Robert Fano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Fano
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Prof. Fano in his office at MIT in 2012
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| Born |
Roberto Mario Fano
11 November 1917 |
| Died | 13 July 2016 (aged 98) |
| Citizenship | United States of America |
| Alma mater | MIT |
| Known for | Shannon-Fano coding, founder of Project MAC |
| Awards | IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal (1977) Shannon Award (1976) IEEE Fellow (1954) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | computer science, information theory |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Thesis | Theoretical Limitations on the Broadband Matching of Arbitrary Impedances (1947) |
| Doctoral advisor | Ernst Guillemin |
Roberto Mario "Robert" Fano was a smart Italian-American scientist. He was born in Turin, Italy, on November 11, 1917. He became a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, he taught about electrical engineering and computer science. He passed away on July 13, 2016, when he was 98 years old.
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Robert Fano's Big Ideas
Robert Fano was famous for his work in a field called information theory. This area of study looks at how we can measure, store, and send information. Think about how your phone sends messages or how computers store videos. Information theory helps us do that well.
What is Shannon-Fano Coding?
One of Fano's most important inventions was something called Shannon–Fano coding. He created this with another famous scientist named Claude Shannon. This special code helps computers make information smaller. It's like packing a big suitcase into a smaller one. This makes it faster and easier to send data. For example, it helps when you download files or stream videos online.
Project MAC and Early Computers
Robert Fano also helped start something very important at MIT called Project MAC. This project was a big step in making computers more useful. It helped create early computer systems that many people could use at the same time. This was a new idea back then. It also led to the development of early versions of the internet.
Awards and Recognition
Robert Fano received many important awards for his work. These awards showed how much his ideas helped the world of science and technology. Some of his awards include:
- The Claude E. Shannon Award in 1976. This is a very high honor in information theory.
- The IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal in 1977. This award recognized his great teaching.
His work helped shape how we use computers and send information today.
