Avi Wigderson

Avi Wigderson is the Herbert H. Maass Professor at the School of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton. He leads the Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics (CSDM) activities at IAS, focusing on foundational questions in computational complexity, randomness, and their applications. His research bridges theoretical computer science, mathematics, and physics, addressing challenges such as P vs NP, quantum computing, and cryptographic security.

Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics from Princeton University (1983), with prior roles including professorships at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and visiting positions at Princeton University and UC Berkeley.

Research interests span computational complexity theory, randomness in computation, cryptography, quantum computation, and pseudorandomness. He has pioneered work on derandomization, probabilistic proof systems, and the interplay between algebraic structures and computational efficiency.

Awards include the 2023 ACM Turing Award, 2021 Abel Prize, Rolf Nevanlinna Prize (1994), and Gödel Prize (2009). His contributions to theoretical computer science and mathematics have profoundly impacted areas like algorithm design, cryptography, and computational geometry.

Key contributions include work on pseudorandomness, proof complexity, and the role of randomness in computation. He has also explored applications of computational methods to mathematics, such as algebraic geometry and number theory.