PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Gordon Plotkin

Also known as Gordon David Plotkin

Gordon Plotkin is a computer scientist at the University of Edinburgh whose doctorate, completed in 1972, was in AI. He is best known for introducing structural operational semantics, the subject of his 1981 notes A Structural Approach to Operational Semantics. Election as a Fellow of the Royal Society came in 1992, and the Milner Award for fundamental research into programming semantics followed in 2012. In 2018 the Ada Lovelace Medal went to him, and in 2019 he gave the Lovelace Lecture, Languages for learning. As of October 2026, he is a professor in the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science at Edinburgh.

Timeline

  1. 1972

    A PhD on inductive inference

    At Edinburgh, he completes a PhD in AI in 1972, with a thesis on automatic methods of inductive inference.

  2. 1981

    Structural operational semantics

    He writes the notes A Structural Approach to Operational Semantics in 1981. His best-known work introduces structural operational semantics.

  3. 1992

    A Fellow of the Royal Society

    Election as a Fellow of the Royal Society comes in 1992.

  4. 2012

    The Milner Award

    The Milner Award goes to him in 2012 for fundamental research into programming semantics.

  5. 2018

    The Ada Lovelace Medal

    In 2018 the Ada Lovelace Medal is awarded to him.

  6. 2019

    Languages for learning

    In 2019 he gives the Lovelace Lecture, Languages for learning.

  7. April 2023

    International honorary membership

    In April 2023, he is elected an international honorary member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor in Edinburgh's LFCS

    At the University of Edinburgh, he is a professor in the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Gordon Plotkin yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. The Lovelace Lecture 2019: Languages for learning | BCS bcs.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Rod Burstall: In Memoriam arxiv.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Gordon Plotkin - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Gordon Plotkin awarded Ada Lovelace Medal | School of Informatics informatics.ed.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Gordon Plotkin elected the International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences | School of Informatics informatics.ed.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Gordon Plotkin homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk. Checked 15 October 2026.