The statement, "Number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits double every year," refers to a concept popularly known as Moore's Law. This was articulated by Gordon Moore in 1965, who was the co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel. Moore's observation was that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years, though it was originally stated as every year.
Explanation:
- In 1965, Gordon Moore published a paper in which he observed the exponential growth of computing power, specifically noting that the number of transistors on a chip had doubled each year since the invention of the integrated circuit.
- This observation was initially aimed at predicting the pace for the semiconductor industry, projecting that this growth would continue for the next decade.
- Later, the doubling period was revised to about two years and has since been used as a guiding principle for the semiconductor industry.
Reasoning: Here is why the other options are incorrect:
- Alan Turing: Although an influential figure in computer science, Turing did not make predictions related to the growth of transistor technology.
- John von Neumann: Known for his work in computer architecture and numerous other contributions to mathematics and science, but not specifically related to Moore's Law.
- Herbert Simon: A renowned cognitive psychologist and economist, his work did not involve predictions about semiconductor technologies.
Therefore, the correct answer is Gordon Moore.