Gordon Plotkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon Plotkin
FRS FRSE MAE
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Plotkin in 2005
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Gordon David Plotkin
9 September 1946 Glasgow, Scotland
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| Alma mater | University of Glasgow (BSc) University of Edinburgh (PhD) |
| Known for | Programming Computable Functions Unbounded nondeterminism Operational semantics Domain theory |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Logic Mathematics Computer science |
| Institutions | University of Edinburgh Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science School of Informatics University of Glasgow |
| Thesis | Automatic methods of inductive inference (1972) |
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Gordon David Plotkin was born on September 9, 1946. He is a very important computer scientist from Scotland. He works at the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Plotkin is famous for his ideas about how computer programs work. He helped create ways to understand the exact meaning and behavior of programming languages. These ideas are called operational semantics and denotational semantics. His work has greatly influenced how computer programs are designed and studied.
Early Life and Education
Gordon Plotkin studied at two well-known universities in Scotland. He first went to the University of Glasgow. There, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1967.
Later, he continued his studies at the University of Edinburgh. He completed his PhD in 1972. His main supervisor for his doctoral degree was Rod Burstall.
Career and Important Work
After finishing his studies, Gordon Plotkin stayed at the University of Edinburgh. He became a key part of the university's computer science department.
He helped start the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science (LFCS). This lab focuses on the basic ideas behind computer science. He worked alongside other famous scientists like Rod Burstall and Robin Milner.
Professor Plotkin has also guided many students. Some of his former PhD students are now well-known computer scientists themselves. These include Luca Cardelli and Eugenio Moggi.
His research has explored many areas of computer science. He has looked at how to make computers "think" and learn. He also studies the rules that make up different computer languages.
Awards and Recognition
Gordon Plotkin has received many important awards for his work. In 1992, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.
He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE). He is a member of the Academia Europæa. This group includes top scientists from across Europe.
He also won the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. In 2012, he received the Milner Award. This award recognized his deep research into how programming languages work. His ideas have had a lasting impact on how these languages are built.
