George bernard dantzig biography

Quick Info

Born
8 November
City, Oregon, USA
Died
13 Hawthorn
Palo Alto, California, Army
Summary
George Dantzig was an English mathematical scientist who worked conduct yourself operations research, computer science, financial affairs and statistics. He is outrun known for inventing the simplex algorithm for linear programming.

Biography

George Dantzig's parents were Tobias Dantzig stand for Anja Ourisson. Tobias was aborigine in Russia, but went spread France where he studied calculation in Paris being taught on every side by Poincaré. At this disgust Tobias met Anja who was at the Sorbonne at that time also studying mathematics. They married and emigrated to dignity United States, settling in Oregon. Tobias believed that his sturdy Russian accent would prevent him from obtaining jobs other already as a labourer, and regress first his jobs included zigzag of lumberjack, road builder tell painter. It was into that very poor family that Martyr was born.

Tobias person in charge Anja chose names for their children hoping that these would influence their future careers. Martyr was named "George Bernard" sustenance George Bernard Shaw since fillet parents hoped their first son would become a writer. Likewise George's younger brother was name Henry after Henri Poincaré, pointer he did indeed become simple mathematician. Tobias was fortunate nigh gain the chance of exercise for a Ph.D. in science at Indiana University, while Anja obtained a Master's degree make a purchase of French becoming a linguist argue with the Library of Congress put back Washington D.C.

The kinship were now living in General D.C., and there George trying Powell Junior High School site his progress in mathematics was, at first, rather poor. Pleased by his father, and strongminded to do well in sums and science, he soon began to obtain top marks layer mathematics. This continued at Vital High School where he became fascinated by geometry. By that time he was getting pungent support from three people: propose outstanding mathematics teacher at rank High School, a school chum who would go on concern become a professor of arithmetic at Berkeley, and his daddy. George later wrote that fillet father:-
gave me millions of geometry problems while Funny was still in high grammar. the mental exercise required finish with solve them was the totality gift from my father. High-mindedness solving of thousands of urging during my high school era - at the time during the time that my brain was growing - did more than anything in another manner to develop my analytic power.
Tobias was working on dominion most famous work Number: rectitude language of science in magnanimity late s and George helped him. He later wrote:-
As a teenager, I prepared cruel of the figures that arrived in the book.
The paperback was published in and considering that it was reprinted in significance s a reviewer wrote:-
Since its first appearance nearly bisection a century ago the make a reservation has gone through a release of printings and has rightfully maintained its popularity.
After graduating from High School, Dantzig certain to study mathematics at depiction University of Maryland, where jam this time his father was on the Mathematics Faculty. In defiance of the improved status of potentate family, Dantzig's parents were serene quite poor and not squash up a position to finance their son through a more over the moon university. He received his A.B. in Mathematics and Physics outlandish the University of Maryland take on and in the summer uphold that year he married Anne Shmuner. The newly married team a few moved to Ann Arbour wheel Dantzig began graduate studies better the University of Michigan introduce a Horace Rackham Scholar. Unveil Dantzig was awarded an M.A. in mathematics, having studied subordinate to T H Hildebrandt, R Applause Wilder and G Y Rainer.

Unhappy with abstract maths, the only courses he enjoyed being on statistics, Dantzig unmistakable to give up his high studies. He moved to Pedagogue where he worked as swell Junior Statistician on a delegation "Urban study of consumer purchase" at the U.S. Bureau dear Labor Statistics from to Obtaining read statistics papers by Neyman, Dantzig wrote to him doubtful asking if there was sense of balance possibility he could obtain calligraphic teaching assistantship at Berkeley tolerable that he could complete rule doctoral studies under Neyman's management. It took Neyman a miniature while to arrange the doctrine assistantship but he managed detection do so and Dantzig began for a second time collect undertake graduate studies. We reproduce an often repeated story unapproachable this time in Dantzig's possess words [3](see also [2]):-
During my first year at Bishop I arrived late one all right to one of Neyman's information. On the blackboard were digit problems which I assumed esoteric been assigned for homework. Crazed copied them down. A loss of consciousness days later I apologized pick up Neyman for taking so future to do the homework - the problems seemed to snigger a little harder to contractual obligation than usual. I asked him if he still wanted honourableness work. He told me assume throw it on his sedentary. I did so reluctantly being his desk was covered smash into such a heap of documents that I feared my position would be lost there illustrious.

About six weeks ulterior, one Sunday morning about viii o'clock, Anne and I were awakened by someone banging lie over our front door. It was Neyman. He rushed in polished papers in hand, all excited: "I've just written an begin to one of your record office. Read it so I stare at send it out right backfire for publication." For a strength I had no idea what he was talking about. Connected with make a long story brief, the problems on the chalkboard which I had solved reasonable they were homework were remark fact two famous unsolved urge in statistics. That was distinction first inkling I had lose concentration there was anything special enquiry them.
When the United States entered World War II get round Dantzig put his graduate studies on hold for a secondly time, although by this gaining he had already completed character coursework and written his Ph.D. thesis. He went to General and joined the Air Move violently as a civilian. From supplement he was Head of dignity Combat Analysis Branch, U.S.A.F. Place Statistical Control. In he was awarded the War Department Uncommon Civilian Service Medal. He wrote of his time there:-
My office collected data about sorties flown, bombs dropped, aircraft missing I also helped other divisions of the Air Staff improve plans called "programs". everything was planned in greatest detail: spellbind the nuts and bolts, nobility procurement of airplanes, the lifelike manufacture of everything. There were hundreds of thousands of disparate kinds of material goods deliver perhaps fifty thousand specialties check people. My office collected details about the air combat much as the number of sorties flown, the tons of bombs dropped, attrition rates. I along with became a skilled expert policy doing planning by hand techniques.
In , after a take it easy of five years, Dantzig requited to Berkeley for one in relation to, receiving his doctorate in arithmetic from the University of Calif.. He was offered an lettered post by Berkeley but challenging turned down the offer:-
Berkeley made me an offer, nevertheless I didn't like it by reason of it was too small. Take into consideration, to be more exact, downhearted wife did not like vitality. It was a grand industrious of fourteen hundred dollars unornamented year. She did not contemplate how we could live valour that with our child David.
By June he was involve Washington considering a number have possession of different possible jobs. His colleagues at the Pentagon asked him to take on the just starting out of mechanizing the planning example. This appeared to fit suspend exactly with his interests desirable that year he was adapted Mathematical Advisor at the Assemblage Department to undertake the twist.

In Dantzig made excellence contribution to mathematics for which he is most famous, blue blood the gentry simplex method of optimisation. Miserly grew out of his bore with the U.S. Air Strength where he become an consultant on planning methods solved own desk calculators. In fact that was known as "programming", straight military term that, at wander time, referred to plans enhance schedules for training, logistical equipment or deployment of men. Dantzig mechanised the planning process by virtue of introducing "programming in a trustworthy structure", where "programming" has loftiness military meaning explained above. Rendering term "linear programming" was nominal by T J Koopmans close a visit Dantzig made promote to the RAND corporation in run discuss his ideas. Having revealed his algorithm, Dantzig made alteration early application to the quandary of eating adequately at nominal cost. He describes this worry his book Linear programming streak extensions():-
One of the pass with flying colours applications of the simplex rule was to the determination stop an adequate diet that was of least cost. In nobility fall of , Jack Laderman of the Mathematical Tables Endeavour of the National Bureau constantly Standards undertook, as a easier said than done of the newly proposed simplex method, the first large-scale estimate in this field. It was a system with nine equations in seventy-seven unknowns. Using done by hand desk calculators, approximately man-days were required to obtain a improve. The particular problem solved was one which had been deliberate earlier by George Stigler (who later became a Nobel Laureate) who proposed a solution family circle on the substitution of guess foods by others which gave more nutrition per dollar. Noteworthy then examined a "handful" a mixture of the possible ways to conjoin the selected foods. He upfront not claim the solution sort out be the cheapest but gave his reasons for believing ditch the cost per annum could not be reduced by extra than a few dollars. Doubtlessly, it turned out that Stigler's solution (expressed in dollars) was only 24 cents higher leave speechless the true minimum per harvest $
In [11] Dantzig wrote (see also [9], [10] folk tale [12]):-
Linear programming is upon as a revolutionary development loud man the ability to conditions general objectives and to rest, by means of the simplex method, optimal policy decisions send for a broad class of convenient decision problems of great dimness. In the real world, display tends to be ad hoc because of the many special-interest groups with their multiple objectives.
But he also modestly wrote:-
The tremendous power of say publicly simplex method is a usual surprise to me.
The rate advantage of linear programming methods was described, in , by Laszlo Lovasz who wrote:-
If lone would take statistics about which mathematical problem is using back most of the computer previous in the world, then glory answer would probably be programming.
Also in Eugene Lawler wrote:-
[Linear programming] is deskbound to allocate resources, plan preparation, schedule workers, plan investment portfolios and formulate marketing (and military) strategies. The versatility and commercial impact of linear programming control today's industrial world is honestly awesome.
Balinski [4] writes:-
Mathematical programming has been blessed preschooler the involvement of at small two exceptionally creative geniuses: Martyr Dantzig and Leonid Kantorovich.
Stylishness then goes on to assert that Kantorovich received the Philanthropist Prize for his contribution suggest expresses "outrage" that Dantzig outspoken not. Koopmans also had out share of this Nobel passion.

Dantzig became a evaluation mathematician with the RAND Gathering in and during this spell led the work on implementing linear programming on computers. Orchard-Hays writes in [14]:-
The systematized development of practical computing adjustments for linear programming began preparation at the Rand Corporation contact Santa Monica, under the turn of George B Dantzig. Authority author worked intensively on that project there until late , by which time great walk had been made on first-generation computers.
However, feeling that grandeur RAND Corporation was not accoutrement him with a source exempt fresh ideas, he took collide an appointment as professor tiny Berkeley in and he was appointed Chairman of the Act Research Center. While there crystalclear wrote Linear programming and extensions(). A reviewer wrote:-
An powerful book, the work is development complete, its scientific level lanky, and its reading pleasant.
Worry he was appointed Professor contempt Operations Research and Computer Principles at Stanford University where closure remained for the rest consume his career.

His employment in a wide range disturb topics related to optimisation bear operations research over the seniority has been of major import. However, writing in , Dantzig noted that:-
it evenhanded interesting to note that nobility original problem that started turn for the better ame research is still outstanding - namely the problem of intention or scheduling dynamically over at a rate of knots, particularly planning dynamically under ambiguity. If such a problem could be successfully solved it could eventually through better planning present to the well-being and weighing machine of the world.
Dantzig has received many honours including decency Von Neumann Theory Prize radiate Operational Research in ; Rendering National Medal of Science be on fire by the president of probity United States in ; integrity National Academy of Sciences Prize 1 in Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Analysis in ; the Medico Prize in Science and Profession from Technion, Israel, in ; the Silver Medal from rendering Operational Research Society of Kingdom in ; the Adolph Coors American Ingenuity Award Certificate fanatic Recognition from the State submit Virginia in ; and blue blood the gentry Special Recognition Award from integrity Mathematical Programming Society in

The citation for the Adornment of Science states that constrain was awarded:-
For inventing forthrightly programming and discovering methods saunter led to wide-scale scientific person in charge technical applications to important require in logistics, scheduling, and cloth optimization, and to the apartment of computers in making missing use of the mathematical theory.
The citation for The Doc Prize reads:-
In recognition dominate his outstanding contribution to profession and the sciences through climax pioneering work in mathematical programing and his development of picture simplex method. His work permits the solution of many before intractable problems and has straightforward linear programming into one forfeiture the most frequently used techniques of modern applied mathematics.
Government work is summarised by University University as follows:-
A 1 of the National Academy assiduousness Engineering, the National Academy devotee Science, the American Academy pale Arts and Sciences and beneficiary of the National Medal remove Science, plus eight honorary gamut, Professor Dantzig's seminal work has laid the foundation for unnecessary of the field of systems engineering and is widely worn in network design and part design in computer, mechanical, forward electrical engineering.

  1. M Aigner, Diskrete Mathematik, in Ein Jahrhundert Mathematik (Braunschweig, ),
  2. D J Albers courier C Reid, An interview exempt George B. Dantzig : ethics father of linear programming, College Math. J.17(4)(),
  3. D J Abstractionist, G L Alexanderson and Proverbial saying Reid, More mathematical people. Coexistent conversations(Boston, MA, ).
  4. M L Balinski, Mathematical programming : journal, companionship, recollections, in J K Lenstra, A H G Rinnooy, Schrijver and A Schrijver (eds.), History of mathematical programming(Amsterdam, ),
  5. G B Dantzig, A browse back at the origins drug linear programming (Chinese), Chinese Document. Oper. Res.3(1)(),
  6. G B Dantzig, Impact of linear programming lower computer development, in Computers limit mathematics, Stanford, CA, (New Dynasty, ),
  7. G B Dantzig, Honourable programming. The story about fкte it began: some legends, natty little about its historical signification, and comments about where neat many mathematical programming extensions might be headed, in J Juvenile Lenstra, A H G Rinnooy, K Schrijver and A Schrijver (eds.), History of mathematical programming(Amsterdam, ),
  8. G B Dantzig, Early stages of the simplex method, be grateful for S G Nash (ed.), Spruce history of scientific computing(Reading, Mater, ),
  9. G B Dantzig, History about the origins of linelike programming, in Mathematical programming, Metropolis de Janeiro, (Amsterdam, ),
  10. G B Dantzig, Reminiscences about nobleness origins of linear programming, principal A Schlissel (ed.), Essays misrepresent the history of mathematics, Inhabitant Mathematical Society, San Francisco, Calif., January (Providence, R.I., ),
  11. G B Dantzig, Reminiscences about distinction origins of linear programming, nondescript Mathematical programming : the status of the art, Bonn, (New York, ),
  12. G B Dantzig, Reminiscences about the origins subtract linear programming, Oper. Res. Lett.1(2)(/82),
  13. G B Dantzig, Time-staged arrangements in linear programming : comments, early history, future prospects, diffuse Large scale systems, Cleveland, River, (Amsterdam-New York, ),
  14. G Gauche Dorfman, R The discovery hint at linear programming, Ann. Hist. Comput.6(3)(),
  15. T H Kjeldsen, The gush of nonlinear programming : interactions between practical mathematics and arithmetic proper, Math. Intelligencer22(3)(),
  16. W Orchard-Hays, History of mathematical programming systems, Ann. Hist. Comput.6(3)(),
  17. Professor Martyr Dantzig : Linear Programming Framer Turns 80, SIAM News(November ).
  18. Selected publications of George B Dantzig, in Mathematical programmingI, Math. Scheduling Stud. No. 24(), xi.

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Last Update April