A doctorate from the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1976 launched the career of Doron Zeilberger, a mathematician who challenged traditional proof methods through computational integration. Born in Haifa in 1950, he established an international reputation for his work in combinatorics and hypergeometric identities, becoming a notable figure in modern American and Israeli academic circles.
Academic Foundations and Research
Zeilberger completed his doctoral thesis under the supervision of Harry Dym, titled New Approaches and Results in the Theory of Discrete Analytic Functions. As a Board of Governors Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University, he integrated computer science into pure mathematics. His methodology emphasizes the use of algorithms to perform calculations efficiently, an approach that led to the development of the WZ theory alongside Herbert Wilf.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Contributions to Combinatorics
The proof of the alternating sign matrix conjecture remains a highlight of his career, distinguished by his use of nearly one hundred volunteer checkers to pre-referee the paper before publication. In 2011, he collaborated with Manuel Kauers and Christoph Koutschan to prove the q-TSPP conjecture, a problem first formulated by George Andrews and David P. Robbins in 1983.
Computational Philosophy and Ultrafinitism
Zeilberger identifies as an ultrafinitist, a philosophical stance that denies the existence of infinite sets. He notably credits his computer, named Shalosh B. Ekhad, as a co-author on various projects. The name, derived from Hebrew words for three and one, references his first machine, an AT&T 3B1. He further disseminates his professional opinions through a dedicated web page.
Awards and Professional Standing
His mathematical contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the 1998 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Seminal Contributions to Research. He received the Euler Medal in 2004 for his focus on algorithmic mathematics. In 2013, he was named a fellow in the inaugural class of the American Mathematical Society, followed by the David P. Robbins Prize in 2016.
Fast facts
- Born: 1950, Haifa, Israel
- Citizenship: United States, Israel
- Education: Weizmann Institute of Science
- Notable Employer: Rutgers University
- Field: Combinatorics
- Key Award: Euler Medal (2004)
- Professional Membership: American Mathematical Society
- Languages: English, Hebrew
Questions readers ask
What is the origin of the name Shalosh B. Ekhad?
It is the name of his computer, meaning Three and One in Hebrew, referencing his original AT&T 3B1.
Which major mathematical prize did he share in 2016?
He shared the David P. Robbins Prize with Manuel Kauers and Christoph Koutschan.
Achievements
- Euler Medal — 2004
- David P. Robbins Prize — 2016
- Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research — 1998
- Held posts at Rutgers University
- Fields: combinatorics
