Thomas Kailath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Kailath
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Kailath with his late first wife, Sarah
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| Born | June 7, 1935 |
| Citizenship | American |
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| Institutions | Stanford University |
| Thesis | Communication via randomly varying channels (1961) |
| Doctoral advisor | John Wozencraft |
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Thomas Kailath, born on June 7, 1935, is a famous American engineer and professor. He was born in India. He taught at Stanford University for many years. Professor Kailath is known for his important work in electrical engineering and how information is used. He wrote many important books, like Linear Systems. He is considered one of the most important electrical engineers of the 1900s.
He was chosen to be a member of the US National Academy of Engineering in 1984. This was because of his amazing work in predicting, filtering, and processing signals. He also showed great leadership in engineering.
Early Life and Education
Thomas Kailath was born in 1935 in Pune, Maharashtra, India. His family was from Kerala, India. He went to St. Vincent's High School in Pune.
He earned his first degree in telecommunications engineering in 1956. This was from the College of Engineering, Pune. Later, he moved to the United States. He earned his master's degree in 1959. He then received his doctorate (ScD) in 1961. Both of these degrees were from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was the first student born in India to get a doctorate in electrical engineering from MIT.
Career and Research
Professor Kailath became a professor at Stanford University. He is now a professor emeritus, which means he is retired but still honored. During his time at Stanford, he guided about 80 students who were working on their Ph.D. degrees.
His research has covered many important areas. These include linear systems, estimation theory (which is about making good guesses from data), and control theory (how to make systems work as intended). He also worked on signal processing and information theory. These fields help us understand how to send and receive information clearly. He also studied semiconductor device fabrication, which is about making the tiny parts used in computers and electronics.
Professor Kailath also helped start several high-tech companies. These companies used his research to create new technologies. Some of these companies include Integrated Systems, Numerical Technologies, and Excess Bandwidth Corporation.
Awards and Recognition
Thomas Kailath has received many honors for his contributions to science and engineering.
- In 1970, he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
- He is a member of several important academies. These include the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He is also part of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- He was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.
He received the 2007 IEEE Medal of Honor. This award recognized his "exceptional development of powerful algorithms". These algorithms are special sets of rules used in computers. They are important for communications, computing, control, and signal processing. He also received the 2006 IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal.
In 2009, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan award. This is one of India's highest civilian awards. It was given for his contributions to Science and Engineering.
He also received the 2009 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award. This award was for his work in Information and Communication Technology. It recognized how his knowledge has changed the way we use information and communication every day.
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In 2012, Professor Kailath was given the National Medal of Science. This is one of the highest science awards in the United States. President Barack Obama presented him with this medal in 2014. It was for his "transformative contributions" to information and system science. The award also recognized his work in mentoring young scholars. He also helped turn scientific ideas into new businesses.
In 2017, the Marconi Society gave him their Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honored his many important contributions to information and system science. It also recognized his continuous support and development of new scientists.
Personal Life
Thomas Kailath was married to Sarah (Jacob) Kailath from 1962 until she passed away in 2008. They had four children together: Ann, Paul, Priya, and Ryan.
In 2013, Kailath married Dr. Anuradha Luther Maitra. She was an economics professor. In 2022, a gift from the couple helped create a special professorship at UC Santa Cruz. This professorship focuses on South Asian Studies. It helps advance research about South Asia and people from South Asia living in other countries.
Kailath's brother-in-law is the journalist T. J. S. George. He also received the Padma Bhushan award.
