# Maurice Herlihy

> American computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q6793194](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6793194)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Herlihy)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/maurice-herlihy

## Summary
Maurice Herlihy is an American computer scientist known for his foundational work in distributed computing and concurrent programming. He is a professor at Brown University and has received major awards including the Dijkstra Prize, Gödel Prize, and W. Wallace McDowell Award for his contributions to multi-processor computation.

## Biography
- Born: January 4, 1954, United States
- Nationality: American
- Education: Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; educated at Harvard University
- Known for: Fundamental contributions to the theory and practice of multi-processor computation
- Employer(s): Brown University
- Field(s): Computer science, distributed computing, concurrent programming

## Contributions
Maurice Herlihy has made groundbreaking contributions to distributed computing and concurrent programming. He developed fundamental algorithms for synchronization and coordination in multi-processor systems, including work on wait-free synchronization and transactional memory. His research has enabled more efficient and reliable parallel computing systems. Herlihy has published extensively in top computer science venues and has mentored numerous doctoral students who have gone on to influential careers in academia and industry. His work on distributed systems has become foundational reading in computer science curricula worldwide.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Maurice Herlihy known for?
A: Maurice Herlihy is known for his fundamental contributions to distributed computing and concurrent programming, including wait-free synchronization algorithms and transactional memory systems.

### Q: Where does Maurice Herlihy work?
A: Maurice Herlihy is a professor at Brown University, where he has been a faculty member and researcher.

### Q: What awards has Maurice Herlihy received?
A: Maurice Herlihy has received the Dijkstra Prize (2012), Gödel Prize (2004), and W. Wallace McDowell Award (2013) for his contributions to computer science.

## Why They Matter
Maurice Herlihy's work has fundamentally shaped how modern computer systems handle concurrency and distributed computing. His algorithms for wait-free synchronization solved critical problems in parallel computing that enabled the development of more reliable and efficient multi-processor systems. His research on transactional memory has influenced how modern programming languages handle concurrent operations. The theoretical foundations he established continue to guide the design of distributed systems, databases, and parallel computing architectures. Without his contributions, many of the advances in scalable computing that power today's internet services and cloud computing would not have been possible.

## Notable For
- Recipient of the Dijkstra Prize (2012) for outstanding papers in distributed computing
- Winner of the Gödel Prize (2004) for outstanding papers in theoretical computer science
- Awarded the W. Wallace McDowell Award (2013) for fundamental contributions to multi-processor computation
- Developed foundational algorithms for wait-free synchronization in concurrent systems
- Mentored over a dozen doctoral students who have become influential computer scientists

## Body
### Academic Background
Maurice Herlihy earned his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied under Barbara Liskov, a renowned computer scientist. He also attended Harvard University as part of his education.

### Research Focus
Herlihy's research focuses on distributed computing, concurrent programming, and multi-processor systems. His work addresses fundamental challenges in coordinating multiple processors and ensuring correct behavior in concurrent systems.

### Key Publications
Herlihy has published numerous influential papers in distributed computing, including seminal work on wait-free synchronization that introduced new theoretical frameworks for understanding concurrent algorithms. His publications have become standard references in computer science education.

### Professional Recognition
Beyond his major awards, Herlihy is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM Fellow, 2005) and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has an Erdős number of 3, indicating his connections within the mathematical research community.

### Mentorship
Herlihy has supervised numerous doctoral students at Brown University, including notable researchers like Roger Wattenhofer, Costas Busch, Lucia Penso, and Thomas D. Dickerson. His students have gone on to academic and industry positions worldwide.

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## References

1. Czech National Authority Database
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. [Source](http://cs.brown.edu/~mph/)
4. [Source](http://www.podc.org/dijkstra/2012-dijkstra-prize/)
5. [Source](https://sigact.org/prizes/g%C3%B6del.html)
6. [Source](https://www.computer.org/volunteering/awards/mcdowell)
7. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/fellows/award-recipients)
8. Virtual International Authority File
9. CiNii Research
10. IdRef
11. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File