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Aug 14, 2026 · Fundamentals

Why the Von Neumann Architecture Is the ‘Relativity Theory’ of Computing

The article explains how the von Neumann architecture, introduced by John von Neumann in 1945, established the stored‑program concept that underpins all modern computers, describes its five core components, the classic CPU‑memory bottleneck, and the cache, pipeline and parallel techniques used to mitigate it, while contrasting it with the Harvard architecture and offering everyday analogies.