Tony Hoare has died
Source: Hacker News
Jill Hoare, Tony Hoare, Jim Miles. Cambridge, 7 September 2021
Visiting Tony
I visited Tony several times in the past five years, as we both live in Cambridge (UK) and my family knew his. As a mathematics graduate, I was eager to meet and learn about his life from the great man himself. I was further prompted by a post on this blog that mentioned Tony and summarized a relevant portion of his work. I printed that entry the first time I visited him to help break the ice—the green sheet of paper appears in the picture above.
Tony read the entry, smiled, and clearly recalled the material it referenced. He then elaborated, explaining how rapidly programs had scaled up and how they now require different methods than those he had been developing in the early days.
Early Career
I knew Tony had studied Classics and Philosophy at university, so I was keen to learn how one thing led to another in his career. He explained that after completing his degree he was intensively trained in Russian on the Joint Services School for Linguists (JSSL) programme and was also personally interested in statistics and the emerging world of computers. After his National Service (essentially the JSSL), he took a job “demonstrating” an early computer—particularly abroad and especially in the Soviet Union. He described these demonstrations as “fairs,” which we might now call “expos.”
In hindsight, this modest description belies the fact that he was also involved in developing code for these devices; being a demonstrator meant knowing the machines inside and out, acting as part of the development team, and, of course, being fluent in Russian.
Personality
Tony told these stories with clarity and warmth, showing that he was still entirely “all there” mentally and that his memory remained pinpoint‑sharp, even if he faced some physical health issues typical for anyone who reaches their 80s (and, as we now know, beyond).
The Quicksort Wager
A story I was determined to hear from the source was the legendary quicksort “wager.” The story goes that Tony told his boss at Elliott Brothers Ltd. that he knew a faster sorting algorithm than the one he had just implemented for the company. His boss replied, “I bet you sixpence you don’t!” Lo and behold, quicksort was faster.
I asked Tony to tell this story every time we met because I enjoyed it so much, and it always put a smile on both our faces. To his credit, Tony never tired of recounting it “right from the top.” I hoped to record him telling it, but that did not happen. However, it is indeed recorded elsewhere (YouTube link).
When I asked whether the wager was actually paid out, Tony confirmed that he was paid the sixpence! A detail that reflects his humble personality is that he went ahead and implemented the slower algorithm his boss asked for, even though he believed quicksort to be faster, before mentioning his belief. It speaks to the professionalism Tony always carried.
Other Memories
About half of our meetings were spent discussing his career; the rest varied across a vast range of topics. One anecdote I heard from a relative was that, while working at Microsoft in Cambridge, Tony would sometimes slip out in the afternoons to watch films at the local Arts Picturehouse. The story surfaced when a current film was mentioned in conversation, and it turned out Tony had seen it, much to the bemusement of those present.
When I gently questioned him about this, Tony admitted that, yes, he sometimes nipped out for an afternoon at the cinema. His position at Microsoft more than accommodated this pleasure.
On the Topic of Films
(Here the original text ended abruptly; the intended quote about films can be added later.)
Jim Miles
Cambridge, 2026
Remembering Tony Hoare (11 January 1934 – 5 March 2026)
Hollywood’s Mis‑portrayal of Genius
I have seen online quotes attributed to Tony about Hollywood’s depiction of geniuses—especially in relation to Good Will Hunting. A typical example reads:
“Hollywood’s idea of genius is Good Will Hunting: someone who can solve any problem instantly. In reality, geniuses struggle with a single problem for years.”
Tony agreed that cinema often misrepresents how ability in abstract fields such as mathematics is acquired: it is the result of countless hours of thought, not a sudden, unexplained gift bestowed on a “genius.” However, he was unsure where exactly he had said this, how it ended up on the internet, and he acknowledged that many online quotes attributed to him may be erroneous.
The “Government‑Level” Computing Comment
One of the most intriguing things Tony said—delivered with absolute confidence—came during a discussion about the future of computers. I raised shallow, obvious hardware talking points (Moore’s Law limits, the need for quantum computers, etc.) to spark his interest. He replied:
“Well, of course, nothing we have even comes close to what the government has access to. They will always be years ahead of what you can imagine.”
When I pressed him—specifically asking whether he believed such secret technology could solve the large‑prime factorisation on which today’s cryptographic protocols rely—he was cagey and shrugged enigmatically.
Was he referencing something he had actually seen, or was he indulging in a bit of knowing trolling? Tony had a fantastic sense of humour and could easily lead a conversation down a garden‑path of irony and satire before the listener realised a joke was being made.
A Personal Farewell
I will greatly miss his humour, patience, and sharpness of mind, as I miss everything else about Tony.
RIP, Tony Hoare.