Lifestyles Breaking News

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

University of Toronto researcher collects prestigious science prize

By: The Canadian Press

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 at 3:12 PM | Comments: 0

OTTAWA - A Toronto researcher with a million-dollar question has been awarded the country's highest science research honour.

Stephen Cook, a University of Toronto mathematician and computer scientist will receive $1 million in research funding over the next five years as the recipient of the Herzberg Gold Medal from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Cook has made key contributions to computational theory, algorithm design, programming languages and mathematical logic. His research is among the essential theoretical results in computer science.

He is also noted for posing a question so difficult to solve that whoever comes up with the solution will receive $1 million.

Cook's question, known as the "P versus NP problem," is one of seven Millennium Prize Problems in math established by the Clay Mathematics Institute of Cambridge, Mass.

Announced in 2000, only one of the seven has been solved so far.

Cook's question searches for a solution to certain mathematical problems that would allow it to be computed in a reasonable amount of time.

The research council gives this example: "Imagine a travelling salesman who must visit 100 cities located across the country. In what order would he have to visit the cities to make the shortest trip possible?"

It says that there are so many potential routes that no computer could determine the answer in our lifetime.

The council says Cook's work on the "P versus NP problem" is directly tied to the field of encryption and ensures credit cards can be used securely online.

Prizes for top graduate students were also to be awarded by the council in a ceremony hosted Wednesday by Gov.-Gen. David Johnston.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada supports almost 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their studies.

Rate this
This article has not yet been rated.

We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.

You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.

Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.

Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments

You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

There are no comments at the moment. Be the first to post a comment below.

Post Your Comment

The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.