Martin Davis (mathematician)
Martin David Davis (March 8, 1928 – January 1, 2023) was an American mathematician and computer scientist who contributed to the fields of computability theory and mathematical logic. His work on Hilbert's tenth problem led to the MRDP theorem. He also advanced the Post–Turing model and co-developed the Davis–Putnam–Logemann–Loveland (DPLL) algorithm, which is foundational for Boolean satisfiability solvers.
Martin Davis
January 1, 2023 (aged 94)
Chauvenet Prize (1975)
Davis won the Leroy P. Steele Prize, the Chauvenet Prize (with Reuben Hersh), and the Lester R. Ford Award. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
Early life and education[edit]
Davis's parents were Jewish immigrants to the United States from Łódź, Poland, and married after they met again in New York City. Davis was born in New York City on March 8, 1928. He grew up in the Bronx, where his parents encouraged him to obtain a full education.[1][2] He graduated from the prestigious Bronx High School of Science in 1944 and went on to receive his bachelor's degree in mathematics from City College in 1948 and his PhD from Princeton University in 1950.[3] His doctoral dissertation, entitled On the Theory of Recursive Unsolvability, was supervised by American mathematician and computer scientist Alonzo Church.[1][2][4]
Personal life and death[edit]
Davis was married to Virginia Whiteford Palmer, a textile artist. The couple met during their time in the Urbana–Champaign area and subsequently married in 1951.[15]: 8 They had two children.[3] The couple lived in Berkeley, California, after his retirement.[5]
Davis died on January 1, 2023, at age 94.[16] His wife died the same day several hours later.[17]
Books
Articles
