Applied Logic Corporation

{{short description|American computer time-sharing company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Applied Logic Corporation

| logo = File:Applied Logic Corporation logo.png

| type =

| industry = Time-sharing computers

| founded = {{Start date and age|1962}} in Princeton, New Jersey

| defunct = {{End date|1975}}

| fate=Bankruptcy

| key_people = Richard M. Colgate (president)

| products =

| num_employees =

| num_employees_year =

}}

Applied Logic Corporation (AL/COM) was a time-sharing company in the 1960s and 70s.

Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, AL/COM started in 1962 working on "mathematical techniques and their applications to problem-solving."{{cite book|last=Auerbach Publishers|title=Auerbach Guide to Time Sharing|year=1972|location=Philadelphia, PA|page=86|url=http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/auerbach/GuideToTimesharing_Jan73.pdf}}

Seeing the need for in-house time sharing the company bought a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-6 and developed its time sharing service, which came on-line in 1966.{{cite news |title=Center Offers Shared Use of Computer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/315529546/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=Dec 21, 2021 |agency=The Central New Jersey Home News |date=12 Jan 1966}} In 1968 the company began development of "Mathematics Park" in Montgomery Township, New Jersey, "designed to provide tenants with a computer-serviced and mathematically-oriented environment," adjacent to the Princeton Airport.{{cite news |title=Construction Underway for Mathematics Park |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/316367410/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=Dec 21, 2021 |agency=The Central New Jersey Home News |date=27 Jan 1969}} Also in 1968 the company registered AL/COM as a trademark for its service.{{cite web|title=Legal Force Trademarkia|url=http://www.trademarkia.com/alcom-72303736.html|access-date=May 25, 2013}}

The system involved both custom software and custom hardware, and the service was marketed nationally by a network of associates.{{cite news |title=Time Sharing Users: What's an AL/COM (advertisement) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/371596872/ |access-date=Dec 21, 2021 |agency=Hartford Courant |date=16 Mar 1969}}{{quote|Under the AL-COM Distributor Plan, local computer service firms such as service bureaus, programming, and software firms will be designated as the local AL-COM distributor. The AL-COM distributor will purchase AL-COM computing power at a discount from the Applied Logic Corp., and then in turn sell it at a mark-up.{{cite news |title=New Computer Plan Unveiled |url=https://www.newspahttps://www.newspapers.com/image/315747342 |agency=The Central New Jersey Home News |date=2 May 1968}}}}

In the late 1960s, the company developed a system called SAM (Semi-Automated Mathematics) for proving mathematical theories without human intervention.{{cite book |last1=Krantz |first1=Steven G. |title=The Proof is in the Pudding: The Changing Nature of Mathematical Proof |date=2011 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-0-387-48908-7 |page=122 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mMZBtxVZiQoC&pg=PA122 |access-date=Jan 9, 2020}} A theorem proved by the system, "SAM's lemma", was "widely hailed as the first contribution of automated reasoning systems to mathematics."{{cite book |last1=MacKenzie |first1=Donald A. |title=Mechanizing Proof: Computing, Risk, and Trust |date=2004 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=0-262-13393-8 |page=89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QiMS8t4V_0cC&pg=PA89 |access-date=Jan 9, 2020}} The SAM series was one of the first interactive theorem provers and had an influence on subsequent theorem provers.{{cite book |last1=Harrison |first1=John |title=Algebraic Biology |chapter=A Short Survey of Automated Reasoning |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |date=2007 |volume=LNCS 4545 |pages=334–349 |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-73433-8_24 |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-540-73433-8_24 |access-date=24 January 2020 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-540-73432-1 |language=en}}

In 1965 Applied logic acquired a DEC PDP-6 computer system,{{cite journal|date=January 1965|title=Decuscope|url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/decus/decuscope/Decuscope_Vol04_1965.pdf|journal=Decuscope|volume=4|issue=1|access-date=Jan 9, 2020}} which became operation in January 1966. By 1969 the company had four DEC PDP-10 dual systems with plans for a fifth, and had expanded nationwide with offices in San Jose, San Diego, and San Francisco.{{cite news |author= |date=September 10, 1969 |title=First Dual AL-10 Activated in AL/Com's T/S Network |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8nQnAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22applied+logic%22&pg=PA14 |work=ComputerWorld |location= |access-date=March 31, 2022}} The company also planned to market its time sharing systems in addition to providing services.{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/towntopicsprince2438unse/page/34/mode/2up?q=%22applied+logic%22 |newspaper=Town Topics|date=November 20, 1969|title=APPLIED LOGIC EXPANDS |access-date=March 31, 2022}} The company reported sales of $1,200,995, with an operational loss of $63,456.{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/towntopicsprince2415unse/page/14/mode/2up?q=%22applied+logic%22&view=theater |newspaper=Town Topics |date=June 12, 1969 |title=EARNINGS REPORTED |access-date=March 31, 2022}}

By 1972 AL/COM had local dial-up facilities in ten cities: Boston, Massachusetts, Buffalo, New York, Chicago, Illinois, Indianapolis, Indiana, Montclair, New Jersey, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Princeton, New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Wilmington, Delaware. The computer center was located in Mathematics Park in Princeton.

By late 1969 AL/COM had definite plans for CIT Leasing to leaseback $2.73 million USD of their equipment at Mathematics Park and was considering an additional $7.5 million more.{{cite news |author= |url=https://archive.org/details/towntopicsprince2437unse/page/36/mode/2up?q=%22applied+logic%22 |newspaper=Town Topics |date=November 13, 1969 |title=Lease Arrangement Set By C.I.T. and Applied Logic |access-date=March 31, 2022}} By 1970 the company was in financial difficulty and negotiated an agreement to defer $1,300,000 of debt.{{cite news |author= |date=May 13, 1970 |title=Applied Logic Lays Off 40% of Workers, All in R&D |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O_4vAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22applied+logic%22&pg=PA26 |work=Computer World |location= |access-date=March 31, 2022}}{{cite web|title=In re APPLIED LOGIC CORPORATION, Bankrupt. NEW JERSEY NATIONAL BANK, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Daniel GUTTERMAN, as Trustee of Applied Logic Corporation, Bankrupt, Defendant-Appellee. |url=https://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/576/576.F2d.952.77-5034.671.html |date=April 27, 1978 |access-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514222559/http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/576/576.F2d.952.77-5034.671.html |archive-date=May 14, 2010 }} Applied Logic filed for Chapter XI bankruptcy in 1975.