Norman Abramson
Encyclopedia
Norman Abramson is an American engineer and computer scientist, most known for developing the ALOHAnet
system for wireless computer communication.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he received an A.B.
in physics
from Harvard University
(1953), an M.A.
in Physics
from UCLA (1955), and a Ph.D.
in electrical engineering
from Stanford University
(1958).
He worked as a research engineer in the Hughes Aircraft Company until 1955, when he joined the
faculty at Stanford University
(1955–65), was visiting professor at University of California at Berkeley (1966), before moving to University of Hawaii
(1968–94), serving as professor
of both Electrical Engineering
and Computer Science
, and Director of Aloha Systems.
He is currently the Vice President of Aloha Networks, established in San Francisco (1994).
His early research concerned radar signal characteristics
and sampling theory
,
as well as frequency modulation
and digital communication channels, error correcting codes,
pattern recognition
and machine learning
and computing for seismic analysis
.
In the late 1960s he worked on the ALOHAnet
and continued to develop spread spectrum
techniques in the 1980s.
ALOHAnet
ALOHAnet, also known as the ALOHA System, or simply ALOHA, was a pioneering computer networking system developed at the University of Hawaii. ALOHAnet became operational in June, 1971, providing the first public demonstration of a wireless packet data network.The ALOHAnet used a new method of...
system for wireless computer communication.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
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...
(1953), an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from UCLA (1955), and a 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...
in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1958).
He worked as a research engineer in the Hughes Aircraft Company until 1955, when he joined the
faculty at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1955–65), was visiting professor at University of California at Berkeley (1966), before moving to 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...
(1968–94), serving as professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of both Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
and Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, and Director of Aloha Systems.
He is currently the Vice President of Aloha Networks, established in San Francisco (1994).
His early research concerned radar signal characteristics
Radar signal characteristics
A radar system uses a radio frequency electromagnetic signal reflected from a target to determine information about that target. In any radar system, the signal transmitted and received will exhibit many of the characteristics described below....
and sampling theory
Sampling theory
sampling theory may mean:* Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem, digital signal processing * Statistical sampling* Fourier sampling...
,
as well as frequency modulation
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
and digital communication channels, error correcting codes,
pattern recognition
Pattern recognition
In machine learning, pattern recognition is the assignment of some sort of output value to a given input value , according to some specific algorithm. An example of pattern recognition is classification, which attempts to assign each input value to one of a given set of classes...
and machine learning
Machine learning
Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is a scientific discipline concerned with the design and development of algorithms that allow computers to evolve behaviors based on empirical data, such as from sensor data or databases...
and computing for seismic analysis
Seismic analysis
Seismic Analysis is a subset of structural analysis and is the calculation of the response of a building structure to earthquakes...
.
In the late 1960s he worked on the ALOHAnet
ALOHAnet
ALOHAnet, also known as the ALOHA System, or simply ALOHA, was a pioneering computer networking system developed at the University of Hawaii. ALOHAnet became operational in June, 1971, providing the first public demonstration of a wireless packet data network.The ALOHAnet used a new method of...
and continued to develop spread spectrum
Spread spectrum
Spread-spectrum techniques are methods by which a signal generated in a particular bandwidth is deliberately spread in the frequency domain, resulting in a signal with a wider bandwidth...
techniques in the 1980s.
Awards
- 1972: IEEE Sixth Region Achievement Award for contributions to Information Theory and Coding.
- 1980: IEEE Fellow Award for development of the ALOHA-System..
- 1992: Pacific Telecommunications Council 20th Anniversary Award for leadership in the PTC.
- 1995: IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award for development of the ALOHA System.
- 1998: Golden Jubilee Award for Technological Innovation from the IEEE Information Theory SocietyIEEE Information Theory SocietyThe IEEE Information Theory Society , formerly the IEEE Information Theory Group, is a professional society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers focused on several aspects of information: its processing, transmission, storage, and usage; and the "foundations of the...
, for "the invention of the first random-access communication protocol". - 2000: Technology Award from the German Eduard Rhein Foundation.
- 2007: 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...
. - 2011: C&C PrizeC&C PrizeC&C Prizes is an award given by the NEC Corporation "in recognition of outstanding contributions to research and development and/or pioneering work in the fields of semiconductors, computers, telecommunications and their integrated technologies." Established in 1985, through the NEC's nonprofit...
.
Publications
- Information theory and coding (McGraw-HillMcGraw-HillThe McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
, 1963) - Computer communication networks (Prentice-Hall, 1973). Editor with Franklin F. Kuo
External links
- Biography from IEEE
- Oral history interview with Severo Ornstein, Charles Babbage InstituteCharles Babbage InstituteThe Charles Babbage Institute is a research center at the University of Minnesota specializing in the history of information technology, particularly the history since 1935 of digital computing, programming/software, and computer networking....
, University of Minnesota. OrnsteinSevero OrnsteinSevero M. Ornstein is a retired computer scientist and son of Russian-American composer Leo Ornstein. In 1955 he joined MIT's Lincoln Laboratory as a programmer and designer for the SAGE air-defense system. He later joined the TX-2 group and became a member of the team that designed the LINC. He...
discusses the computing contributions of Wesley ClarkWesley ClarkWesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
and Norman Abramson.