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Professor Herbert Robbins
Department of Computer Science
Rutgers University
Hill Center
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903

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Dear Professor Robbins:

	Computers have been available since the 1950s and were applied
to symbolic computation since the late 1950s.  However, except in a few
fields mathematicians have been slow to use them to aid deep research
in pure mathematics.  Only in the last few years have mathematicians
begun to use computers effectively on mathematically important problems.

	My opinion is that the Chudnovskys, David and Gregory, are
among the strongest mathematicians and strongest computer users in
mathematics.  Now they are even beginning to build computers embodying
rather deep mathematics.

	This kind of research is bound to assume increasing importance
as more and more successful mathematics results from combining deep
mathematics with computing.  Rutgers has a real opportunity to become
the leader in this area if the Chudnovskys can be attracted.  Their
personal situation and the fact that they need to work together
gives them fewer opportunities to consider the whole country and
provides Rutgers with its opportunity.

	Besides their own work, they are capable of attracting competent
and enthusiastic colleagues with their many papers and the seminars
and conferences they have run in the past.

	I would have like to comment in detail on the papers they
sent me, but my mathematics has grown somewhat rusty after so many
years away from hard algebra, topology and analysis.  If only they
worked on proving properties of programs or applying logic to AI,
I'd be able to give detailed comments.  However, my past involvement
with LISP, one whose design goals was to make symbolic computation
available to mathematicians, has made me well acquainted with the
reluctance of the older generation of mathematicians to learn what
is required to use computers effectively, especially for symbolic
computation and to appreciate the competence and courage of the
Chudnovskys in this area.

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Sincerely,       

John McCarthy    
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