Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Creator of the ALGOL programming language, Dijkstra was one of the most influential members of computing science's founding generation. Among the domains in which his scientific contributions are fundamental are algorithm design, programming languages, program design, operating systems, distributed processing, formal specification and verification, and the design of mathematical arguments.

In addition, Dijkstra was intensely interested in teaching, and in the relationships between academic computing science and the software industry.

During his forty-plus years as a computing scientist, which included positions in both academia and industry, Dijkstra's contributions brought him many prizes and awards, including computing science's highest honor, the ACM Turing Award.