Carnegie Mellon University
August 22, 2014

Professor Alan Frieze delivered a plenary lecture at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians

Professor Alan Frieze delivered a plenary lecture at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM). The ICM is one of the largest and most prestigious international congresses in the mathematics community. A number of major prizes, including the Fields Medal, are awarded at this event. As the ICM is held once every four years, only a very select group of mathematicians who have had a major impact on the field are invited to deliver plenary lectures.

Professor Frieze is a pioneer in the study of random combinatorial structures and the use of randomness in algorithms. His polynomial-time algorithm for approximating the volume of a convex body (joint work with M. Dyer and R. Kannan) has had a lasting impact on theoretical Computer Science. Another major contribution (also in joint work with R. Kannan) is a weak version of the Szemeredi Regularity Lemma. This weak regularity Lemma is a critical tool in Combinatorics.