Livovschi and Octavian Bâscă at the University of Bucharest Marin Vlada University of Bucharest, 14 Academiei Street, RO , Romania vlada[at]fmi.unibuc.ro Abstract Livovschi Leon ( ) and Octavian C. Bâscă ( ) were professors of informatics at Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Bucharest, Romania. They were among the most popular professors of computer science at the Faculty of Mathematics, and therefore deserve gratitude and admiration for all their work and for their efforts in particularly contributing to the development of a new field like computer science, for many computer generation. The advent of the computer and theories that contributed to inventing, designing and building modern computer can not be compared with other invention in human history. Keywords: Informatics, Computer Science, Software Systems, Technologies 1 Introduction Motto: The collection of people, hardware, and software the multi-access computer together with its local community of users will become a node in a geographically distributed computer network. Let us assume for a moment that such a network has been formed. J. C. R. Licklider, Robert Taylor, The Computer as a Communication Device, "What a teacher can give can not be found anywhere else. The rest are technicalities which you can find in the textbooks" Dr. Prof. Dan Cristea stated at a meeting in 2008 with graduates from the Faculty of Informatics in Iasi. It is our duty to those whom we were students, we should honor the contribution and sacrifices and explain to them that we were formed and sometimes they showed us the paths to understanding "foundations" future knowledge. The image below was performed at a promotional meeting for 10 years, Informatics (October 29, 1988, Spiru Haret Auditorium, Faculty of Mathematics in Bucharest, where professors and alumni attended, including Professor Leon Livovschi (second from left) [12].

2 38 University of Bucharest and West University of Timisoara 2 About Mathematics and Informatics appearance If Mathematics had not existed, "nothing would have existed", neither zero (Digits 0-9 were invented by Indians, not by the Arabs) nor Physics, Chemistry or Architecture would have existed, no wheel and no Computer, no Printing and no Phone, no Informatics or Cybernetics. But to all these material entities invented by man, mathematics helps man think about life, create and imagine, love nature and his fellows to be emotional and courageous, be consistent and orderly to dream and be happy (ICVL Project - News Technologies in Education and Research). Informatics/Computer Science has become a science because it uses methods, techniques and tools to investigate their objects and processes that define and operate. Scientific Treasure of Informatics is the result of symbiosis of knowledge and research and other sciences from (mathematics, cybernetics, microelectronics, physics, chemistry, etc.) and other methods and techniques, and the use of special devices (computer systems-computers) process information and knowledge which must interpret them, transform them and communicate them to others. Computer Science and Informatics were considered identical terms. Today, the terms are different. The general public sometimes confuses Computer Science with Informatics or Information Technology (IT). Computing (information and knowledge processing) has changed the world and continues to influence nearly every aspect of our lives, including medicine and health care, business and finance, education and training, science and technology, politics and government, and entertainment. We must mention that Informatics (Computer Science Informatics IT) is the result of contributions in science and technology, but no science can claim the invention of the computer, and none can be the invention of only one man. "Informatics studies the application of information technology to practically any field, while considering its impact on individuals, organizations, and society. It uses computation as a universal tool to solve problems in other fields, to communicate, and to express ideas." Judith Tolliver, Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois - "Informatics has evolved as an independent science that links the Mathematics and Computer Science, covering a spectrum that goes from theory building models using mathematical tools, to implementing powerful and secure computing solutions." Informatica Universitaria, Romania, In the period , worldwide, it was the right time when the development of science and technology made possible both the emergence of electronic devices and equipment (microelectronics appearance, the storage and processing devices, etc.) the hardware (engineering, IT) and the emergence of inventing programming languages, operating systems software component (algorithms, computability, representation and processing, etc.). A young engineer, Leon Livovski, then became a professor at the University of Bucharest, and he pointed to articles in Soviet "Electricestvo" on the use of mathematical logic classic study of circuit switching. Thus, acad. Grigore C. Moisil ( ) perused around 1950, soviet research (especially his V.I Shestakov and M.A. Gavrilov) on applications of mathematical logic in the techniques. Simultaneously, Claude Shannon published in the USA, some similar research undertaken similarly with the Soviet around 1938 acad. Solomon Marcus stated. Octavian C. Bâscă, on the other hand, was a remarkable undergraduate of the Informatics School founded by Grigore C. Moisil at Faculty of Mathematics Bucharest, who took over from this "relay race" and the most important issues on the development of informatics and computer use in the development of Romanian society. Today,

3 The 10 th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL new information technologies reached Informatics and IT, scientific and educational efforts of these pioneers to be an example for new generations, and to be known to those interested in the development of science. 3 Leon Livovschi's collaboration with Grigore C. Moisil Livovschi Leon was born on 26 May 1921 in the village Vărzărești, Lăpuşna district, today the Repubic of Moldova. In 1945 he graduated in Electromechanics (Aviation specialization) at the Polytechnic School in Bucharest, and in 1962 he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Bucharest. A doctor who won two titles, one in 1962 with the thesis "Synthesis of mechanisms mechanisms automatic pneumatic and hydraulic applications" and another in 1970 with the thesis "Relay contact circuits". He taught at the Institute of Oil -Gas and Geology (IPGG) and the University of Bucharest courses Theoretical Mechanics, Theory of Elasticity, Special Mathematics, Fundamentals of Informatics, Computer Programming, Formal Languages and Automata, Theory Algorithms, etc. He received awards from the Education Ministry in 1956, 1960 and He published alone or in collaboration, a total of 17 monographs and textbooks published by the Academy Publishing, Technical Publishing, Albatros Publishing, Scientific and Pedagogic Publishing, Scientific and Encyclopedic Publishing House and others. He published various articles in Informatics magazines for promotion Informatics among youth. He also supported informatics competitions involvement of pupils and students nationally and internationally. For example, I had the opportunity to attend - the jury competitions, along with Leon Livovschi in 1993, the first edition of the Balkan Olympiad Informatics (BOI, Constanta), and in 1994, the first Olympiad in Informatics European Countries Central and Eastern Europe (CEOI, Cluj-Napoca). Romania is the initiator of Balkan Olympiad in Informatics (BOI) (1993, Constanta) and Central-European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI) (1994, Cluj-Napoca). Also Romania is the initiator of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) (1959, Brasov) - We specify that Bulgaria is the initiator of the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) (1989, Pravetz) - Since 1970 when he established the department of Computer Science / Informatics (Informatics specialization) at the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Bucharest, Leon Livovschi participated in the formation of many generations of experts from Romania, until 1986, when he retired. To honor those who help us training!

4 40 University of Bucharest and West University of Timisoara Recently I found information about professor Leon Lovovschi, to whom I was a student, in his book Grigore Moisil ( ) "The algebraic Theory of Switching Circuits" (pdf) published in English (First English edition 1969, Library of Congress Catalog Card No , Pergamon Press, 719 pages), after Romanian language edition of "Algebraic theory of automatic mechanisms", Technical Publishing, 1959 from the French book "Théorie structurelle des automates finis" (Gauthier-Villars Paris, pages). In Preface to the English edition The author thanks all collaborators, mathematicians as well as engineers, for their contributions to this seminar, the result of which led to settling quite a number of problems in the theoty of switching circuits. The text of the preface to the Romanian edition of 1959 (p. 17) (see image above) are referred to research Soviet thesis (made by V.I. Shestakov ( ) and M.A. Gavrilov, Universiy of Moscow) on applications of mathematical logic in the technology, and the USA, Claude Shannon's created and published, as the Soviets did in 1938 year. "L. Livovschi ( ) initiated with Moisil the use of finite automata to the design of electronic circuits and published a book that synthesizes the Romanian research in this area." Cristian Calude, Marian Gheorghe, Bucharest school of theoretical computer science, 2014 [7]. Figure 1. Some of the books published by Leon Livovschi In this regard, Professor Dragos Vaida recently stated "Informatica was born to us in the years , the Institute of Physics (IFA) of the Romanian Academy and the University of Bucharest (UB) Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, currently Mathematics and Computer Science. They were thus represented at this debut, academia different, have highlighted the links between domains distinguished by their level scientific and, I hasten to add, managerial - Academics Simion Stoilow, Horia Hulubei, and Gregory Moisil - can say even providential" [8]. "Discrete Vending machines are another area where Romanian experts have made important contributions in literature talking about" School of Bucharest. "Leon Livovschi (n. 1921) used first, global implications calculation of the automatic circuit design with contacts and relays (1952). Livovschi Leon is the author of methods of representation through graphs the evolution sequential machines, developing, in this regard, and algorithms for analysis and synthesis of sequential machines. Discrete automata initial study was done using classical mathematical logic. Gr.C. Moisil ( , academician 1948) extended this mathematical tool, using imaginary Galois (1954) study, also in addition to the Relay type changeover

5 The 10 th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL valve elements (diode), as relays with intermediate elements, criotroni etc.". Ştefan Iancu, the Romanian Academy, 2007, NOEMA VOL. VI, 2007, (.pdf) 4 Octavian Bâscă s contributions to the formation of generations of computer scientists Octavian C. Bâscă ( ) was an outstanding graduate of the school of computer science founded by Grigore Moisil the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, and took from it "relay race" and the most important issues on the development of informatics, and computer use in the development of Romanian Society. Born on April 26th 1947 in Craiova as a high school student was twice Mathematical Olympiad International Romania to (IMO), winning second prize (Moscow, 1964) and third prize (Berlin, 1965). In 1970 he graduated Computer machines specialization, founded by Acad. Grigore Moisil in 1960, at the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Bucharest. In 1977 he obtained his PhD in Computer Science/Informatics doctoral thesis "Storage systems and information retrieval". He taught a variety of courses and seminars: Computing machines, Data structures, Operating systems and telecontrol data, Databases and economic applications (UNESCO), Coding theory and data structures, Basic programming, Differential equations and Mathematics Analysis, Combinatorics and Graph Theory, Fundamentals of Informatics, Data structures and algorithms, Operating systems, Computing, Software for mini and Figure 2. Alumni 1970 Computer Machines Section, witnessed the founding of the Romanian Informatics microcomputers, Databases, Distributed computing, Advanced data processing methods, Algorithms and graph theory. He was a Lecturer ( ), Associate professor, since 1991, and vicedean ( ) at the Faculty of Mathematics of Bucharest. In 1998 he transferred to the Department of Computer Science at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, University of Pitesti, together with colleagues from Bucharest: Tudor Bălănescu and Luminița State. The contest commission from the faculty and the university confirmed professorship obtaining the contest, but the committee from the ministry did not validate this. He was disappointed that the ministry does not have its own Commission data confirming lecturer and teacher (math commission exists when only one informatician). Subsequently, the committee was set up and by the law of 2011, confirming associate professor and full professor positions are approved by the university senate. For a long time, the Ministry of Informatics was considered a discipline of Mathematics, later in 2005, by the Bologna-defined at European level is the undergraduate, master's and doctoral (different field of Computers and Information Technology). Since 1992, the Faculty of Computer Science of Iasi is the only faculty in the country's own Informatics. In Bucharest, however, in 1993, the UB Computer Center (CCUB) founded by Gregory Moisil disbanded. At the Faculty of Mathematics, there were discussions,over time, on the establishment of a Faculty of Informatics initiated by some professors of informatics. Failed as a faculty, the name changed to "Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science" since 2002.

6 42 University of Bucharest and West University of Timisoara Figure 3. Some of the books published by Octavian C. Bâscă Having been a student, I went through Octavian Basque books, operating systems and telecontrol data, delivered in 1976, lithographed as published in 1976 (250 pp.) at Bucharest University Press. Notes appear as bibliography of 21 titles, many of which very recent at that time: AT Bertztiss, Data Structures, Theory and Practices, Academic Press, New York and London, 1971; M.V. Wilkes, operating multiple access systems, Technical Publishing, 1974; D.E. Knuth, Art of Computer programming, Technical Publishing, Compared with mathematics, where a mathematician studies a variety of topics, in Informatics Figure 4. Alumni 1978 Informatics Section, witnessed the founding of the Romanian Informatics domain an informatician is forced to study a wide variety of topics, given the two Components-hardware and software, and their rapid evolution, However, it is for practical applications for solving a wide variety of fields of society. Octavian Bâscă was one of the most admired computer science professors from the Faculty of Mathematics. Today, new information technologies reached Informatics and IT, I hope that scientific and educational efforts to be an example for new generations, and to be known to those interested in the development of science. Professors of this generation of computer scientists were: Solomon Marcus, Livovschi Leon, Mircea Maliţa, Popovici Constantin, Văduva Ion, Tomescu Ioan, Cuculescu Ion, Vaida Dragoş, Andreian Cazacu Cabiria (Dean), Dincă George (ViceDean), Nicolae Radu (Prodecan), Viorel Iftimie, Petre P. Teodorescu, Mocanu Petre, Gavril Sâmboan, Liviu Nicolescu, Niţă Constantin, Vraciu Constantin, Mocanu Petre, Ichim Ion, Craiu Virgil, Florea Dorel, Mihnea Georgeta, Sireţchi Gheorghe, Anton Ştefănescu, Constantin Tudor, Gabriela Licea, Dumitrecu Monica, Sergiu Rudeanu, Virgil Căzănescu, Georgescu Horia, Bâscă Octavian, Atanasiu Adrian, State Luminiţa, Ion Roşca, Popescu Ileana, Popescu Liliana. Conclusions. The need for computer was not the dream of a scientist or an inventor, although some teachers or scientists we can not argue with seemingly have different arguments from history and are particular cases. It was the way (product) that combined and used a variety of effective solutions offered by science and technology to solve practical problems they faced in the period the powerful nations of the world: USA, USSR and UK. The main issues that were major and urgent were even military-defense and conquest of outer space, the last issue is still a major problem for defense. Factors that influenced the conception, design and development of

7 The 10 th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL computer systems are factors scientific, technological, social, cultural, economic, political, military, etc. At the level of individuals in a society, it can be said that the destiny and their lives are influenced by the factors outlined above. No need to come up with arguments or examples, simple study biographies of scientists, artists and others, etc., who lived in different periods of history, and this will be enlightening for anyone. References [1] Moisil Gr. C. (1969): The Algebraic Theory of Switching Circuits, Pergamon Press, USA. [2] Moisil Gr. C. (1959): Teoria algebrică a mecanismelor automate, Editura Tehnică. [3] Computer Pioneer Award of IEEE Computer Society, [4] Vlada M. (2015): Leon Livovschi, un pionier al informaticii românești - =2015/leon, accessed 2015 [5] Vlada M. (2015): Octavian Bâscă, un pionier al informaticii românești - accessed 2015 [6] ***, Leon Livovschi și Octavian Bâscă, pionieri ai informaticii românești, accessed 2015 [7] Calude C., Gheorghe M. (2014): Bucharest school of theoretical computer science, Revista de Politica Științei și Scientometrie, Vol. 3, No. 4, Decembrie 2014, p , Serie Nouă Ediția tipărită: ISSN L , Ediția online: ISSN , accessed 2015 [8] Vaida D. (2015), Informatics in Romania - the first years, Revista de politica ştiinţei şi scientometrie serie nouă Vol. 4, No. 1, Martie 2015, p , accessed 2015 [9] accessed 2015 [10] accessed 2015 [11] Promoția Mașini de Calcul (31 absolvenți) - promotia1970/index.html, accessed 2015 [12] Promotia 1978 Informatică (115 absolvenți), accessed 2015