PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

C. A. R. Hoare

Also known as Tony Hoare, Antony Hoare, Sir Charles Anthony Richard Hoare

Tony Hoare was a professor of computing science known for quicksort and for Hoare logic, a formal system for verifying the correctness of programs. At Moscow State University he studied machine translation and devised quicksort in 1959. He introduced Hoare logic in 1969, a step that helped establish programming as an exact science. He became a professor at Queen's University Belfast in 1968 and returned to Oxford in 1977. He received the 1980 ACM Turing Award and the 2000 Kyoto Prize, and he died in 2026, aged 92.

Works
607

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026. Citations and h-index are hidden because this OpenAlex record may be incomplete or mix in other authors.

Timeline

  1. 1956–1958

    Russian in the Royal Navy

    From 1956 to 1958 he does national service in the Royal Navy and studies Russian.

  2. 1959

    Quicksort in Moscow

    In 1959 he studies machine translation at Moscow State University. He devises quicksort there.

  3. 1960

    Joining Elliott Brothers

    In 1960 he leaves the Soviet Union and begins work at Elliott Brothers.

  4. 1968–1977

    Belfast, then back to Oxford

    He becomes professor of computing science at Queen's University Belfast in 1968. He returns to Oxford in 1977 as professor of computing, to lead the Programming Research Group.

  5. 1969

    Hoare logic for program proofs

    In 1969 he introduces Hoare logic, a formal system of rules for verifying the correctness of programs. The method helps establish programming as an exact science.

  6. 1980

    The 1980 Turing Award

    The ACM gives him the 1980 Turing Award for fundamental contributions to the definition and design of programming languages.

  7. 2000

    A Kyoto Prize and Microsoft Research

    In 2000 he receives the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology. After retiring from Oxford, he joins Microsoft Research in Cambridge as a senior researcher.

  8. March 2026

    Death at age 92

    He dies at home in March 2026, aged 92, surrounded by his family.

Sources and credits

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  1. Tony Hoare | Department of Computer Science cs.ox.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. In Memoriam: Sir Antony Hoare (1934–2026) - CHM computerhistory.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Tony Hoare - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Antony Hoare | Kyoto Prize kyotoprize.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Professor Sir Charles Anthony Richard (Tony) Hoare 1934 - 2026 merton.ox.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Wolfson Emeritus Fellow Professor Sir Tony Hoare Dies - Wolfson College wolfson.ox.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.