Samson Abramsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samson Abramsky
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Abramsky in May 2005
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| Born | 12 March 1953 |
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| Thesis | Domain Theory and the Logic of Observable Properties (1987) |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Bornat |
Samson Abramsky (born 12 March 1953) is a British computer scientist. He is a Professor of Computer Science at University College London. Before this, he was a professor at Wolfson College, Oxford, from 2000 to 2021.
Abramsky's early work explored how computers understand information. He also studied how different parts of a computer program interact. He helped create a new way to understand quantum computing using a math area called "categories." More recently, he has been using math ideas to solve problems in computer science. This includes understanding how complex things are in computer models.
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Education and Early Life
Samson Abramsky went to Hasmonean Grammar School for Boys in Hendon. He then studied at King's College, Cambridge. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1975. He also received a Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy in 1979. Later, he got a Diploma in Computer Science.
He continued his studies at Queen Mary, University of London. In 1988, he earned his PhD in Computer Science. His supervisor for his PhD was Richard Bornat.
Career and Research Focus
Since 2021, Professor Abramsky has been teaching computer science at University College London. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2004. This is a very important honor for scientists.
His research focuses on several key areas. He helped develop "game semantics," which is a way to understand how computer programs work. He also studies "domain theory" and "categorical quantum mechanics." This last area uses advanced math to explore quantum computation.
Previous Workplaces
Professor Abramsky has worked at several important places throughout his career:
- From 1976 to 1978, he was a programmer at GEC Computers Limited.
- He was a lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, from 1980 to 1983.
- He worked at Imperial College London from 1983 to 1995. He started as a lecturer and became a full professor.
- From 1996 to 2000, he was a Professor of Theoretical Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh.
- He held the Christopher Strachey Professor of Computing position at University of Oxford from 2000 to 2021.
Key Contributions to Computer Science
Professor Abramsky has made many important contributions to computer science. He played a big part in developing game semantics. This helps explain how programming languages behave.
His other notable works include:
- Domain theory in logical form: This is a way to understand how computer programs process information.
- Lazy lambda calculus: A method for evaluating computer code more efficiently.
- Strictness analysis: A technique to make computer programs run faster.
- Concurrency theory: Studying how multiple computer tasks can run at the same time.
- Interaction categories: A mathematical framework for understanding how different parts of a system interact.
- Geometry of interaction: A way to analyze the flow of information in complex systems.
More recently, he has been working on advanced methods for quantum computation and information. This field explores how computers can use the rules of quantum physics to solve problems.
Selected Publications
Samson Abramsky has written and edited many important papers and books. He co-edited six volumes of the Handbook of Logic in Computer Science with Dov Gabbay and Tom Maibaum. These books cover many topics in computer science logic.
Some of his other important publications include:
- 1986. Strictness analysis for higher-order functions. This paper looked at how to make computer functions more efficient.
- 1990. The Lazy Lambda Calculus. This work explored a specific way computers handle calculations.
- 1993. Computational Interpretations of Linear logic. This paper discussed how a type of logic applies to computing.
- 1994. Domain Theory. This explained a key concept in understanding computer programs.
- 1996. Interaction categories and the foundations of typed concurrent programming. This work explored how different parts of programs interact.
- 2002. Geometry of interaction and linear combinatory algebras. This paper looked at the mathematical structure of interactions.
- 2003. Sequentiality vs. concurrency in games and logic. This discussed how tasks run one after another versus at the same time.
- 2010. Introduction to categories and categorical logic. This introduced a mathematical approach to logic.
- 2012. Logical Bell Inequalities. This paper explored ideas related to quantum physics.
- 2013. Robust Constraint Satisfaction and Local Hidden Variables in Quantum Mechanics. This work connected computer science problems with quantum mechanics.
Professor Abramsky has published over two hundred papers. His h-index, a measure of how much his work is cited, was 57 as of October 2019.
Awards and Honours
Samson Abramsky has received many awards and honors for his work.
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2004.
- He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2000.
- He became a Member of Academia Europaea in 1993.
- In 2024, he received the EATCS Award. This award recognizes lifetime contributions to theoretical computer science. The award mentioned his work on domain theory, game semantics, and quantum computation.
- He was elected a Fellow of the ACM in 2014. This was for his important work in several areas of computer science.
- He was awarded the BCS Lovelace Medal in 2013.
- Three of his papers won the LiCS Test-of-Time award. This award recognizes papers that have had a lasting impact over 20 years.
- His 1987 paper, "Domain theory in Logical Form," won in 2007.
- His 1998 paper, "A Fully Abstract Game Semantics for General References," won in 2018.
- His 2004 paper, "A categorical semantics of quantum protocols," won in 2024.
- In 2007, he received an EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship. This was for his work on foundational structures for quantum informatics.
His nomination for the Royal Society highlighted his work on Game Semantics. This theory helps explain how different parts of computer programs interact. It has led to new ways to analyze and check computer programs. He also made important contributions to other areas like abstract interpretation and lambda calculus.
