Leonard Adleman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonard Adleman
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| Born |
Leonard Max Adleman
December 31, 1945 San Francisco, California, US
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| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA, MA, PhD) |
| Known for | RSA |
| Awards | Turing Award (2002) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science Cryptography |
| Institutions | University of Southern California |
| Thesis | Number-Theoretic Aspects of Computational Complexity (1976) |
| Doctoral advisor | Manuel Blum |
Leonard Adleman, born on December 31, 1945, is a brilliant American computer scientist. He helped create the famous RSA encryption method, which keeps our online information safe. For this important work, he won the Turing Award in 2002, which is like the Nobel Prize for computers! He also started a new area of study called DNA computing and even came up with the term "computer virus".
About Leonard Adleman
Leonard M. Adleman was born in California. His family came to the United States from an area that is now Belarus. He grew up in San Francisco.
He went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he earned his first degree in mathematics in 1968. Later, in 1976, he received his Ph.D. in computer science.
Mr. Adleman also helped with the movie Sneakers as a math expert. In 1996, he became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was because of his important work in computer theory and keeping information secret. He is also part of the National Academy of Sciences.
Did you know he's also an amateur boxer? He has even sparred with famous boxer James Toney.
Amazing Discoveries
In 1994, Leonard Adleman wrote a paper about using DNA to solve computer problems. This was a huge step! He showed how DNA could be used like a tiny computer. He solved a small puzzle using DNA, which was the first time anyone had done this. This new field is called DNA computing. Many people call him the "Father of DNA Computing."
In 2002, Mr. Adleman and his team solved an even bigger problem using DNA. They used a mix of DNA strands that represented possible answers. Then, they used special lab techniques to find the correct solutions. This showed how powerful DNA computing could be for solving very complex puzzles.
He also helped discover a special math test called the Adleman–Pomerance–Rumely primality test. This test helps figure out if a very large number is a prime number.
In 1984, another scientist named Fred Cohen wrote about "computer viruses." He gave credit to Adleman for first using this term.
As of 2017, Mr. Adleman was working on a new math idea called Strata. He is a Computer Science professor at the University of Southern California.
Awards and Honors
Leonard Adleman has received many important awards for his work. For helping create the RSA encryption system, he won the 1996 Paris Kanellakis Theory and Practice Award.
In 2002, he, along with Ron Rivest and Adi Shamir, received the Turing Award. This award is often called the Nobel Prize of Computer Science because it's the highest honor in the field.
In 2006, he was chosen as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2021, he also became an ACM Fellow. These honors show how much his work has impacted the world of computer science.
See also
In Spanish: Leonard Adleman para niños
- List of famous programmers
