# Robert Tarjan

> American computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q92638](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q92638)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tarjan)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/robert-tarjan

## Summary

Robert Tarjan was born on April 30, 1948, in Pomona.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] He has United States citizenship.[8][1][9][5] He works as a mathematician, computer scientist, and university teacher.[10][11][9]

## Summary
Robert Tarjan is an American computer scientist and mathematician, widely recognized for his fundamental contributions to the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures. He was awarded the Turing Award in 1986 for his significant achievements in this field, including the co-invention of the Splay Tree.

## Biography
*   Born: April 30, 1948, Pomona
*   Nationality: American
*   Education: California Institute of Technology, Stanford University (Ph.D. 1972)
*   Known for: Fundamental achievements in the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures, including the Splay Tree.
*   Employer(s): Princeton University (since 1985), Hewlett-Packard (since 2002), Bell Labs (1980-1989), Stanford University (1974-1980), University of California, Berkeley (1973-1975), Cornell University (1972-1973), New York University (1981-1985), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1996)
*   Field(s): Informatics, Combinatorics

## Contributions
Robert Tarjan has made profound contributions to theoretical computer science, particularly in the realm of algorithms and data structures. His work has focused on developing efficient algorithms for various problems, especially those involving graphs and other combinatorial structures. A key achievement, recognized by the 1986 Turing Award (shared with John Edward Hopcroft), was his "fundamental achievements in the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures." He is also credited with the invention of the widely-used Splay Tree data structure, for which he received the Paris Kanellakis Award in 1999. His research has led to the design of some of the most efficient algorithms known for fundamental problems, as acknowledged by the William O. Baker Award in 1984. He has also mentored numerous doctoral students who have gone on to become notable computer scientists themselves.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Robert Tarjan best known for?
A: Robert Tarjan is best known for his fundamental achievements in the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures. He co-invented the Splay Tree data structure and developed highly efficient algorithms for graph and combinatorial problems.

### Q: What major awards has Robert Tarjan received?
A: Robert Tarjan received the Turing Award in 1986, the IMU Abacus Medal in 1982, and the Paris Kanellakis Award in 1999. He is also a Fellow of the ACM and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

### Q: Where has Robert Tarjan worked?
A: Robert Tarjan has held positions at several prominent institutions, including Princeton University, Hewlett-Packard, Bell Labs, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Cornell University, New York University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

### Q: What is Robert Tarjan's academic background?
A: Robert Tarjan studied at the California Institute of Technology and earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1972. His doctoral advisor was Robert W. Floyd.

## Why They Matter
Robert Tarjan's work has fundamentally shaped the field of computer science by providing efficient and elegant solutions to complex algorithmic problems. His contributions to the design and analysis of data structures, such as the Splay Tree, and graph algorithms have become foundational elements in computer science education and practice. The algorithms he developed are crucial for optimizing performance in various applications, from network routing to database management. His influence extends through his numerous doctoral students, many of whom have become leading figures in the field, propagating his rigorous approach to algorithmic design. The recognition through prestigious awards like the Turing Award underscores the lasting impact and significance of his theoretical advancements on both academic research and practical computing.

## Notable For
*   Recipient of the 1986 Turing Award for fundamental achievements in algorithm and data structure design and analysis.
*   Co-inventor of the widely-used Splay Tree data structure, recognized with the 1999 Paris Kanellakis Award.
*   Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) since 1994 and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) since 2009.
*   Member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Philosophical Society, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
*   Influential university teacher and doctoral advisor, having mentored many prominent computer scientists.

## Body

### Personal Details
*   **Full Name:** Robert Endre Tarjan
*   **Aliases:** Robert E. Tarjan, R.E. Tarjan, Bob Tarjan, Тарьян Роберт, Тарьян, Роберт
*   **Born:** April 30, 1948, in Pomona
*   **Nationality:** American
*   **Citizenship:** United States
*   **Sex:** Male
*   **Sibling:** James Tarjan
*   **Residence:** Princeton (since 1985)
*   **Influenced by:** Martin Gardner

### Education
*   **Undergraduate/Graduate Studies:** California Institute of Technology
*   **Doctoral Studies:** Stanford University
    *   **Doctoral Advisor:** Robert W. Floyd
    *   **Doctoral Year:** 1972

### Professional Career
*   **Occupation:** Computer scientist, mathematician, university teacher
*   **Fields of Work:** Informatics, Combinatorics
*   **Employers:**
    *   Princeton University: Since 1985
    *   Hewlett-Packard: Since 2002
    *   Bell Labs: 1980-1989
    *   Stanford University: 1974-1980
    *   University of California, Berkeley: 1973-1975
    *   Cornell University: 1972-1973
    *   New York University: 1981-1985
    *   Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 1996

### Academic Affiliations and Memberships
*   National Academy of Sciences
*   American Philosophical Society
*   American Association for the Advancement of Science
*   American Academy of Arts and Sciences
*   National Academy of Engineering
*   Association for Computing Machinery (ACM Fellow since 1994)
*   Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (Fellow since 2009)

### Awards and Honors
*   **Turing Award:** 1986 (shared with John Edward Hopcroft)
    *   *Citation:* "For fundamental achievements in the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures."
*   **Paris Kanellakis Award:** 1999
    *   *Citation:* "For their invention of the widely-used Splay Tree data structure."
*   **IMU Abacus Medal:** 1982
*   **Guggenheim Fellowship:** 1978
*   **O'Reilly Open Source Award:** 1982
*   **Frederick W. Lanchester Prize:** 1984
*   **William O. Baker Award for Initiatives in Research:** 1984
    *   *Citation:* "For his leadership in the subtle design of the most efficient algorithms known for many fundamental problems related to graphs and other combinatorial structures."

### Doctoral Students
Robert Tarjan has advised the following doctoral students:
*   Daniel Sleator
*   Ramesh Sitaraman
*   John Russell Gilbert
*   Jeff Westbrook
*   Monika Henzinger
*   Thomas Lengauer
*   Bengt Ingemar Aspvall
*   Jacabo Valdes Ayesta
*   Konstantinos Tsioutsiouliklis
*   Joan Marie Lucas

### Identifiers
*   **ISNI:** 0000000109156552
*   **GND ID:** 1070878286
*   **VIAF ID:** 73933029
*   **IDREF ID:** 067738222
*   **NUKAT ID:** n97087128
*   **Bibsys ID:** 90336469
*   **CANTIC ID:** 981058514992706706
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/0chh8
*   **Quora Topic:** Robert-Tarjan
*   **SNAC ARK ID:** w6mx7670
*   **MR Author ID:** 170865
*   **NL CR Aut ID:** jo2012695584
*   **Erdős Number:** 2
*   **DBLP Author ID:** t/RobertEndreTarjan
*   **NSZL (VIAF) ID:** 000000030174
*   **Sitelink Count:** 29
*   **Yale LUX ID:** person/ea198d6d-8fb8-4015-bdd9-e316cfbf0b62
*   **Academic Tree ID:** 188269
*   **Commons Category:** Robert Tarjan
*   **NDL Authority ID:** 00475953
*   **RERO ID (Legacy):** A003888416
*   **Scopus Author ID:** 7005824748
*   **zbMATH Author ID:** tarjan.robert-endre
*   **Canal U Person ID:** tarjan-robert-e-067738222
*   **Cinii Research ID:** 1140845216789346176
*   **Dialnet Author ID:** 4184712
*   **NLA Trove People ID:** 846865
*   **NACSIS CAT Author ID:** DA01022698
*   **WorldCat Entities ID:** E39PBJqqwdtrjpdmmdxRXKPCwC
*   **Guggenheim Fellows ID:** robert-e-tarjan
*   **Libraries Australia ID:** 35160994
*   **NSZL Name Authority ID:** 524335
*   **ResearchGate Profile ID:** Robert-Tarjan
*   **Google Scholar Author ID:** lazJixIAAAAJ
*   **CANTIC ID (Former Scheme):** a10162495
*   **Share Catalogue Author ID:** 552380
*   **Awards & Winners Artist ID:** 0chh8
*   **Canadiana Name Authority ID:** ncf12065076
*   **Encyclopædia Universalis ID:** robert-endre-tarjan
*   **ACM Digital Library Author ID:** 81100645220
*   **Lexikon der Mathematik Entry ID:** 10242
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n83163891
*   **Mathematics Genealogy Project ID:** 53460
*   **National Library of Lithuania ID:** LNB:DZB5;=BB
*   **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987007442861705171
*   **Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID:** biography/Robert-Endre-Tarjan
*   **Bibliothèque Nationale de France ID:** 12378112m
*   **University of Barcelona Authority ID:** 981058514992706706
*   **National Academy of Sciences Member ID:** 15504
*   **Nationale Thesaurus voor Auteursnamen ID:** 07010364X

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## References

1. [Source](http://cs.indstate.edu/rgodala/simple.pdf)
2. [Source](http://www.heidelberg-laureate-forum.org/blog/laureate/robert-endre-tarjan/)
3. [Source](http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1532885/Robert-Endre-Tarjan)
4. [Source](http://www.researchgate.net/publication/222775875_Updating_a_balanced_search_tree_in_O(1)_rotations)
5. [Source](http://www.in.com/robert-tarjan/profile-238439.html)
6. [Source](http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-642-15328-0_9.pdf)
7. [2012](https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~ret/Vita2012A1.pdf)
8. [Source](https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/european-journal-of-combinatorics/about/editorial-board)
9. [Source](http://jewprom.50webs.com/JewPromSite_files/sheet131.htm)
10. [Source](http://www.forvo.com/word/robert_tarjan/)
11. [Source](https://amturing.acm.org/award_winners/tarjan_1092048.cfm)
12. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/tarjan_1092048#140)
13. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/tarjan_1092048#147)
14. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/tarjan_1092048#158)
15. [Source](https://www.siam.org/prizes-recognition/fellows-program/all-siam-fellows?page=3)
16. [Source](https://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/initiatives-in-research.html)
17. [Mathematics Genealogy Project](https://www.genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=53460)
18. Mathematics Genealogy Project
19. International Standard Name Identifier
20. Virtual International Authority File
21. CiNii Research
22. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/fellows/award-recipients)
23. [Source](https://www.siam.org/prizes-recognition/fellows-program/all-siam-fellows)
24. [Source](http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Robert_Tarjan.html)
25. SNAC
26. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
27. Quora
28. [Source](http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/living-member-list.html)