Leonard Kleinrock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonard Kleinrock
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Headshot of Leonard Kleinrock
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| Born | June 13, 1934 New York City, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | City College of New York Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Queueing theory, ARPANET, Internet development |
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| Institutions | University of California, Los Angeles |
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| Doctoral advisor | Edward Arthurs Claude Shannon |
| Doctoral students | Chris Ferguson |
Leonard Kleinrock (born June 13, 1934) is an American computer scientist and a key person in the history of the Internet. He is a professor at UCLA, a university in California. Kleinrock made many important contributions to how computers talk to each other in networks. He helped create the mathematical ideas behind data communication and computer networking. He has also received many important awards for his work.
In the early 1960s, Kleinrock used a math idea called queueing theory to figure out how long messages would take to travel through computer networks. In the late 1960s and 1970s, he played a big part in developing the ARPANET. This was an early computer network that led to the Internet we use today. He also taught many students who later helped create the Internet's main technologies.
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Education and Career
Leonard Kleinrock was born in New York City on June 13, 1934. He went to the famous Bronx High School of Science. He earned his first degree in Electrical Engineering in 1957 from the City College of New York. He then got his master's and doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1959 and 1963.
After finishing his studies, he joined the faculty at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He has worked there ever since. From 1991 to 1995, he was the chairman of the Computer Science Department at UCLA.
Major Achievements
Understanding Waiting Lines (Queueing Theory)
One of Kleinrock's most important works is on queueing theory. This is a part of math that studies waiting lines, or "queues." Think about waiting in line at a store or for a bus. Queueing theory helps us understand how long people or things have to wait.
In 1961, Kleinrock proposed his Ph.D. thesis, which looked at "Information Flow in Large Communication Nets." His research helped figure out how to design and operate computer networks. He studied things like how much information a network could carry and how to choose the best paths for messages. He also looked at how long messages would be delayed in these networks.
His work helped show that computer networks could work well and respond quickly enough for people to use them.
Developing the ARPANET
In 1967, Larry Roberts invited Leonard Kleinrock to join the ARPANET project. ARPANET was a very early computer network built by the U.S. government. It was a big step towards creating the Internet.
Kleinrock received a contract in 1968 to set up a Network Measurement Center (NMC) at UCLA. His job was to measure how well the ARPANET was working. He also helped design the network using his mathematical ideas.
Kleinrock led a software team at UCLA. This team included Steve Crocker, Jon Postel, and Vint Cerf. They developed the Network Control Program (NCP), which was a key part of how computers on the ARPANET communicated.
The very first message on the ARPANET was sent from Kleinrock's lab at UCLA. On October 29, 1969, a student named Charley Kline tried to send the word "login" from a UCLA computer to a computer at Stanford Research Institute. Only the letters "l" and "o" went through before the system crashed! About an hour later, they fixed it, and the full "login" message was sent.
The first permanent connection for ARPANET was made on November 21, 1969, between UCLA and Stanford. By December 5, 1969, the first four-computer network was complete.
Kleinrock even used the ARPANET for instant messaging in 1973. He sent messages from the U.S. to Larry Roberts in England. This showed how the network could be used for everyday communication.
Building the Internet
Kleinrock published many research papers. His work helped create a new area of study about how to use queueing theory for computer networks. He also guided many graduate students in their research. Many of these students went on to have important careers in computer networking. Their work on how different networks could connect (called internetworking) led to the technology used in today's Internet.
In the 1970s, Kleinrock's work helped develop the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). This is a main part of the Internet protocol suite, which are the rules that make the Internet work. His ideas on how to route information in a structured way (called hierarchical routing) are still important for the Internet today.
In 1988, Kleinrock led a group that wrote a report for the U.S. Congress. The report said there was a clear need for a national research network. This report helped Al Gore create the High Performance Computing Act of 1991. This act provided funding that helped the Internet grow into what it is today. The funding also helped create the first popular web browser, Mosaic, in 1993. This browser made the World Wide Web much more popular.
Who Invented Packet Switching?
In the 1990s, Kleinrock said that his early work on "message switching" networks was a key step towards "packet switching." Packet switching is the main way information travels on the Internet. It means breaking data into small "packets" that travel separately and then reassemble at their destination.
Kleinrock felt his math theories from 1961-1962 laid the groundwork for today's Internet. However, other Internet pioneers, like Paul Baran and Donald Davies, also worked on the idea of packet switching independently. Historians and the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame recognize Baran and Davies for their independent invention of digital packet switching.
Awards and Recognition
Leonard Kleinrock has received many awards for his important work in computer science. In 1980, he became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his pioneering work and for teaching about computer networks.
In 2001, he received the Draper Prize for his part in developing the Internet. In 2008, President George W. Bush gave him the National Medal of Science. This is the highest science honor in the U.S. The award recognized his fundamental contributions to the math behind data networks and his work on packet switching, which is the base of Internet technology. It also honored him for teaching many students who helped bring these technologies to the world.
In 2010, he shared the Dan David Prize. UCLA even restored Room 3420 in Boelter Hall to look like it did in 1969. This room is now the Kleinrock Internet Heritage Site and Archive. It opened to the public on October 29, 2011, with many Internet pioneers attending.
In 2012, Kleinrock was added to the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society. He also became an Eminent Member of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-ΗΚΝ) in 2011. This is their highest honor for people who have made outstanding contributions to electrical and computer engineering.
In 2014, he received the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award. This award recognized his important contributions to the theory and practical development of the Internet. Also in 2014, a special edition of the journal Computer Networks was published in his honor. It included articles celebrating his work on queueing theory, packet switching, and the Internet.
See also
In Spanish: Leonard Kleinrock para niños
- History of the Internet
- Internet pioneers
- Nerds 2.0.1 – a 1998 documentary where Kleinrock is interviewed.
Works
