Prof. Yaakov Ziv of the Technion, one of the pioneers of computer science, passed away at the age of 92

Prof. Ziv, graduate of the Technion and one of the greatest researchers in the history of the Technion. In 2021, Prof. Ziv won the IEEE Medal of Honor for his vast and extensive work, for his extensive contribution to information theory and data compression, and for his exceptional research leadership. In this way, Prof. Ziv was the first Israeli to receive this global recognition. * Died about a month after his partner in the development of the algorithm Prof. Avraham Lampel

Research Prof. Yaakov Ziv (right) with Prof. Avraham Lampel Credit Photo: Technion Spokesperson
Research Prof. Yaakov Ziv (right) with Prof. Avraham Lampel Credit Photo: Technion Spokesperson

The Technion is saying goodbye with great sadness to Research Prof. Yaakov Ziv, one of the pillars of the Technion and of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering named after Viterbi and one of the greatest researchers in the history of the Technion. Technion President Prof. Uri Sion Tribute to him: "The scientific contributions of Research Prof. Ziv forever changed the way we transfer, store and process information. He was a source of inspiration for all of us - a beacon that signifies scientific excellence and the potential inherent in it to start technological revolutions that affect the lives of all mankind. For me, Prof. Ziv is not only an example and a role model, but also a mentor and a friend who accompanied me along my academic path at the Technion. May his memory be blessed."

The late Prof. Ziv developed together with his colleague the late Prof. Avraham Lampel from the Taub Faculty of Computer Sciences the Lampel-Ziv algorithm which shaped the world of digital compression. all of us

"Prof. Ziv was a great researcher and a great person," she paid tribute to him Prof. Adit Kidar, Dean of the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering"He left his mark not only on the way information is transmitted in computer networks and stored in files around the world, but also on the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering in his scientific way and in his personal conduct. He guided and educated researchers who continued his path and led the faculty as dean on the path of academic excellence. His research approach was characterized Combining deep theory with important practical applications. Prof. Ziv was a source of inspiration for all of us and we will continue his path together."

Prof. Ziv passed away in close proximity to his colleague Prof. Lampel, who passed away at the beginning of February. Together in 1977 the two published LZ77, the first version of Lempel-Ziu algorithm, and in 1979 the second version, 79LZ. Both versions provide the basis for essential compression technologies including TIFF, PNG, ZIP and GIF and played a central role in the development of the PDF and MP3 formats. Based on this algorithm, many of the compression technologies used today in memory devices, computers and smart phones were developed. According to ACM, the most important association in the fields of computing and computer science, "the impact of the work of Professors Lampel and Ziv is so enormous that the current research in the field is still as vibrant as it was decades ago, and every year we see more theoreticians and applied researchers engaged in the expansion and development of the elegant idea that the two presented. It is no exaggeration to say that the compression technologies that resulted from Lampel and Ziv's research accelerated the applications in mobile computing and multimedia and made them economically viable."

Lempel-Ziu algorithm contributed to the world, free of charge, an unprecedented technology that allows the transmission of visual and other information at high speed without data loss. In 2004, the International Association of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) declared that the Lampell-Ziu algorithm is "a milestone in electronics and computer engineering" and that it "made a significant contribution to the transformation of the Internet into an effective means of global communication." About seventeen years later, in 2021, Prof. Ziv won theIEEE Medal of Honor For his vast and extensive work, for his extensive contribution to information theory and data compression, and for his exceptional research leadership. In this way Prof. Ziv was the first Israeli to win this world recognition. In November 2021, the Technion celebrated Prof. Ziv's 90th birthday.

Research Prof. Ziv was born in Tiberias in 1931 and when he was three years old, the family moved to Ra'anana, where his father, Ben Zion Ziv, ran the "Maged" school. With the outbreak of the War of Liberation, Yaakov, only 16 years old, was drafted into the IDF, and after the war he returned and finished his studies. At the end of his military service, he began studying at the Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion and completed his bachelor's and master's degrees there. Then he started his PhD at MIT and after years of research and development at the Raphael company and at Bell Laboratories in the United States, he joined the Technion faculty.

Over the years, Prof. Ziv held senior positions, including dean of the faculty, vice president of the Technion for academic affairs, chairman of the Israel Academy of Sciences, and president of the Israel Academy of Sciences. He was a member of the National Academy of the United States and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Research Prof. Ziv has won many prestigious awards, including the Israel Security Award (twice), the Israel Award for Exact Sciences (1993), the Marconi Award (1995), the Richard Hemming Medal (1995), the Shannon Award (1997), the Knowledge Front Award of BBVA Foundation (2009) and the A.M.T. (2017) and as mentioned in the IEEE Medal of Honor.

More of the topic in Hayadan:

One response

  1. The kind of people who continue to influence our lives every day thanks to their contribution to science, promote the whole of humanity and will most likely continue to influence even after they are gone.
    Rest in peace.

    (To the website editor - please add a title to the page)

Leave a Reply

Email will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismat to prevent spam messages. Click here to learn how your response data is processed.