Tommaso Toffoli
Encyclopedia
Tommaso Toffoli is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Boston University
. He joined the faculty in 1995. He was born in June, 1943 in Montereale Valcellina
, in northeastern Italy, and was raised in Rome. He received his doctorate in physics from the University of Rome La Sapienza
in 1967. In 1976 he received a Ph.D. in computer and communication science from the University of Michigan
. In 1977, he joined the faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. He currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has two children.
He has worked on cellular automata
and the theory of artificial life
(with Edward Fredkin
and others), and is known for the invention of the Toffoli gate
.
Tommaso Toffoli is currently working on a new book.
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. He joined the faculty in 1995. He was born in June, 1943 in Montereale Valcellina
Montereale Valcellina
Montereale Valcellina is a comune in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 110 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km north of Pordenone....
, in northeastern Italy, and was raised in Rome. He received his doctorate in physics from the University of Rome La Sapienza
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
in 1967. In 1976 he received a Ph.D. in computer and communication science from the 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...
. In 1977, he joined the faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. He currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has two children.
He has worked on cellular automata
Cellular automaton
A cellular automaton is a discrete model studied in computability theory, mathematics, physics, complexity science, theoretical biology and microstructure modeling. It consists of a regular grid of cells, each in one of a finite number of states, such as "On" and "Off"...
and the theory of artificial life
Artificial life
Artificial life is a field of study and an associated art form which examine systems related to life, its processes, and its evolution through simulations using computer models, robotics, and biochemistry. The discipline was named by Christopher Langton, an American computer scientist, in 1986...
(with Edward Fredkin
Edward Fredkin
Edward Fredkin is an early pioneer of digital physics. In recent work, he uses the term digital philosophy . His primary contributions include his work on reversible computing and cellular automata...
and others), and is known for the invention of the Toffoli gate
Toffoli gate
In computer science, the Toffoli gate , invented by Tommaso Toffoli, is a universal reversible logic gate, which means that any reversible circuit can be constructed from Toffoli gates...
.
Tommaso Toffoli is currently working on a new book.
Books
- Cellular Automata Machines: A New Environment for Modeling, MIT Press (1987), with Norman MargolusNorman MargolusNorman H. Margolus is an Canadian-American physicist and computer scientist, known for his work on cellular automata and reversible computing...
. ISBN 0-262-20060-0.