Sanjeev Arora is one of the architects of the Probabilistically Checkable Proofs (PCP) theorem, which revolutionized our understanding of complexity and the approximability of NP-hard problems. He helped create new approximation algorithms for fundamental optimization problems such as the Sparsest Cuts problem and the Euclidean Travelling Salesman problem, and contributed to the development of semi-definite programming as a practical algorithmic tool. He has played a pivotal role in some of the deepest and most influential results in theoretical computer science, and continues to inspire colleagues and new generations of researchers.Congratulations to Sanjeev!
In other news, the IEEE Computer Society W. Wallace McDowell Award is being awarded to Ron Fagin, and the US gives a big push for big data (CCC blog has details).
Another reminder for upcoming deadlines: STOC Posters (3/31), ACM Turing Student Travel (4/2), STOC Student Travel (4/4) and FOCS papers (4/4).
Thanks, Lance.
ReplyDeleteAward citations tend to give too much credit to one person. This award I think also recognizes all the fantastic researchers ---including my many coauthors and students--- who've made approximation such a fascinating area in the past two decades.
Sanjeev Arora
Lots of congrats to Sanjeev; It is very well deserved.
ReplyDeleteMohammad Hajiaghayi
I guess I am behind the news....congrats Sanjeev! Truly deserved.
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