Anna Karlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna R. Karlin
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| Alma mater | Stanford University (BS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | University of Washington |
| Thesis | Sharing Memory in Distributed Systems - Methods and Application (1987) |
| Doctoral advisor | Jeffrey Ullman |
| Doctoral students | Frank McSherry |
Anna R. Karlin is an American computer scientist. She is a special professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington.
About Anna Karlin
Anna Karlin grew up in a family of smart people who worked at universities. Her father, Samuel Karlin, was a mathematician at Stanford University. Her brother, Kenneth Karlin, is a chemistry professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Anna Karlin went to Stanford for her college studies. She earned her first degree in 1981. She then continued her studies at Stanford. In 1987, she received her Ph.D., which is a very high university degree. Her teacher for this degree was Jeffrey Ullman.
After finishing her studies, she worked at a research center called DEC Systems Research Center for five years. In 1994, she moved to the University of Washington. In 1997, she helped organize a big meeting for computer scientists called the IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science.
Anna Karlin was also one of the people who started a rock music band called Severe Tire Damage. In 1993, her band made history. They were part of the very first live music show ever broadcast on the Internet!
What She Studies
Anna Karlin's main work is about designing and understanding special computer programs called algorithms. Algorithms are like step-by-step instructions that computers follow to solve problems.
She focuses on two types of algorithms:
- Online algorithms: These algorithms make decisions right away, even if they don't have all the information yet. Imagine trying to pack a suitcase without knowing everything you'll need for your trip!
- Randomized algorithms: These algorithms use a bit of randomness, like rolling dice, to help them find solutions. This can sometimes make them faster or more efficient.
She uses these algorithms to solve problems in many different areas. These include:
- Algorithmic game theory: This is about how computers can make smart choices in situations where different "players" (like other computers or people) are trying to get the best outcome.
- System software: This is the basic software that makes computers work.
- Distributed computing: This involves many computers working together to solve a big problem.
- Data mining: This is about finding interesting patterns and information hidden in large amounts of data.
She has written important papers about many topics. For example, she studied how to find where internet data comes from using random markings. She also looked at how computers share information in their memory. Her work helps make computers faster and more efficient. She also studies how to manage all the different levels of computer memory. Her research also covers web proxy servers and special data structures called hash tables.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Anna Karlin has received many important awards for her work:
- In 2012, she was named a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. This is a big honor in the computer science world.
- In 2016, she became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This group recognizes top thinkers and leaders.
- In 2020, she won the ACM Paris Kanellakis Theory and Practice Award. She received it for discovering and studying "balanced allocations." This idea, also known as "the power of two choices," helps computers make better decisions. It has been used in many real-world computer systems.
- In 2021, she was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
- In 2022, she was also elected to the National Academy of Engineering. These are two of the highest honors for scientists and engineers in the United States.
