# Gilles Kahn

> French computer scientist (1946-2006)

**Wikidata**: [Q1651791](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1651791)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_Kahn)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gilles-kahn

## Summary
Gilles Kahn (1946–2006) was a French computer scientist and engineer, educated at the École polytechnique, who served as président-directeur général of the French national research institute INRIA from 27 May 2004 until 9 February 2006. He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the Michel Monpetit Prize (1992) and the Knight of the Legion of Honour (1996).

## Biography
- Born: 17 April 1946, 14th arrondissement of Paris
- Died: 9 February 2006, Garches
- Nationality: France
- Education: École polytechnique
- Known for: Leadership of INRIA and contributions to computer science research
- Employer(s): Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) — président-directeur général (27 May 2004–9 February 2006)
- Field(s): Computer science; artificial intelligence (associated field)
- Occupation: Computer scientist; engineer

## Contributions
Gilles Kahn combined research activity and institutional leadership within French computer science. As a researcher he produced work indexed in major bibliographic repositories (DBLP author id: k/GillesKahn; zbMATH author id: kahn.gilles), reflecting a body of publications in computer science. In recognition of his scientific contributions he received the Michel Monpetit Prize in 1992 and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1996. In administration, Kahn served as président-directeur général of INRIA from 27 May 2004 until his death on 9 February 2006; in that role he led France’s national institute for computer science and applied mathematics. He was elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences, a formal acknowledgement of his standing in the scientific community. His professional identifiers include ISNI 0000000115933717 and VIAF 9967954, and his work is cataloged across national and international library and author databases, indicating sustained scholarly output and recognition.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Gilles Kahn?
A: Gilles Kahn was a French computer scientist and engineer (born 17 April 1946, died 9 February 2006) known for his research in computer science and for serving as président-directeur général of INRIA from 27 May 2004 to 9 February 2006.

### Q: What positions did he hold?
A: He served as président-directeur général of the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) from 27 May 2004 until 9 February 2006. He was also a member of the French Academy of Sciences.

### Q: What honors did he receive?
A: He received the Michel Monpetit Prize in 1992 and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour on 31 December 1996.

### Q: Where was he educated?
A: He was educated at the École polytechnique.

## Why They Matter
Gilles Kahn’s significance rests on a combination of scholarly output and leadership within French computing. His publications are recorded in major bibliographic services (DBLP, zbMATH), showing a sustained research footprint in computer science. The Michel Monpetit Prize (1992) and his election to the French Academy of Sciences mark peer recognition of his scientific contributions. As président-directeur général of INRIA from May 2004 until his death in February 2006, Kahn occupied the top executive position of France’s national research institute for computer science and applied mathematics; that role placed him at the center of coordinating and representing French public research in computing. His national honors, institutional leadership, and bibliographic presence together indicate that he was an established figure in French computer science during his career. Without his combination of research and institutional roles, French computing research would have lacked his specific leadership at INRIA during the early 2000s and the formal recognitions that accompanied his scientific career.

## Notable For
- Serving as président-directeur général of INRIA from 27 May 2004 to 9 February 2006.
- Election as a member of the French Academy of Sciences.
- Receiving the Michel Monpetit Prize in 1992.
- Being appointed Knight of the Legion of Honour (31 December 1996).
- Authorship recorded in major bibliographic databases (DBLP author id k/GillesKahn; zbMATH author id kahn.gilles).

## Body

### Personal and biographical data
- Full name: Gilles Kahn.
- Given name: Gilles. Family name: Kahn.
- Born: 17 April 1946, 14th arrondissement of Paris.
- Died: 9 February 2006, Garches.
- Nationality: France.
- Languages: French.

### Education and early profile
- Educated at the École polytechnique (institution recorded in authoritative sources).

### Academic and research identity
- Occupation: Computer scientist and engineer.
- Field of work: Computer science (associated with artificial intelligence in broader classifications).
- Bibliographic and authority identifiers:
  - DBLP author id: k/GillesKahn.
  - zbMATH author id: kahn.gilles.
  - VIAF id: 9967954.
  - ISNI: 0000000115933717.
  - Library of Congress authority id: n84011744.
  - Bibliothèque nationale de France id: 126156654.

### Institutional leadership
- Position: président-directeur général, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA).
  - Start date: 27 May 2004.
  - End date: 9 February 2006.

### Honors and recognition
- Michel Monpetit Prize — 1992 (award recorded with point in time 1992).
- Knight of the Legion of Honour — 31 December 1996.
- Member of the French Academy of Sciences (membership recorded among structured properties).

### Other identifiers and catalog entries
- VIAF: 9967954.
- ISNI: 0000000115933717.
- Additional national library and authority records listed in bibliographic databases (e.g., NLA trove, national libraries).

### Names and aliases
- Alternate renderings/aliases recorded: Кан, Жиль.

(End of entry.)

## References

1. Fichier des personnes décédées mirror
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. BnF authorities
4. [Source](https://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/actualites/lire-michel-cosnard-prend-la-tete-de-l-inria-19389.html)
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. [Source](https://viaf.org/viaf/data/viaf-20230206-links.txt.gz)
7. CiNii Research
8. [Source](http://www.academie-sciences.fr/academie/membre/Kahn_Gilles.htm)
9. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
10. La France savante