PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Thomas M. Cover

Thomas Cover was an information theorist at Stanford University, and his dissertation on networks of linear threshold devices laid a foundation for the study of artificial neural networks. In 1967 he and Peter Hart published a paper on nearest-neighbor pattern classification, and its rule became a cornerstone in the theory of pattern recognition. The IEEE Computational Intelligence Society named him a Neural Networks Pioneer Award recipient for 1993. Elements of Information Theory, which he co-wrote, was first published in 1991. He died in 2012 in Palo Alto.

Works
220
Citations
90,033
h-index
63

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1960–1964

    From MIT to a Stanford PhD

    He receives a B.S. in physics from MIT in 1960 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1964.

  2. 1964

    Dissertation on threshold networks

    He joins the Stanford School of Engineering faculty in 1964. His dissertation on networks of linear threshold devices lays a foundation for the study of artificial neural networks.

  3. 1967

    Nearest neighbor pattern classification

    He and Peter Hart publish a paper on nearest-neighbor pattern classification in 1967, and the rule becomes a cornerstone in the theory of pattern recognition.

  4. 1973

    Superposition in broadcast channels

    He formulates superposition of signals in broadcast channels in 1973, which makes simultaneous transmission from one transmitter to several receivers possible.

  5. 1990–1991

    A Shannon Award and a textbook

    He wins the Claude E. Shannon Award in 1990. With Joy A. Thomas, he writes Elements of Information Theory, a textbook first published in 1991.

  6. 1993

    A Neural Networks Pioneer Award

    The IEEE Computational Intelligence Society names him a Neural Networks Pioneer Award recipient for 1993.

  7. 1997

    The Richard W. Hamming Medal

    In 1997 he receives the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal for fundamental work in information theory, statistics and pattern recognition.

  8. 2012

    Death in Palo Alto

    He dies in 2012 in Palo Alto at the age of 73.

Sources and credits

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  1. Thomas Cover - Engineering and Technology History Wiki ethw.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Thomas Cover papers, circa 1964-2011 - OAC oac.cdlib.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Read "Memorial Tributes: Volume 18" at NAP.edu nationalacademies.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Cover Publications isl.stanford.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Thomas Cover, information theorist and electrical engineer, dies at 73 | Stanford University School of Engineering engineering.stanford.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. Thomas M. Cover - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. Past Recipients - IEEE Computational Intelligence Society cis.ieee.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  8. Thomas Cover 1938-2012 | IEEE Information Theory Society itsoc.org. Checked 14 October 2026.