David Slepian
Encyclopedia
David S. Slepian was an American
mathematician
.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
he studied B.Sc. at University of Michigan
before joining the forces in World War II
,
as Sonic deception officer in the Ghost army.
He received his Ph.D.
from Harvard University
in 1949, for a dissertation in physics. After post-doctoral work at
University of Cambridge
and University of Sorbonne, he worked at the Mathematics Research Center at Bell Telephone Laboratories
, where he pioneered work in algebraic coding theory on group code
s, first published in the paper A Class of Binary Signaling Alphabets. Here, he also worked along with other information theory giants as Claude Shannon and Richard Hamming
. He also proved the possibility of singular detection, a perhaps unintuitive result. He is also known for
Slepian's lemma in probability theory
(1962), and for discovering a fundamental result in
distributed source coding
called Slepian-Wolf coding
with Jack Keil Wolf
(1973).
He later joined the University of Hawaii
. His father was Joseph Slepian
, also a scientist. His wife is the noted children's author Jan Slepian
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
he studied B.Sc. at University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
before joining the forces in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
,
as Sonic deception officer in the Ghost army.
He received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1949, for a dissertation in physics. After post-doctoral work at
University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and University of Sorbonne, he worked at the Mathematics Research Center at Bell Telephone Laboratories
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
, where he pioneered work in algebraic coding theory on group code
Group code
In computer science, group codes are a type of code. Group codes consist ofn linear block codes which are subgroups of G^n, where G is a finite Abelian group....
s, first published in the paper A Class of Binary Signaling Alphabets. Here, he also worked along with other information theory giants as Claude Shannon and Richard Hamming
Richard Hamming
Richard Wesley Hamming was an American mathematician whose work had many implications for computer science and telecommunications...
. He also proved the possibility of singular detection, a perhaps unintuitive result. He is also known for
Slepian's lemma in probability theory
Probability theory
Probability theory is the branch of mathematics concerned with analysis of random phenomena. The central objects of probability theory are random variables, stochastic processes, and events: mathematical abstractions of non-deterministic events or measured quantities that may either be single...
(1962), and for discovering a fundamental result in
distributed source coding
Distributed source coding
Distributed source coding is an important problem in information theory and communication. DSC problems regard the compression of multiple correlated information sources that do not communicate with each other...
called Slepian-Wolf coding
Slepian-Wolf coding
Slepian–Wolf coding is a method of coding using two compressed correlated sources....
with Jack Keil Wolf
Jack Keil Wolf
Jack Keil Wolf was an American researcher in information theory and coding theory.-Biography:Wolf was born in 1935 in Newark, New Jersey, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1956 and his Ph.D...
(1973).
He later joined the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
. His father was Joseph Slepian
Joseph Slepian
Joseph Slepianwas an American electrical engineer known for his contributions to the developments of electrical apparatus and theory....
, also a scientist. His wife is the noted children's author Jan Slepian
Jan Slepian
Jan Slepian is an author of books for children and young adults. Born Janice Berek in New York City, she obtained a degree in psychology at Brooklyn College, later doing graduate work in clinical psychology and speech pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle...
.
Awards
- IEEE FellowIEEE FellowAn IEEE member is elevated to the grade of IEEE Fellow for "unusual distinction in the profession and shall be conferred by the Board of Directors upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest"...
- Fellow of Institute of Mathematical StatisticsInstitute of Mathematical StatisticsThe Institute of Mathematical Statistics is an international professional and scholarly society devoted to the development, dissemination, and application of statistics and probability. The Institute currently has about 4,000 members in all parts of the world...
- Claude E. Shannon AwardClaude E. Shannon AwardThe Claude E. Shannon Award of the IEEE Information Theory Society was instituted to honour consistent and profound contributions to the field of information theory. Each Shannon Award winner is expected to present a Shannon Lecture at the following IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory...
from the IEEE Information Theory Group 1974, and due to this also the Shannon Lecturer 1974. - National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
elected member 1976 - National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
elected member 1977 - IEEE Alexander Graham Bell MedalIEEE Alexander Graham Bell MedalThe IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal is an award honoring "exceptional contributions to the advancement of communications sciences and engineering" in the field of telecommunications...
1981 - IEEE Centennial MedalIEEE Centennial MedalThe IEEE Centennial Medal was a medal minted and awarded in 1984 to celebrate the Centennial of the founding of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 1884.The medal obverse shows 1884 in calligraphic writing and 1984 in an LCD font...
1984 - Society for Industrial and Applied MathematicsSociety for Industrial and Applied MathematicsThe Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics was founded by a small group of mathematicians from academia and industry who met in Philadelphia in 1951 to start an organization whose members would meet periodically to exchange ideas about the uses of mathematics in industry. This meeting led...
’s John von Neumann lecture award 1982 - American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
elected member