The Y2K Problem

Part I of Essay
What is Y2k? In one sentence, Y2k is "...the inability of computer programs at the year 2000 to interpret the correct century from a recorded or calculated date having only two digits to indicate the year".[Center for Computer Systems Engineering] What does that mean? It me ....

Part II of Essay
.... might systems fail? Let's look at an example program in which the omitted century is assumed to be '19' and the program's function is to figure out how old you are. If you were born in 1958, then in 1999 this program will calculate your age as 99 minus 58, or 41. That's fine, but what happens when the century rolls over to '20' in the year 2000? In this program, the year will appear as '00' but the century will still be assumed to be '19' -- so the program will calculate your age as 00 minus 58, or -58. Then, depending on the program's ....