Joseph Goguen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph A. Goguen
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Joseph Goguen in 2004
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| Born | June 28, 1941 |
| Died | July 3, 2006 (aged 65) San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University University of California, Berkeley |
| Known for | Goguen categories Formal specification Algebraic semantics Goguen categories OBJ family of programming languages Institution theory/institutional model theory Consciousness studies |
| Spouse(s) | Ryoko Amadee Goguen |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley University of Chicago IBM Research University of California, Los Angeles SRI International University of Oxford University of Edinburgh University of California, San Diego |
| Doctoral advisor | Lotfi Zadeh |
Joseph Amadee Goguen (June 28, 1941 – July 3, 2006) was an American computer scientist. He was a professor at important universities like the University of California and the University of Oxford. He also held research jobs at places such as IBM and SRI International.
In the 1960s, Joseph Goguen was one of the first researchers to work on fuzzy logic. This is a way for computers to understand information that isn't perfectly clear or "yes/no." He made big contributions to this field.
Later, in the 1970s, Goguen helped create a way to describe abstract data types using algebra. He also started and developed the OBJ family of programming languages. He wrote an important paper called A Categorical Manifesto. He also started and was the main editor for the Journal of Consciousness Studies. His work on institution theory was very important in the field of universal logic. You might hear of "Goguen implication" in fuzzy logic or "Goguen categories," which are named after him.
He was married to Ryoko Amadee Goguen. She is a talented composer, pianist, and singer.
Education and Teaching Career
Joseph Goguen studied mathematics at Harvard University, earning his first degree in 1963. He then got his PhD in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1968. His teacher there was Lotfi Zadeh, who founded fuzzy set theory.
Goguen taught at several universities. These included UC Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and University of California, Los Angeles. At UCLA, he became a full professor of computer science. He also worked as a research fellow at the IBM Watson Research Center. There, he created a group called "ADJ." He also visited the University of Edinburgh in Scotland several times as a senior visiting fellow.
From 1979 to 1988, Goguen worked at SRI International in Menlo Park, California. After that, from 1988 to 1996, he was a professor at Oxford University in England. He was also a Fellow at St Anne's College, Oxford. In 1996, he became a computer science professor at the University of California, San Diego.
Key Research Areas
Goguen's research covered many interesting topics. These included category theory (a part of mathematics), software engineering, fuzzy logic, and algebraic semantics. He also worked on user interface design, algebraic semiotics, and how science and technology affect society and morals.
Other experts have said that Goguen's work changed how we think about important ideas. These include data types, programming languages, and how we describe software.
One expert, Radim Belohlavek, noted Goguen's big impact on fuzzy sets. Lotfi Zadeh thought Goguen's 1968 paper, "The Logic of Inexact Concepts," was a key moment for fuzzy logic. Goguen's PhD paper was the first to use category theory with fuzzy logic. This led to "Goguen categories" being named after him.
In the 1970s, Goguen also explored computational automata using category theory. His research with other scientists helped create the mathematical basis for data abstraction.
In the early 1990s, Goguen and Rod Burstall created "institution theory." This theory describes different logical systems in computer science using category theory. Institution theory became a very important part of universal logic. The term "Carnapian Goguenism" is even used for applying institutions to ontologies (ways of organizing knowledge).
Goguen also studied the ideas behind computing and information. He worked on formal methods, like hidden algebra and theorem proving. He also explored relational and functional programming. He wrote a paper looking back at his work called Tossing Algebraic Flowers Down the Great Divide.
Personal Interests
Joseph Goguen was a follower of Tibetan Buddhism. From the early 1970s, he was a student of Chögyam Trungpa. After Trungpa's death, he continued his studies with Trungpa's son, Sakyong Mipham. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Goguen was also a teacher in the science program at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
Books
- Goguen, Joseph A., Algebraic Semantics of Imperative Programs, MIT Press (1996).
- Goguen, Joseph A., and Malcolm, Grant, Software Engineering with OBJ, Springer (2000).
- Kokichi Futatsugi et al., Algebra, Meaning, and Computation: Essays Dedicated to Joseph A. Goguen, Springer (2006).
See also
- List of computer scientists
