Herbert A. Simon
Herbert A. Simon studied decision making and helped develop computer programs that modeled human problem solving. Simon joined Carnegie Mellon’s faculty in 1949. Decision making and problem solving linked his work in administration, economics, psychology and computing. He helped develop computing and cognitive science at the university. Simon received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economics and continued working across computing and psychology. He died in February 2001. Simon used computers to simulate and support human thought.
- Works
- 858
- Citations
- 179,180
- h-index
- 163
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.
Timeline
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1949
A research career at Carnegie Mellon
Simon joined Carnegie Mellon’s faculty in 1949. Decision making and problem solving linked his work in administration, economics, psychology and computing. He helped develop computing and cognitive science at the university.
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1955–1960
Shared programs for reasoning
Simon worked with Allen Newell and J. C. Shaw on the Logic Theory Machine. The program ran by summer 1956. Means–ends analysis in 1957 led to the General Problem Solver, which Simon and Newell described in a 1960 publication.
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1972
Human Problem Solving
Simon and Newell published Human Problem Solving. The book brought together their experiments, simulation and theory. Their research program used computer models to examine cognitive processes.
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1978–2001
Recognition across fields
Simon received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economics and continued working across computing and psychology. He died in February 2001. Simon used computers to simulate and support human thought.
Sources and credits
Photo: Rochester Institute of Technology, via Wikimedia Commons. License: Public domain. Source: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.
