Martin Hellman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Hellman
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Martin Edward Hellman
October 2, 1945 New York City, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | New York University (BE, 1966) Stanford University (MS, 1967; PhD, 1969) |
| Known for | Diffie–Hellman key exchange |
| Awards | IEEE Centennial Medal (1984) EFF Pioneer Award (1994) Louis E. Levy Medal(1997) Golden Jubilee Awards for Technological Innovation (1998) Marconi Prize (2000) National Academy of Engineering Member (2002) Hamming Medal (2010) Computer History Museum Fellow (2011) Turing Award (2015) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Cryptography Computer science Electrical engineering |
| Institutions | Stanford University MIT IBM Research |
| Thesis | Learning with Finite Memory (1969) |
| Doctoral advisor | Thomas Cover |
| Doctoral students | Ralph Merkle Taher Elgamal |
Martin Edward Hellman (born October 2, 1945) is an American computer scientist and mathematician. He is famous for helping to create public-key cryptography. This is a super important way to keep information secret and safe online. He worked with Whitfield Diffie and Ralph Merkle on this invention.
Hellman has also shared his ideas about computer privacy. He has studied how to make sure our digital information stays private. He also looks at the risks of nuclear weapons and how to prevent them from being used.
In 2016, he wrote a book with his wife, Dorothie Hellman. The book talks about how creating love at home can help bring peace to the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Martin Hellman was born in New York City. He went to the Bronx High School of Science, a special school for smart students.
He studied electrical engineering at New York University. He earned his first degree there in 1966. Later, he went to Stanford University. He received his master's degree in 1967 and his Ph.D. (a very high degree) in 1969.
A Career in Computers
From 1968 to 1969, Hellman worked at IBM's research center. There, he met another important computer scientist, Horst Feistel.
After that, from 1969 to 1971, he was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1971, he joined the electrical engineering department at Stanford University. He taught there for 25 years. He became a full professor before retiring in 1996.
Making Information Secure: Public-Key Cryptography
In 1976, Martin Hellman and Whitfield Diffie published a very important paper. It was called New Directions in Cryptography. This paper introduced a completely new way to share secret codes, called cryptographic keys.
This new method helped solve a big problem in keeping information secret. It is now known as Diffie–Hellman key exchange. Hellman believes it should also include Ralph Merkle's name. This work led to a new type of encryption called public-key encryption. It's also known as asymmetric encryption.
This invention made it possible to send secret messages over the internet safely. For their work, Hellman and Diffie won the Marconi Prize in 2000. They also received the prestigious Turing Award in 2015.
Protecting Digital Privacy
Martin Hellman has always been interested in computer privacy. In 1975, he and Diffie spoke out about the Data Encryption Standard (DES). This was an early way to encrypt data. They worried that its key size was too short. A short key means it's easier for others to break the code.
Their concerns were proven right later on. It became clear that DES was not secure enough. By 2012, a machine costing about $10,000 could break a DES code in just a few days.
Hellman also helped the government think about how to keep digital information safe. He was part of a committee from 1994 to 1996. This group made important suggestions about how the country should handle secret codes.
Working for Global Peace
Since 1985, Hellman has also worked on international security. This means trying to make the world a safer place.
Reducing Nuclear Risks
One of Hellman's main goals is to reduce the danger of nuclear weapons. He studies the chances and risks of these weapons. He wants more people around the world to research this topic.
His website, NuclearRisk.org, shares his ideas. Many important people support his work. These include a former head of the National Security Agency and two Nobel Prize winners.
Hellman is also on the board of Daisy Alliance. This group works to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. They also want to see nuclear weapons removed from the world.
Awards and Recognition
Martin Hellman has received many awards for his important work.
- In 1980, he became an IEEE fellow for his contributions to cryptography.
- In 1997, he won the Louis E. Levy Medal.
- In 2000, he and Whit Diffie won the Marconi Prize. This was for inventing public-key cryptography.
- In 2010, he received the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal.
- In 2011, he was added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
- Also in 2011, he became a Fellow of the Computer History Museum. This was for his work on public-key cryptography with Diffie and Merkle.
Hellman and Whitfield Diffie won the Turing Award in 2015. This is often called the "Nobel Prize of computing." They won it for their paper New Directions in Cryptography. This paper introduced public-key cryptography and digital signatures. These ideas are now the basis for most security on the internet today.
See also
In Spanish: Martin Hellman para niños
