Logic, Automata, and Computational Complexity: The Works of Stephen A. Cook b...

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Professor Stephen A. Cook is a pioneer of the theory of computational complexity. His work on NP-completeness and the P vs. NP problem remains a central focus of this field. Cook won the 1982 Turing Award for “his advancement of our understanding of the complexity of computation in a significant and profound way.” This volume includes a selection of seminal papers embodying the work that led to this award, exemplifying Cook’s synthesis of ideas and techniques from logic and the theory of computation including NP-completeness, proof complexity, bounded arithmetic, and parallel and space-bounded computation. These papers are accompanied by contributed articles by leading researchers in these areas, which convey to a general reader the importance of Cook’s ideas and their enduring impact on the research community. Th also contains biographical material, Cook’s Turing Award lecture, and an interview. Together these provide a portrait of Cook as a recognized leader and innovator in mathematics and computer science, as well as a gentle mentor and colleague.