Manindra Agrawal

Manindra Agrawal is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), where he has been a faculty member since 1996. His research focuses on theoretical aspects of computer science with particular emphasis on computational complexity theory and computational number theory.

Dr. Agrawal completed his B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur in 1986 and his PhD in Computer Science from the same institution in 1991. His doctoral thesis, titled "Towards a Characterization of NP-Complete Sets," was supervised by Professor Somenath Biswas.

His research interests span computational complexity theory, computational number theory, algebra, and cryptography. Dr. Agrawal is best known for designing the first efficient and deterministic algorithm for testing if a number is prime, a groundbreaking result published in the Annals of Mathematics in 2004 as "PRIMES is in P." This work has had a profound impact on theoretical computer science and number theory, resolving a long-standing open problem in the field.

His publication record shows a consistent focus on fundamental problems in theoretical computer science, particularly in complexity theory and number-theoretic algorithms. His work ranges from theoretical foundations like the isomorphism conjecture for constant depth reductions to practical applications such as designing encryption algorithms for the Indian Navy and Air Force.

• Padma Shri (2013)
• Infosys Prize (2008)
• Godel Prize (2006)
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (2003)
• Clay Research Award (2002)
• Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (FNA)
• Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (FTWAS)
• Fellow of the Indian Academy of Engineering (FNAE)
• Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences (FASc)

Dr. Agrawal has advised several notable students, including Nitin Saxena and Satyadev Nandkumar, who have made significant contributions to theoretical computer science. His research group has been instrumental in advancing knowledge in computational complexity and number theory. His work on primality testing has not only theoretical significance but has also influenced practical cryptographic applications.