# Irit Dinur

> Israeli mathematician

**Wikidata**: [Q92810](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q92810)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irit_Dinur)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/irit-dinur

## Summary
Irit Dinur is an Israeli mathematician and computer scientist known for her significant contributions to theoretical computer science, particularly in the field of combinatorics and differential privacy. She received the prestigious Gödel Prize in 2019 for her work in theoretical computer science.

## Biography
- Born: March 4, 1973 in Jerusalem, Israel
- Nationality: Israel
- Education: Doctor of Philosophy from Tel Aviv University, advised by Shmuel Safra
- Known for: Contributions to combinatorics and computer science, particularly in the development of differential privacy
- Employer(s): Weizmann Institute of Science
- Field(s): Computer science, combinatorics

## Contributions
Irit Dinur has made fundamental contributions to theoretical computer science, particularly in the field of probabilistically checkable proofs (PCPs) and the unique games conjecture. Her most influential work includes the development of the theory of differential privacy and its application to preserving privacy in statistical databases. She published groundbreaking papers in theoretical computer science that transformed how we think about privacy in data analysis. Her work has enabled practical privacy-preserving methods that are now widely used in industry and government. Dinur's approach to proving the PCP theorem using gap amplification techniques has become a cornerstone of modern theoretical computer science, providing new tools for understanding the limits of approximation algorithms.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Irit Dinur's Erdős number?
A: Irit Dinur has an Erdős number of 2, placing her within two publications of the renowned mathematician Paul Erdős in the academic collaboration network.

### Q: What awards has Irit Dinur received for her work?
A: Dinur has received multiple prestigious awards including the Gödel Prize (2019), Anna and Lajos Erdős Prize (2012), Michael Bruno Memorial Award (2007), Paris Kanellakis Award (2021), and the Nessyahu prize (2003).

### Q: What is differential privacy and why is it significant?
A: Differential privacy is a mathematical framework for quantifying and managing privacy risks in statistical databases. Dinur contributed significantly to its development and applications, enabling organizations to share insights from data while protecting individual privacy.

### Q: Where does Irit Dinur currently work?
A: Dinur is affiliated with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, where she conducts her research in computer science and mathematics.

## Why They Matter
Irit Dinur's work has fundamentally transformed theoretical computer science by providing new mathematical tools for understanding computational complexity and privacy preservation. Her proof of the PCP theorem using gap amplification techniques has become a standard approach in the field, influencing decades of subsequent research. The differential privacy framework she helped develop has become the gold standard for privacy-preserving data analysis, enabling vital research and data sharing while protecting individual privacy. Her recognition with the Gödel Prize, the most prestigious award in theoretical computer science, underscores her lasting impact on the field.

## Notable For
- Received the Gödel Prize in 2019 for her contributions to theoretical computer science
- Won the Paris Kanellakis Award in 2021 specifically for her work on differential privacy applications to statistical databases
- Has an Erdős number of 2 in the academic collaboration network
- Her development of gap amplification techniques for proving the PCP theorem has become a foundational method in theoretical computer science
- Received the Anna and Lajos Erdős Prize in Mathematics in 2012, recognizing her exceptional contributions to mathematics

## Body
### Education and Background
Irit Dinur was born on March 4, 1973, in Jerusalem, Israel. She pursued her doctoral studies at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Israeli computer scientist Shmuel Safra. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree, establishing herself as a prominent researcher in theoretical computer science and combinatorics.

### Research Contributions
Dinur's most significant research contributions include her work on the Probabilistically Checkable Proofs (PCP) theorem and the Unique Games Conjecture. She developed innovative "gap amplification" techniques that became fundamental to proving the PCP theorem in a more accessible way. Her approach simplified and illuminated this cornerstone result in theoretical computer science.

Dinur also made substantial contributions to the development of differential privacy, a mathematical framework that allows for quantifying the privacy guarantees of statistical databases. Her work in this area has been recognized with the Paris Kanellakis Award in 2021 specifically for "the formulation and development of the theory of differential privacy and its application to preserving privacy in statistical databases."

### Professional Affiliations
Dinur is currently affiliated with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, where she continues her research in theoretical computer science and combinatorics. Her academic contributions have earned her recognition in multiple fields, with her research papers influencing both theoretical computer science and practical applications in data privacy.

### Academic Recognition
In addition to the Gödel Prize (2019) and Paris Kanellakis Award (2021), Dinur has received numerous other prestigious awards including the Anna and Lajos Erdős Prize in Mathematics (2012), Michael Bruno Memorial Award (2007), and the Nessyahu prize (2003). She has an Erdős number of 2, placing her within two collaborations of the renowned mathematician Paul Erdős in the academic network. Her work has been published in leading journals and conference proceedings in theoretical computer science and mathematics.

## References

1. [Source](http://imu.org.il/Prizes/ErdosPrize/#english)
2. [Source](https://iias.huji.ac.il/brunolaureates)
3. [Source](http://eatcs.org/index.php/component/content/article/1-news/2807-2019-03-12-20-31-09)
4. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/award-recipients/dinur_7594620)
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. [Source](https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet/freeTools.html?version=2)
7. Mathematics Genealogy Project