Alan Cobham (mathematician)
Alan Belmont Cobham | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | June 28, 2011 (aged 83) |
| Alma mater | Oberlin College, University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation(s) | Mathematician, Computer Scientist |
| Known for | Co-developing polynomial time and complexity class P, Cobham's thesis, Cobham's theorem, invention of priority queues, contract bridge software |
Alan Belmont Cobham (November 4, 1927 – June 28, 2011) was a prominent American figure in both mathematics and computer science, best known for his role in co-developing the notion of polynomial time and the complexity class P alongside Jack Edmonds and Michael O. Rabin. He introduced Cobham's thesis, which defines feasibly solvable problems as those solvable by polynomial-time algorithms, and proved Cobham's theorem, concerning number sets that can be recognized by finite automata. His influential work also includes foundational studies on automatic sequences, the invention of priority queues with significant implications for queueing theory, and the creation of a leading contract bridge software program during the mid-1980s.
Cobham pursued education at institutions such as Oberlin College, the University of Chicago, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, although he did not obtain a doctoral degree. His career encompassed roles in operations research for the United States Navy, research positions at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center within IBM Research, and he was instrumental in establishing the computer science department at Wesleyan University, serving as its inaugural chair.