Richard E. Stearns | Biography, A.M. Turing Award, & Facts

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Stearns</h1></div> </div> <div class="topic-identifier font-16 font-md-20">American mathematician and computer scientist</div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-flex flex-row"> <div class="mr-10 mb-15"> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-block md-topic-tools qa-action-buttons mb-15" data-topic-id="1533597"> <button class="js-tooltip btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border pr-10 border-2" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> More Actions </button> <div class="md-more-popover popover popover-sm p-0 font-14 z-1"> <div> <a class="js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" href="/print/article/1533597" target="_blank" > <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="print"></em> Print </a> </div> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=1533597] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://amturing.acm.org/award_winners/stearns_1081900.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">A.M.Turing Award - Richard ("Dick") Edwin Stearns DL Author</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Richard Edwin Stearns</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/William-L-Hosch/6481" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">William L. Hosch</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">William L. Hosch was an editor at Encyclopædia Britannica.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> William L. Hosch</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Edwin-Stearns/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Richard Edwin Stearns</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>July 5, 1936, <a href="/place/Caldwell-New-Jersey">Caldwell</a>, <a href="/place/New-Jersey">New Jersey</a>, U.S. (age 88)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Richard Edwin Stearns</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Turing-Award">Turing Award (1993)</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Subjects Of Study: </dt> <dd><a href="/science/game-theory">game theory</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/analysis-of-algorithms">analysis of algorithms</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/finite-transducer">finite transducer</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/automata-theory">automata theory</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/computational-complexity">computational complexity</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Richard-Edwin-Stearns"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1033694"></span>Richard E. Stearns</strong> (born July 5, 1936, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Caldwell-New-Jersey" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Caldwell</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Jersey" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">New Jersey</a>, U.S.) is an American mathematician and computer scientist and cowinner, with American computer scientist <span id="ref1069542"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juris-Hartmanis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Juris Hartmanis</a>, of the 1993 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Turing-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">A.M. Turing Award</a>, the highest honour in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/computer-science" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">computer science</a>. Stearns and Hartmanis were cited for their “seminal paper which established the foundations for the field of <span id="ref1069543"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/computational-complexity" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">computational complexity</a> theory.”</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Stearns received a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/bachelors-degree" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">bachelor’s degree</a> (1958) in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/mathematics" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mathematics</a> from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Carleton-College" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Carleton College</a> and a doctorate (1961) in mathematics from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Princeton-University" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Princeton University</a>. Stearns then worked for the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/General-Electric" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">General Electric Company</a> (1961–78) before returning to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="academia" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academia" data-type="MW">academia</a> for a position at the University at Albany, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/State-University-of-New-York" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">State University of New York</a> (SUNY). He taught at that school from 1978 to 2000, when he became professor emeritus.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">“On the Computational Complexity of Algorithms,” published by Stearns and Hartmanis in the <em>Transactions of the American Mathematical Society</em> (May 1965), established a precise measure of computational complexity and developed a theory of complexity classes. In addition to complexity theory, Stearns made contributions to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/analysis-of-algorithms" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">analysis of algorithms</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/automata-theory" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">automata theory</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/game-theory" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">game theory</a>.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/computers-and-technology" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/166063-131-0E023062/computer-chip-processing-unit-history-society-science.jpg" alt="computer chip. computer. Hand holding computer chip. Central processing unit (CPU). history and society, science and technology, microchip, microprocessor motherboard computer Circuit Board" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Computers and Technology Quiz</div> </div> </a><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Stearns wrote <em>Algebraic Structure Theory of Sequential Machines</em> (1966), with Hartmanis, and <em>Compiler Design Theory</em> (1976), with SUNY computer science professors Philip M. Lewis and Daniel J. Rosenkrantz.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/William-L-Hosch/6481">William L. 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Richard E. Stearns | Biography, A.M. Turing Award, & Facts | Britannica