Robert Sedgewick

Digital Library

ACM Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award

USA - 2018

citation

For developing classic textbooks and online materials for the study of algorithms, analytic combinatorics, and introductory computer science that have educated generations of students worldwide.

Robert Sedgewick, a Professor and the founding chair of the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University, is known throughout the world for his series of Algorithms textbooks that have been best sellers for four decades (12 books in four editions and five programming languages). The books develop a scientific approach to the study of algorithms, based on experiments with real code to validate hypotheses about performance based on mathematical analysis. Copies of Algorithms have been found on programmers' desks since the 1980s and code from these books is found throughout our computational infrastructure.

His books span all levels of computer science education. His recent book (with Kevin Wayne) Computer Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach is a comprehensive introduction to the field that can stand alongside classic introductory texts in physics, chemistry, economics and other disciplines. It was named by ACM Computing Reviews as a "Best of Computing Notable Book" for 2017. His book Analytic Combinatorics (with Philippe Flajolet) is an advanced graduate text that defines the field and has been recognized with the 2019 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition (http://www.ams.org/news?news_id=4699), and their book Analysis of Algorithms is an advanced upper-division text that prepares students for advanced study in the field, including in-depth appreciation of Knuth's books.

More recently, Sedgewick has been extremely active as a pioneer and innovator in online education. With Kevin Wayne he has developed extensive and innovative online content associated with his books that attract millions of visits per year. Sedgewick has also recorded over 100 hours of online lectures on programming, introduction to computer science, analysis of algorithms and analytic combinatorics that reach hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year. The Sedgewick-Wayne Algorithms course has been listed as one of the top ten MOOCs of all time.

Prof. Sedgewick?s impact on computer science education places him among the very best in the field.

Press Release

ACM Fellows

USA - 1997

citation

For seminal work in the mathematical analysis of algorithms and pioneering research in algorithm animation.

2018 ACM Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award

Robert Sedgewick was named recipient of the Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award for developing classic textbooks and online materials for the study of algorithms, analytic combinatorics, and introductory computer science that have educated generations of students worldwide. Sedgewick is best known for his series of Algorithms textbooks, which have been bestsellers for four decades (12 books in four editions covering five programming languages). The books develop a scientific approach to the study of algorithms, based on experiments with real code to validate hypotheses about performance based on mathematical analysis.

His recent book (with Kevin Wayne), Computer Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach, is a comprehensive introduction to the field and was named by ACM Computing Reviews as “Best of Computing Notable Book” for 2017. His book Analytic Combinatorics (with Philippe Flajolet) is an advanced graduate text that has been recognized with the 2019 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition.

More recently, Sedgewick has been extremely active as a pioneer and innovator in online education. He has co-developed extensive online content associated with his books that attract millions of visitors annually. Sedgewick has also recorded over 100 hours of online lectures on programming, computer science, and algorithms that reach hundreds of thousands of people around the world. The Sedgewick-Wayne Algorithms online course has been listed as one of the top 10 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) of all time.

The Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award is presented annually to an outstanding educator who is appointed to a recognized educational baccalaureate institution.  The recipient is recognized for advancing new teaching methodologies; effecting new curriculum development or expansion in Computer Science and Engineering; or making a significant contribution to the educational mission of ACM. Those with 10 years or less teaching experience are given special consideration. A prize of $10,000 is supplied by Pearson Education.