PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Avi Wigderson

Avi Wigderson is a theoretical computer scientist whose research spans complexity theory, algorithms, randomness and graph theory. He studied computer science at the Technion and Princeton, then held research posts in the United States, joined Hebrew University and became an IAS faculty member in 1999. With collaborators, he proved in the 1990s that, under certain assumptions, a fast random algorithm can be converted into a fast deterministic one. He shared the 2021 Abel Prize and received the 2023 ACM Turing Award; in November 2025, he gave a public lecture on ideas behind artificial intelligence and the role of computation in understanding nature. As of October 2026, he is a professor in the School of Mathematics at IAS.

Works
519
Citations
28,605
h-index
74

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1980–1983

    Studying computer science

    He earns a B.Sc. in computer science at the Technion in 1980 and a Ph.D. in computer science from Princeton in 1983.

  2. By 1986

    Postdoctoral appointments

    By 1986, he completes postdoctoral positions at UC Berkeley, IBM Research and MSRI, then joins Hebrew University's Computer Science Department.

  3. 1990s

    Derandomizing algorithms

    In two papers from the 1990s, he and his collaborators show that, under certain assumptions, a fast random algorithm can be converted into a fast deterministic one.

  4. 1999

    Founding a computer science program

    He becomes an IAS faculty member and founds the Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics program.

  5. 2021

    The Abel Prize

    He shares the 2021 Abel Prize with László Lovász for foundational contributions to theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics.

  6. 2023

    A Turing Award

    He receives the 2023 ACM A.M. Turing Award for foundational contributions to the theory of computation, including work on randomness and decades of intellectual leadership in theoretical computer science.

  7. November 2025

    Computation and AI

    In November 2025, he gives an introductory lecture on computation that explains ideas underlying artificial intelligence and the role of computation in understanding nature.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor at IAS

    He is a professor in the School of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, with research in complexity theory, parallel computation, combinatorics and graph theory.

Sources and credits

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  1. Della Pietra Lecture Series Presents Abel Prize Winner Avi Wigderson (IAS), November 12 and 13, 2025 – SCGP scgp.stonybrook.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Pioneers Linking Math and Computer Science Win the Abel Prize | Quanta Magazine quantamagazine.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. 2021: László Lovász and Avi Wigderson | The Abel Prize abelprize.no. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Abel Prize celebrates union of mathematics and computer science | Nature nature.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Congratulations to 2023 ACM A.M. Turing Award Recipient, Avi Wigderson! – Heidelberg Laureate Forum heidelberg-laureate-forum.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Avi Wigderson simons.berkeley.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.