Edsger W. Dijkstra

Summary

Edsger W. Dijkstra is a human^[1]. He was born in Rotterdam^[2]. He was born on +1930-05-11T00:00:00Z^[3]. He died in Nuenen^[4]. He died on +2002-08-06T00:00:00Z^[5]. He worked as a mathematician^[6], physicist^[7], computer scientist^[8], engineer^[9], and university teacher^[10]. He ranks in the top 0.62% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,230 views/month, #6,240 of 1,000,298).^[11]

Key Facts

• Edsger W. Dijkstra's place of birth was Rotterdam^[2].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra passed away in Nuenen^[4].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra was born on +1930-05-11T00:00:00Z^[3].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra died on +2002-08-06T00:00:00Z^[5].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra died on +2002-08-05T00:00:00Z^[12].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra was married to Maria C. Debets^[13].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra held citizenship in Kingdom of the Netherlands^[14].
• Dutch was Edsger W. Dijkstra's native language^[15].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra worked as a mathematician^[6].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra worked as a physicist^[7].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra worked as a computer scientist^[8].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's professions included engineer^[9].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's professions included university teacher^[10].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's professions included information scientist^[16].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's field of work was informatics^[17].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's field of work was computing^[18].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's field of work was mathematics^[19].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's field of work was computer programming^[20].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's field of work was physics^[21].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra's field of work was computer algorithm^[22].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra was employed by University of Texas at Austin^[23].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra was employed by Eindhoven University of Technology^[24].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra was employed by Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica^[25].
• Edsger W. Dijkstra was employed by Burroughs Corporation^[26].
• Among Edsger W. Dijkstra's employers was Radboud University^[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Edsger W. Dijkstra was born in Rotterdam^[2]. He was born on +1930-05-11T00:00:00Z^[3]. Dutch was his native language^[15].

Education

Educated at Leiden University^[28], a university^[29], in Netherlands^[30], founded in 1575^[31], headquartered in Leiden^[32]; Gymnasium Erasmianum^[33], a Gymnasium^[34], in Netherlands^[35], founded in 1328^[36]; University of Amsterdam^[37], a university^[38], in Netherlands^[39], founded in 1632^[40], headquartered in Amsterdam^[41]; and University of Cambridge^[42], a collegiate university^[43], in United Kingdom^[44], founded in 1209^[45], headquartered in Cambridge^[46]. Edsger W. Dijkstra's doctoral advisor was Adriaan van Wijngaarden^[47].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include mathematician^[6], physicist^[7], computer scientist^[8], engineer^[9], university teacher^[10], and information scientist^[16]. Fields of work include informatics^[17], an academic major^[48], founded in 1957^[49]; computing^[18], a type of process^[50]; mathematics^[19], an academic discipline^[51]; computer programming^[20], an academic discipline^[52]; physics^[21], a branch of science^[53]; and computer algorithm^[22]. Employers include University of Texas at Austin^[23], a public research university^[54], in United States^[55], founded in 1883^[56], headquartered in Austin^[57]; Eindhoven University of Technology^[24], a university^[58], in Netherlands^[59], founded in 1956^[60], headquartered in Eindhoven^[61]; Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica^[25], a research institute^[62], in Netherlands^[63], founded in 1946^[64]; Burroughs Corporation^[26], a business^[65], in United States^[66], founded in 1886^[67], headquartered in St. Louis^[68]; and Radboud University^[27], a university^[69], in Netherlands^[70], founded in 1923^[71]. Doctoral students include Nico Habermann^[72], Martin Rem^[73], David Andrew Naumann^[74], Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut^[75], Antonetta Johanna Maria van Gasteren^[76], and Jan Tijmen Udding^[77].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Dijkstra's algorithm^[78], banker's algorithm^[79], shunting-yard algorithm^[80], smoothsort^[81], Go To Statement Considered Harmful^[82], and The humble programmer^[83]. Things named for Edsger W. Dijkstra include Dijkstra's algorithm^[84], Dijkstra Prize^[85], and structured program theorem^[86].

Recognition

Awards received include Turing Award^[87], a science award^[88], in United States^[89], founded in 1966^[90]; ACM Fellow^[91], a fellowship award^[92]; Dijkstra Prize^[93], a science award^[94], in Internationality^[95], founded in 2000^[96]; Harry H. Goode Memorial Award^[97]; Fellow of the British Computer Society^[98]; and Computer Pioneer Award^[99].

Personal Life

Among Edsger W. Dijkstra's spouses was Maria C. Debets^[13].

Death and Burial

Recorded date of death include +2002-08-06T00:00:00Z^[5] and +2002-08-05T00:00:00Z^[12]. Edsger W. Dijkstra passed away in Nuenen^[4]. The cause of death was colorectal cancer^[100].

Why It Matters

Edsger W. Dijkstra ranks in the top 0.62% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,230 views/month, #6,240 of 1,000,298).^[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 27 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.^[101] He is known by 12 alternative names across languages and contexts.^[102]

He has been cited as an influence by Niklaus Wirth^[103], a computer scientist^[104], 1934–2024^[105], of Switzerland^[106], awarded the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order^[107], specialised in information technology^[108].

He is credited with the discovery of Dijkstra's algorithm^[109], a pathfinding algorithm^[110]; Prim's algorithm^[111], an algorithm^[112]; Dutch national flag problem^[113], a mathematical problem^[114]; and smoothsort^[115], a sorting algorithm^[116]. Works attributed to him include dining philosophers problem^[117], a task^[118], written by him^[119]. Entities named for him include Dijkstra's algorithm^[84], Dijkstra Prize^[85], and structured program theorem^[86].

His notable doctoral advisees include Nico Habermann^[120], Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut^[121], Martin Rem^[122], and Kees Hemerik^[123].

FAQs

Where was Edsger W. Dijkstra born?

Edsger W. Dijkstra was born in Rotterdam^[2].

Where did Edsger W. Dijkstra die?

Edsger W. Dijkstra passed away in Nuenen^[4].

Who was Edsger W. Dijkstra married to?

Edsger W. Dijkstra's spouses include Maria C. Debets^[13].

What did Edsger W. Dijkstra do for work?

Edsger W. Dijkstra worked as mathematician^[6], physicist^[7], computer scientist^[8], engineer^[9], and university teacher^[10].

Where did Edsger W. Dijkstra go to school?

Edsger W. Dijkstra was educated at Leiden University^[28], Gymnasium Erasmianum^[33], University of Amsterdam^[37], and University of Cambridge^[42].

What awards did Edsger W. Dijkstra receive?

Honors received include Turing Award^[87], ACM Fellow^[91], Dijkstra Prize^[93], and Harry H. Goode Memorial Award^[97].

Who did Edsger W. Dijkstra influence?

Edsger W. Dijkstra has been cited as an influence by Niklaus Wirth^[103].

What did Edsger W. Dijkstra discover?

Edsger W. Dijkstra is credited as discoverer of Dijkstra's algorithm^[109], Prim's algorithm^[111], Dutch national flag problem^[113], and smoothsort^[115].