Christopher Strachey

Christopher Strachey
Christopher Strachey
	Computer printout of Strachey, c. 1960s
Born	Christopher S. Strachey; 16 November 1916; Hampstead, England
Died	18 May 1975 (aged 58); Oxford, England
Education	University of Cambridge (B.A.)
Known for	Denotational semantics; Time-sharing; CPL; Checkers (1952); Fundamental Concepts in Programming Languages (1967);
Parents	Oliver Strachey (father); Ray Costelloe (mother);
Family	Strachey
	Scientific career
Fields	Computer science
Workplaces	University of Cambridge; University of Oxford; St Edmund's School, Canterbury; Harrow School;
Doctoral students	Peter Mosses; David Turner;

Christopher S. Strachey (/ˈstreɪtʃi/ STRAY-chee; 16 November 1916 – 18 May 1975) was a British computer scientist. A pioneer of programming language design, he was one of the founders of denotational semantics and computer time-sharing. He coined several terms that are widely used in computer science, including polymorphism and referential transparency. He created the programming language CPL, which was an early influence on C. He is credited as possibly the first developer of a video game for his 1952 game Checkers. He was a member of the Strachey family, who are prominent in government, arts, administration, and academia.