Rina Dechter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rina Dechter
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| Born | August 13, 1950 |
| Nationality | American, Israeli |
| Alma mater | UCLA (1985, PhD) Weizmann Institute of Science (1976, MS) Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1973, BS) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence |
| Institutions | Hughes Aircraft Company Technion University of California, Irvine |
| Thesis | Studies in the Use and Generation of Heuristics (1985) |
| Doctoral advisor | Judea Pearl |
Rina Dechter was born on August 13, 1950. She is a well-known professor of computer science at the University of California, Irvine. Her work focuses on how computers can "think" and solve problems, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.
Professor Dechter studies how computers can make decisions using information that might be uncertain (probabilistic reasoning) or by following specific rules and limits (constraint-based reasoning). In 2013, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. This is a very high honor in the world of computing.
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Learning and Degrees
Rina Dechter studied a lot to become an expert in computer science. She earned her first degree, a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Statistics, from Hebrew University in 1973.
Later, she received her master's degree in Applied Mathematics from the Weizmann Institute in 1976. She then earned her highest degree, a Ph.D. in Computer Science, from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1985. Her teacher for her Ph.D. was another famous scientist named Judea Pearl.
Working in Computer Science
After finishing her studies, Professor Dechter worked at the Hughes Aircraft Company from 1985 to 1988. This was a company that made advanced technology.
From 1988 to 1990, she taught computer science at the Technion in Israel. Then, she moved to the University of California, Irvine, where she became a full professor in 1996. This means she became a top-level teacher and researcher at the university.
Professor Dechter was also a special researcher at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study from 2005 to 2006. From 2011 to 2018, she helped lead a science magazine called Artificial Intelligence.
Understanding How Computers Think
Rina Dechter wrote an important book called Constraint Processing in 2003. This book helps people learn about constraint programming. This is a way to tell computers how to solve problems by giving them rules and limits. For example, if you want to plan a school schedule, you might have rules like "no two classes can be in the same room at the same time."
She also helped edit a book that honored her Ph.D. teacher, Judea Pearl. This book was about how computers can understand cause and effect, and how they use probability to make decisions.
Professor Dechter was also the first person to use the words "deep learning" in a paper she wrote in 1986. Today, deep learning is a very important part of artificial intelligence, used in things like facial recognition and self-driving cars.
Awards and Special Honors
Rina Dechter has received many awards for her amazing work in computer science:
- In 1991, she won a Presidential Young Investigator Award from the United States National Science Foundation. This award helps young scientists do important research.
- In 1994, she became a fellow of the American Association of Artificial Intelligence. This means she is recognized as a leading expert in AI.
- In 2007, she received an award for her excellent research from the Association of Constraint Programming.
- In 2013, she was chosen as a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. She received this honor because of her important contributions to how computers can reason and solve problems using rules and probabilities.
