David S. Johnson

David S. Johnson, born on December ninth, nineteen forty-five, in Washington, D.C., was a distinguished American computer scientist renowned for his expertise in algorithms and optimization. He led the Algorithms and Optimization Department at AT&T Labs Research from nineteen eighty-eight until two thousand thirteen, shaping the field with his innovative research and leadership.

Johnson's academic journey began at Amherst College, where he graduated summa cum laude in nineteen sixty-seven. He furthered his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a Master of Science in nineteen sixty-eight and a Ph.D. in nineteen seventy-three, all in mathematics. His contributions to the field were recognized when he was inducted as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery in nineteen ninety-five and later as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in two thousand sixteen.

Among his notable works, Johnson coauthored the influential book 'Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness' with Michael Garey. His research has garnered significant attention, with over ninety-six thousand citations and an h-index of seventy-eight as of March ninth, two thousand sixteen. His remarkable achievements were celebrated when he received the prestigious Knuth Prize in two thousand ten.

Sadly, David S. Johnson passed away on March eighth, two thousand sixteen, at the age of seventy. His legacy continues to inspire future generations of computer scientists and engineers.