Michael Rabin is renowned for his fundamental contributions to computer science theory and applications. Michael’s algorithm to quickly determine if a number is prime — the Miller–Rabin test — has been important in his work on cryptography and internet security. Michael also co-developed the Rabin–Karp string-searching algorithm, which has particular use in the computerised detection of plagiarism.
These applications are rooted in Michael’s groundbreaking theoretical contributions. He was the co-author of an early paper in computer science that introduced the concept of nondeterminism. Michael was jointly awarded the A. M. Turing Award for this paper, which continues to inspire new ideas.
Most recently, Michael co-invented hyperencryption — a provably unbreakable encryption scheme. He has also created a zero-knowledge proof that assures participants in online auctions that their identity and bidding strategy is anonymous. As well as the Turing Award, Michael’s many other accolades include the IEEE Charles Babbage Award and the EMET Prize in Computer Science.
Awards
Dan David Prize
In the field of computers and telecommunications.
