David Patterson (computer scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Patterson
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| Born |
David Andrew Patterson
November 16, 1947 Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA, MS, PhD) |
| Known for | Reduced instruction set computer RAID Network of Workstations |
| Spouse(s) | Linda Patterson (1967) |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer systems |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley |
| Thesis | Verification of Microprograms (1976) |
| Doctoral advisor | David F. Martin Gerald Estrin |
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David Andrew Patterson (born November 16, 1947) is a famous American computer scientist. He was a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley for nearly 40 years, starting in 1976. He is known as a computer pioneer because of his important work.
After retiring from Berkeley in 2016, he became a special software engineer at Google. He is currently a leader on the board of the RISC-V Foundation. He is also a professor Emeritus (meaning he keeps his title after retiring) at UC Berkeley.
Patterson is especially known for helping create the idea of reduced instruction set computer (RISC). He even came up with the name "RISC." He also led the research on a way to store data called redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAID). This work was done with Randy Katz. As of 2018, about 99% of all new computer chips use a RISC design.
He wrote important books about computer architecture with John L. Hennessy. These books are used in many computer science classes. Patterson and Hennessy won the 2017 Turing Award, which is like the Nobel Prize for computing, for their work on RISC.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Patterson grew up in Evergreen Park, Illinois. He went to South High School in Torrance, California.
He then studied at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He earned his first degree in Mathematics in 1969. He continued his studies at UCLA, getting his Master of Science degree in 1970 and his PhD in Computer Science in 1976. His PhD advisors were David F. Martin and Gerald Estrin.
Research and Career Highlights
David Patterson has made many big contributions to the world of computers. He was a strong supporter and developer of reduced instruction set computing (RISC). He led the Berkeley RISC project starting in 1980. This project introduced a new technique called register windows.
He also helped create the idea of redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID). This was a joint effort with Randy Katz and Garth Gibson. RAID helps store data more safely and efficiently. Patterson also led the Network of Workstations (NOW) project at Berkeley. This project was an early step in creating computer clusters, which are groups of computers working together.
Leadership Roles
David Patterson has held many important leadership positions. He was the head of the Computer Science Division at U.C. Berkeley. He also led the Computing Research Association.
From 2003 to 2005, he served on the Information Technology Advisory Committee for the U.S. President (PITAC). He was also elected president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from 2004 to 2006.
Mentoring Future Scientists
Patterson has guided many students who went on to become important computer scientists. Some of his notable PhD students include:
- David Ditzel, who founded a company called Transmeta.
- Garth A. Gibson, who helped invent RAID and is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
- Christos Kozyrakis, who is now a professor at Stanford University.
- David Ungar, who designed the Self programming language.
- Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, a professor and Chair of Computer Sciences at UW-Madison.
Important Books
David Patterson has written seven books. Two of his most famous books are with John L. Hennessy about computer architecture:
- Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach
- Computer Organization and Design RISC-V Edition: the Hardware/Software Interface
These books have been used as textbooks in universities since 1990. His more recent book, The RISC-V Reader: An Open Architecture Atlas, is about the open architecture RISC-V.
Awards and Recognition
David Patterson has received around 50 awards for his research, teaching, and service. He is a Fellow of important organizations like the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has also been elected to the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences.
In 2005, he and John L. Hennessy received Japan's Computer & Communication award. In 2006, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Computing Research Association.
In 2007, he was named a Fellow of the Computer History Museum. This was for his contributions to computer education and architecture. That same year, he became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2008, he won the ACM-IEEE Eckert-Mauchly Award.
More recently, in 2017, he and John L. Hennessy were awarded the ACM A.M. Turing Award. This award recognized their pioneering work on RISC. In 2022, he received the Charles Stark Draper Prize along with John L. Hennessy, Steve Furber, and Sophie Wilson. This award was for their contributions to the invention and development of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) chips.
IEEE Milestone for RISC-I
On February 12, 2015, the IEEE placed a special plaque at UC Berkeley. This plaque celebrates the important contribution of RISC-I. It is located in Soda Hall at UC Berkeley and says:
- IEEE Milestone in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- First RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) Microprocessor
- UC Berkeley students designed and built the first VLSI reduced instruction-set computer in 1981. The simplified instructions of RISC-I reduced the hardware for instruction decode and control, which enabled a flat 32-bit address space, a large set of registers, and pipelined execution. A good match to C programs and the Unix operating system, RISC-I influenced instruction sets widely used today, including those for game consoles, smartphones and tablets.
Charitable Work
From 2003 to 2012, David Patterson participated in the annual Waves to Wine MS charity event. This was a 2-day cycling adventure as part of Bike MS. He was the top fundraiser for this event for many years in a row, from 2006 to 2012.
See also
In Spanish: David A. Patterson para niños
