II - Computer Science (Theory)

Imagine being curious enough as an 11 year old — on seeing your babysitter's mysterious calculus textbook symbols — to jump grades in order to leap several years ahead in math? Scott Aaronson, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science and affiliate with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), has always had a way of thinking beyond -- now looking for the truths in computational complexity, and consequently influencing the way computation is perceived and executed in the future. Read more.

Professor Piotr Indyk and members of his group in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have developed an algorithm that betters his (and Prof. Dina Katabi's) work to develop a faster than fast Fourier Transform in 2012. The new algorithm that uses the minimum possible number of samples to analyze signals has the potential to allow advances in medical devices such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) machines to scan patients.

EECS Department Head Anantha Chandrakasan announced today the appointment of Ron Rivest as the new holder of the Vannevar Bush Professorship. The Bush Chair is an Institute-wide professorship established in 1982 as a memorial to one of the outstanding scientists and engineers of the twentieth century.