Princeton University Press author Avi Wigderson has been honored with the 2023 ACM A.M. Turing Award, given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and widely referred to be the “Nobel Prize of computing.”
The ACM announcement notes that the 2023 award is being given in recognition of Wigderon’s “foundational contributions to the understanding of the role of randomness and pseudorandomness in computation,” while also celebrating his decades-long “intellectual leadership in theoretical computer science” and reputation as an esteemed mentor. Wigderson, the Herbert H. Maass Professor in the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Mathematics, previously received the prestigious Abel Prize, mathematics’ highest honor, making him the first person to receive both awards.
Wigderson is the author of Mathematics and Computation: A Theory of Technology and Science, an introduction to computational complexity theory, its connections and interactions with mathematics, and its central role in the natural and social sciences, technology, and philosophy. Another book, Optimization, Invariants, and Complexity is under contract with Princeton University Press for forthcoming publication.
The annual Turing Award, named in honor of British mathematician Alan M. Turing, is given for major contributions of lasting importance to computing and carries a $1 million prize. From Princeton University Press’s list, prior year winners include computer scientist Leslie Valiant, author of The Importance of Being Educable: A New Theory of Human Uniqueness.