The Turing Award was presented to Edmund M. Clarke in 2007 for his pioneering development of model checking, a formal verification method for hardware and software designs. His work established rigorous mathematical techniques for ensuring the correctness of complex electronic systems, fundamentally altering how engineers approach the reliability of modern computing infrastructure during his lengthy academic career.
Academic Formation
Born in Newport News in 1945, Clarke pursued a traditional path through mathematics before transitioning into informatics. He earned a B.A. in mathematics from the University of Virginia in 1967, followed by an M.A. from Duke University in 1968. He completed his formal education in 1976 with a Ph.D. in computer science from Cornell University, where his thesis work demonstrated critical limitations in existing Hoare-style proof systems for programming language control structures.
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Clarke held positions at several major institutions before settling at Carnegie Mellon University. After his doctorate, he taught at Duke University for two years, then moved to Harvard University in 1978 as an assistant professor. In 1982, he joined the computer science faculty at Carnegie Mellon. He earned a full professorship by 1989 and was named the first FORE Systems Professor in 1995. By 2015, he transitioned to emeritus status.
Contributions to Formal Verification
In 1981, Clarke and his student E. Allen Emerson introduced model checking, a technique for verifying finite-state concurrent systems. His research group subsequently pioneered hardware verification methods and symbolic model checking using binary decision diagrams. Beyond these core efforts, his team developed the Parthenon parallel resolution theorem prover and the Analytica symbolic computation system. In 2009, he established the Computational Modeling and Analysis of Complex Systems center to apply these methods to biological and embedded systems.
Professional Recognition
Clarke's research earned numerous accolades, including the 1998 Paris Kanellakis Award, the 2004 Harry H. Goode Memorial Award, and the 2008 Herbrand Award. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2005 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011. In 2014, he received the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the Franklin Institute for his leadership in automated system verification.
Fast facts
- Born: 1945, Newport News
- Died: 2020, Pittsburgh
- Education: University of Virginia (1967), Duke University (1968), Cornell University (1976)
- Primary Field: Computer Science
- Major Recognition: 2007 ACM Turing Award
- Affiliations: ACM, IEEE, National Academy of Engineering
- Academic Home: Carnegie Mellon University
Questions readers ask
What is model checking?
It is a formal verification technique developed by Clarke and E. Allen Emerson to ensure the correctness of hardware and software designs.
Did Clarke hold an endowed chair?
Yes, he was the first recipient of the FORE Systems Professorship at Carnegie Mellon University, starting in 1995.
Achievements
- Turing Award — 2007
- Affiliated with Duke University, Harvard University and Cornell University
- Educated at University of Virginia, Duke University and Cornell University
- Worked as computer scientist, university teacher and engineer
