I guess most of you guys know that HAL...was named thus because of the letters that follow H, A and L in the 'English' alphabet. It was a wee computery-type joke by Arthur C. Clarke, or so I am led to believe.
(
Flash_Bastard,
Mon 4 Jun 2007, 2:15,
archived)
Sorry, but coincidentalArthur C Clarke said that it was short for "Heuristic Algorithm". Apparently there is also a reference to this in chapter 16 of the book.
(although not sure whether this represents The Sentinel, of the novelisation that came out after the film).
Link
(,
Mon 4 Jun 2007, 17:45,
archived)
(although not sure whether this represents The Sentinel, of the novelisation that came out after the film).
Link