# Alan M. Frieze

> British mathematician

**Wikidata**: [Q4707185](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4707185)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_M._Frieze)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/alan-m-frieze

## Summary
Alan M. Frieze is a British mathematician and computer scientist known for pioneering work in combinatorics, random graphs, and the probabilistic analysis of combinatorial algorithms. He is a professor affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University and a recipient of major honours including the Fulkerson Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

## Biography
- Born: 1945-10-25, London
- Nationality: United Kingdom
- Education: University College London; University of Oxford; University of London
- Known for: Work on combinatorics, discrete optimization, randomised algorithms, and probabilistic analysis of combinatorial algorithms
- Employer(s): Carnegie Mellon University; affiliated with the University of London
- Field(s): Combinatorics, discrete optimization, theory, informatics, computer science

## Contributions
Alan M. Frieze has authored and co-authored research on randomised algorithms and probabilistic methods in combinatorics and discrete optimization. He was a co-recipient of the Fulkerson Prize in 1991 for the paper "A random polynomial-time algorithm for approximating the volume of convex bodies" (with Martin Dyer and Ravindran Kannan), a result that provided a major randomized approach to approximating volumes of high-dimensional convex sets. He has been recognized by a Guggenheim Fellowship and named a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (2011) and a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2013) for his pioneering work on random graphs and probabilistic analysis of combinatorial algorithms. Frieze has supervised many doctoral students (including Colin Desmond Cooper, Hui Chen, Abraham D. Flaxman, and others) and maintained an active publication record in areas tying combinatorics to algorithms and informatics. His work connects theoretical advances to practical algorithm design, particularly in randomised methods for optimisation and sampling.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Alan M. Frieze?
A: Alan M. Frieze is a British mathematician and computer scientist, born in London in 1945, known for contributions to combinatorics, random graphs, and probabilistic analysis of algorithms. He is affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University.

### Q: What major awards has he received?
A: He received the Fulkerson Prize in 1991 (shared with Martin Dyer and Ravindran Kannan) for work on a random polynomial-time algorithm to approximate volumes of convex bodies. He is also a Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow of SIAM (2011) and the AMS (2013).

### Q: What are his main research areas?
A: His primary fields are combinatorics, discrete optimization, theory, informatics, and computer science, with notable work on randomised algorithms and random graphs.

## Why They Matter
Alan M. Frieze's work has shaped probabilistic methods in combinatorics and algorithm design. His contributions to randomised algorithms—most notably the work recognized by the 1991 Fulkerson Prize on approximating volumes of convex bodies—opened practical and theoretical pathways for sampling and approximation in high-dimensional spaces. As a Fellow of SIAM and the AMS, he has been singled out for "pioneering work on random graphs and probabilistic analysis of combinatorial algorithms," indicating a broad influence on how researchers approach average-case and probabilistic analyses in combinatorial problems. He has trained multiple doctoral students who continued research in related fields, extending his influence through mentorship. Without his contributions, progress in randomized approximation techniques and probabilistic combinatorics would have been slower, and several algorithmic tools used in discrete optimization and informatics would lack foundations developed or advanced by his research.

## Notable For
- Co-recipient of the Fulkerson Prize (1991) for "A random polynomial-time algorithm for approximating the volume of convex bodies" (with Martin Dyer and Ravindran Kannan).
- Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
- Elected Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (2011) for pioneering work on random graphs and probabilistic analysis of combinatorial algorithms.
- Elected Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2013).
- Longstanding affiliation with Carnegie Mellon University and an Erdős number of 2.

## Body
### Early life and education
- Born on 25 October 1945 in London.
- Educated at University College London, the University of Oxford, and the University of London.

### Academic positions and affiliations
- Employed by Carnegie Mellon University (listed employer).
- Affiliated with the University of London.
- Member of professional societies: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (Fellow, from 2011) and the American Mathematical Society (Fellow, 2013).

### Research contributions
- Focus areas: combinatorics, discrete optimization, theory, informatics, and computer science.
- Major recognized work: "A random polynomial-time algorithm for approximating the volume of convex bodies" — awarded the Fulkerson Prize in 1991 (co-authors Martin Dyer and Ravindran Kannan).
- Research emphasis on random graphs and probabilistic analysis of combinatorial algorithms (cited in SIAM fellowship citation).

### Mentorship and academic lineage
- Doctoral advisor: Keith Wolfenden.
- Doctoral students include Colin Desmond Cooper; Hui Chen; Abraham D. Flaxman; Michael Sean O'Brien Molloy; Jonathan Walter Aronson; Lei Zhao; Joseph Yadegar; El-Sayed Mohamed El-Sayed El-Horbathy; Geoffrey Atkinson; Kelley Burgin.
- Erdős number: 2.

### Awards, honors, and identifiers
- Fulkerson Prize (1991).
- Guggenheim Fellowship.
- Fellow of SIAM (2011).
- Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2013).
- Multiple authority and bibliographic identifiers: ISNI 0000000073724721; VIAF 8080033; Library of Congress n91112463; Mathematics Genealogy Project ID 40794; Google Scholar author ID EqKRQ4YAAAAJ.

### Selected metadata and memberships
- Occupations listed: mathematician; computer scientist; information scientist; university teacher.
- Languages: English.
- Citizenship: United Kingdom.

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## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps
2. Czech National Authority Database
3. Mathematics Genealogy Project
4. Guggenheim Fellows database
5. [Source](http://www.ams.org/prizes-awards/pabrowse.cgi?parent_id=17&year=1991)
6. [Source](https://www.siam.org/prizes-recognition/fellows-program/all-siam-fellows?page=1)
7. [Source](http://www.ams.org/fellows_by_year.cgi?year=2013)
8. [Source](http://www.ams.org/news?news_id=1680)
9. Virtual International Authority File
10. [Source](https://www.siam.org/prizes-recognition/fellows-program/all-siam-fellows)
11. [ORCID Public Data File 2020](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0_rc1/0000-0002-8481-5615/external-identifiers/637409)
12. CONOR.SI
13. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File