# Richard Hamming American mathematician who developed error-correcting codes (Hamming codes) at [[wiki/Bell Labs|Bell Labs]], providing foundational techniques for detecting and correcting errors in digital data transmission and storage. Hamming codes remain embedded in computer memory systems, telecommunications, and data storage worldwide. Referenced in [[articles/Bell Labs and the Distributed Architecture of American Power|Bell Labs and the Distributed Architecture of American Power]]. ## Simple Reminders, Quotations, and Thoughts > "The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers." > **— Richard Hamming**, *1962, Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, preface* [[reminders/Information/The Purpose of Computing Is Insight Not Numbers by Richard Hamming|The Purpose of Computing Is Insight Not Numbers by Richard Hamming]]