Latest news with #GodelPrize
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
The X factor: An Indian has cracked the code to randomness in the virtual world
Roll the dice, and the outcome could be anything between one and six. Such randomness fills our world. Step into the binary reality of computers, though, and randomness becomes a rare resource, much sought after and largely unobtainable. In the structured world of software programs, even computers tasked with generating a random result end up following a pattern of some kind. The closest they can come to true randomness is something called pseudo-randomness, where the patterns aren't easily visible and must be mined for. Why does this matter? Well, we don't see it any longer, but there are a myriad ways in which software programs try to safeguard or hide the information they hold. Sometimes they do this via a PIN or OTP. Sometimes it is through the use of authentication or access tokens. Asking a computer to be truly random when generating such safeguards is like asking a calculator to compose a poem. It simply isn't programmed to do it. In a world built on probability, could this gap ever be bridged? That is a question researchers have been asking since the late-1980s, from the Americans Gary Miller and Turing Award-winner Michael O Rabin to the Israelis Benny Chor and Oded Goldreich. A 35-year-old associate professor at Cornell University has now arrived at something of an answer. Theoretical computer scientist Eshan Chattopadhyay and his former doctoral supervisor David Zuckerman of University of Texas at Austin, have found a way to get computers to achieve something so close to true randomness as to be indistinguishable from it, by using two weak-random or pseudo-random strands of data. Their efforts won them the prestigious Godel Prize, jointly awarded by the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science and the Association for Computing Machinery, in June. 'It has been surreal, to be honest,' Chattopadhyay says. 'I had thought, at most, that I would prove something interesting or push the boundaries of computation and randomness. I hadn't expected this.' *** The 'this' is a randomness-extractor algorithm. Using no artificial intelligence, incidentally — just a lot of maths, complexity theory and information theory — the two men, over months of testing and refining their model, cracked a problem that had persisted for over 35 years. 'I would say that, in many ways, we were building on years of progress by others,' Chattopadhyay says. 'I think the main difference was that by the time we worked on it, the right tools had finally started to come together: some from cryptography, some from distributed computing, and even ideas from computational complexity.' The ramifications of their randomness-extractor algorithm are considerable. Computer programs that can come this close to generating randomness can also understand it better. This means that software of the future could build on the work of Chattopadhyay and Zuckerman to better analyse and predict variable systems ranging from the weather to gene selection, the spread of diseases, and the evolutions of large economies. In terms of cybersecurity, meanwhile, only a computer without the internet is currently completely secure, as Chattopadhyay points out. The algorithm could lead to new ways of protecting data and building safety mechanisms online. *** Chattopadhyay remembers being 13 when computers first caught his attention, in 2002. His true love at the time was cricket, he laughs. His father Buddhadeb Chattopadhyay, a metallurgist in Visakhapatnam, then 40 years old (and now 62), was keen to learn and experiment with the machines. Watching him, Chattopadhyay realised there was a world within his world that was governed by very different rules. Here was neatness, order and precision of a kind not common in life or nature. He fell in love with the math that underpinned it all and, in two years, was solving calculus problems intended for far older students. His family supported him. His mother Atrayee Chattopadhyay, a teacher, and his maternal grandmother Laxmi Dutta, who worked with the Reserve Bank of India, bought him books of puzzles. His father gave him free reign at a computer-training centre where the senior Chattopadhyay was now teaching programming languages in his spare time. At 17, Eshan Chattopadhyay set aside his math puzzles and began to focus all his energy on preparing for the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) — an exam so difficult, and taken by so many competing for so few seats, that less than 1% of those who take the test actually make it into one of these premier institutes. Chattopadhyay secured a seat at IIT-Kanpur and began his journey as a computer scientist. The math he encountered here changed his view of the world all over again. He began to understand that, just as this discipline shaped reality in elegant ways, it had the potential to reshape it. He knew by now that designing problems, solving problems and sending new math out into the world was what he wanted to do with his life. He knew he wanted to be a theoretical computer scientist. *** After graduation, he applied for a PhD at University of Texas at Austin. The early years here would be a confusing period. For the first time, he had no syllabus, no texts and no one telling him what goalpost to hit next. 'It was deeply frustrating,' he says, smiling. 'For two years, I read papers and discussed them with David, my PhD advisor. Week after week, it was hard to decide whether to delve deeper into one subject or switch to another.' He finally began to see a bigger picture. 'I started to see these gaps in the research of people that I had admired for years. I sat down with David and asked him, 'Is this what you've been trying to get me to see all along?'' Eventually, Chattopadhyay settled on a question that had obsessed Zuckerman too: How does one get a truly random result from imperfect random sources? Chattopadhyay published his thesis in 2016 and it sent ripples through the world of computing. He was offered a position at Princeton as a postdoctoral fellow and secured a Microsoft fellowship at University of California, Berkeley. Now, following the award, his wife Soubhagya Chattopadhyay, 33, an HR executive, and even his two-year-old daughter Meera are beaming with pride, he says. His father is opening up new textbooks all over again. 'He recently asked me, 'Should I try to learn this stuff or what?' and I said 'Yes, by all means',' Chattopadhyay says, laughing. He, for his part, remains obsessed with solving problems that remain unsolved or are poorly understood. It wasn't easy spending years not knowing if there was anything to find where he was looking, he admits. 'But this has taught me to stay persistent even when the path isn't clear. Sometimes, not knowing exactly where you're headed can mean you're in precisely the right place.'
India.com
17-06-2025
- Science
- India.com
Meet Indian genius Eshan Chattopadhyay who is awarded Godel Award in Maths for..., alumnus of..., now he...
Success story: Indian-origin Eshan Chattopadhyay has been awarded the prestigious Gödel Award. We share with you his journey from IIT Kanpur to becoming an assistant professor at the Cornell University, New York, United States. Eshan Chattopadhyay has won the Gödel Award in Theoretical Computer Science. He received this prestigious award for solving a problem that had puzzled researchers for almost 30 years. This discovery is a milestone not only in his career but also in the wider world of computing and Indian education. Eshan grew up in India and graduated from IIT Kanpur, one of the top engineering institutes in the country. He earned his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin under the guidance of David Zuckerman. He then worked on research positions at places like UC Berkeley, Microsoft Research, and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. He joined Cornell University in 2018 and became an assistant professor there in 2024. Here his work focused on pseudo randomness, extractors, and computational complexity. These works are related to modern data security and computation. Apart from the Godel Prize, Ishan Chattopadhyay has also received the Sloan Research Fellowship and the NSF Career Award. He also contributes significantly to top conferences like FOCS, STOC, and SODA, and his research continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in computer science. While the emphasis is on Artificial Intelligence at this time, Ishaan's achievement reminds us that fundamental principles still power the technology we rely on every day. Today the whole of India is proud of Ishaan.
India Today
17-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Indian-origin professor wins Godel prize for breakthrough in computer science research
Eshan Chattopadhyay, associate professor of computer science at Cornell University, and David Zuckerman, professor of computer science at the University of Texas, have been awarded the 2025 Gdel Prize for their research paper, "Explicit Two-Source Extractors and Resilient Functions". The paper showed how to turn two poor-quality random sources into one strong, reliable one—key for making secure, trustworthy computer Godel Prize is a top honour in theoretical computer science, given each year, sometimes shared, by ACM SIGACT and the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science. Named after famous logician Kurt Gdel, it recognises one research paper for its exceptional and lasting contribution to the IS RANDOMNESS EXTRACTION?Imagine you're flipping a weird coin that is not perfectly fair — sometimes it favours heads, sometimes tails. The result is still unpredictable, but not evenly so. Randomness extraction is the process of turning that weak, messy randomness into clean, strong, and fair random bits — like those from a perfect coin toss. The technique generates truly random numbers using less computing power than previous approaches, potentially boosting security for everything from credit card payments to military IS THE INDIAN-ORIGIN PROFESSOR?Chattopadhyay completed his PhD at UT Austin before joining Cornell University, where he now works on pseudorandomness, circuit complexity, and communication complexity, according to the University of addition to the current honour, Chattopadhyay received a Sloan Research Fellowship in 2023, a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award in 2021 and an NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative award in conducted postdoctoral work at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing at the University of California, earned his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin in 2016 and his BTech at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in 2011, both in computer science, according to Cornell work was originally published in the proceedings of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC) in 2016, where it received the Best Paper award, and later in the Annals of Mathematics in 2019, according to Cornell applications in complexity theory and cryptography, techniques introduced in the paper opened new approaches to long-standing problems in pseudo-randomness and explicit his happiness, Chattopadhyay said, "This recognition is truly an incredible honour. The Gdel Prize has celebrated some of the most beautiful and foundational work in our field. It feels surreal and deeply gratifying that our paper is being placed in that category."
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Who is Indian-origin Eshan Chattopadhyay who won the prestigious Godel Prize in Maths? Why is the award so important?
Eshan Chattopadhyay , an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University , has won the 2025 Godel Prize , one of the highest honors in theoretical computer science . He received this prestigious award for solving a problem that had puzzled researchers for nearly 30 years. His breakthrough involved creating a two-source extractor that works even when both sources of randomness are weak. This discovery is a milestone not just in his career but also in the broader world of computing and Indian academia. His Ph.D. mentor was renowned computer scientist David Zuckerman at the University of Texas at Austin . Eshan Chattopadhyay: A profile of excellence Eshan grew up in India and completed his undergraduate studies at IIT Kanpur , one of the country's top engineering institutes. He went on to earn his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin under the guidance of David Zuckerman. After that, he held research positions at places like UC Berkeley, Microsoft Research, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He joined Cornell University in 2018 and became an Associate Professor in 2024. His work focuses on pseudo randomness, extractors, and computational complexity, areas that support modern data security and efficient computation. What makes the Godel Prize so prestigious? The Godel Prize is one of the most respected awards in theoretical computer science. Named after the famous logician Kurt Godel, it is jointly given by the ACM SIGACT and the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science. The award honors research that makes a lasting impact on the field. Winning this prize signals that a scientist's work has changed the way we think about computing at its most fundamental level. It marks the recipient as one of the global leaders in math and computer science. Why is Eshan Chattopadhyay's work a breakthrough? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Chattopadhyay solved a problem in randomness extraction , how to generate reliable random numbers using two poor sources of randomness. This kind of randomness is vital in fields like cryptography, secure communications, and data compression. For decades, experts believed it was impossible to do this under the conditions Chattopadhyay tackled. His research proved otherwise, showing that even weak inputs could produce strong randomness. It's a game-changing idea that will shape future work in both theory and real-world technology. Mentorship and legacy: The influence of David Zuckerman Chattopadhyay's work builds on the foundation laid by his advisor David Zuckerman, a leader in the study of randomness and complexity. Their partnership, which includes both academic papers and public outreach writing like 'How random is your randomness?', reflects a deep commitment to advancing computer science. Zuckerman's mentorship helped Chattopadhyay think boldly and tackle hard problems. Honors, teaching and future impact Besides the Godel Prize, Chattopadhyay has also received the Sloan Research Fellowship and the NSF CAREER Award. He is known at Cornell for teaching challenging courses and shaping young minds. He contributes regularly to top conferences like FOCS, STOC, and SODA. His research continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in computer science. Why this recognition matters globally Chattopadhyay's win is a proud moment for Indian-origin scholars and shows India's growing role in global science. While much of today's attention goes to applied AI, his achievement reminds us that fundamental theory still powers the technology we rely on every day. His work is a call to value deep thinking and bold questions in a fast-moving digital world.
