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{{Short description|American engineer}}
{{Short description|Indian-American engineer}}
{{Infobox scientist
{{Infobox scientist
| name              = Thomas Kailath
| name              = Thomas Kailath
| image            =  
| image            = Thomas Kailath profile.jpg
| caption          = Thomas Kailath with his wife, Anuradha Luther Maitra
| caption          = Kailath in 2007 at the [[IEEE Medal of Honor]] ceremony.
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1935|6|7}}
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1935|6|7}}
| birth_place      = [[Pune, India]]
| birth_place      = [[Poona]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date        =  
| death_date        =  
| death_place      =  
| death_place      =  
| residence        = [[United States]]
| field            = {{plainlist|
| nationality      = [[United States|American]] citizen
*[[Control theory]]
| field            = [[Control theory]]
*[[Information theory]]
}}
| work_institution  = [[Stanford University]]
| work_institution  = [[Stanford University]]
| alma_mater        = [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]<br />[[College of Engineering, Pune|Government College of Engineering Pune (COEP)]]<br />St.Vincents High School, Pune
| alma_mater        = {{plainlist|
| doctoral_advisor  =  
*[[College of Engineering, Pune|Government College of Engineering at Pune]] {{small|(B.S.)}}
| awards            = [[IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal]] <small>(1995)</small><br />[[Claude E. Shannon Award]] {{small|(2000)}}<br />[[IEEE Medal of Honor]] {{small|(2007)}}<br />[[Padma Bhushan]] {{small|(2009)}}<br />[[BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award]] {{small|(2009)}}<br />[[National Medal of Science]] {{small|(2012)}}<br />[[Marconi Prize|Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award]] {{small|(2017)}}
*[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] {{small|(M.S), (ScD)}}
| doctoral_students = [[Babak Hassibi]]<br />[[Ali H. Sayed]]<br />[[John Cioffi]]
}}
| doctoral_advisor  = [[John Wozencraft]]
| awards            = {{plainlist|
*[[IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal]] {{small|(1995)}}
*[[Claude E. Shannon Award]] {{small|(2000)}}
*[[IEEE Medal of Honor]] {{small|(2007)}}
*[[Padma Bhushan]] {{small|(2009)}}
*[[BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award]] {{small|(2009)}}
*[[National Medal of Science]] {{small|(2012)}}
*[[Marconi Prize|Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award]] {{small|(2017)}}
}}
| doctoral_students = {{plainlist|
*[[Babak Hassibi]]
*[[Ali H. Sayed]]
*[[John Cioffi]]
}}
| thesis_url        = https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/11319?show=full
| thesis_title      = Communication via randomly varying channels
| thesis_year      = 1961
}}
}}


'''Thomas Kailath''' (born June 7, 1935) is an [[electrical engineer]], [[information theorist]], [[control engineer]], [[entrepreneur]] and the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering, [[Emeritus]], at [[Stanford University]]. Professor Kailath has authored several books, including the well-known book ''Linear Systems'', which ranks as one of the most referenced books in the field of [[linear system]]s.
'''Thomas Kailath''' (born June 7, 1935) is an Indian-American [[electrical engineer]], [[information theorist]], [[control engineer]], [[entrepreneur]] and the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering [[emeritus]] at [[Stanford University]]. Professor Kailath has authored several books, including the well-known ''Linear Systems''.


Kailath was elected as a member into the US [[National Academy of Engineering]] in 1984 for outstanding contributions in prediction, filtering, and signal processing, and for leadership in engineering.
Kailath was elected as a member of the US [[National Academy of Engineering]] in 1984 for outstanding contributions in prediction, filtering, and [[signal processing]], and for leadership in engineering. Kailath is listed as an [[ISI highly cited researcher]] and is generally recognized as one of the preeminent figures of twentieth-century electrical engineering.<ref>{{Cite web | title = Kailath, Thomas, ISI Highly Cited Researchers | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060304073737/http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&link1=Browse&link2=Results&id=2563|archive-date=March 4, 2006| url= https://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&link1=Browse&link2=Results&id=2563 | access-date = 2009-06-20 |url-status = dead }}</ref>


In 2012, Kailath was awarded the [[National Medal of Science]], presented by President [[Barack Obama]] in 2014 for "transformative contributions to the fields of information and system science, for distinctive and sustained mentoring of young scholars, and for translation of scientific ideas into entrepreneurial ventures that have had a significant impact on industry."<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://nationalmedals.org/laureates/thomas-kailath |title = NSTMF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/10/03/president-obama-honors-nation-s-top-scientists-and-innovators | work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |title = President Obama Honors Nation's Top Scientists and Innovators| via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |date = 2014-10-03}}</ref>
==Biography==
Kailath is listed as an [[ISI highly cited researcher]] and is generally recognized as one of the preeminent figures of twentieth-century electrical engineering.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Thomson ISI | title = Kailath, Thomas, ISI Highly Cited Researchers | url= http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&link1=Browse&link2=Results&id=2563 | access-date = 2009-06-20}}</ref>
Kailath was born in 1935 in [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]], to a [[Malayalis|Malayali]] [[Syrian Malabar Nasrani|Syrian Christian]] family from [[Kerala]].<ref name=DNA>Kulthe, Bhagyashree (dec 19th 2009) "2 Institutions bring Kailath to Pune", in DNA: Daily News & Analysis newspaper</ref> He studied at [[St. Vincent's High School]], Pune and received his [[Bachelor's degree]] in telecommunications engineering from the [[College of Engineering, Pune|Government College of Engineering]], [[University of Pune]] in 1956. He earned his [[Master's degree]] in 1959 and [[doctorate]] (ScD) in 1961 from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), becoming the first India-born student to receive a doctorate in [[electrical engineering]] from the institution.<ref name="Spectrum">{{Cite news |last=Perry |first=Tekla S. |date=May 2007 |title=Medal of Honor: Thomas Kailath |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/medal-of-honor-thomas-kailath |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515081942/http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/may07/5043 |archive-date=2007-05-15 |periodical=[[IEEE Spectrum]] |pages=44–47 |volume=44 |issue=5 |doi=10.1109/MSPEC.2007.352532}}</ref>  


==Biography==
Kailath is the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering [[emeritus]] at [[Stanford University]], where he has supervised about 80 Ph.D. theses. Kailath's research work has encompassed linear systems, [[estimation theory|estimation]] and [[control theory]], [[signal processing]], [[information theory]] and [[semiconductor device fabrication]].<ref name="Spectrum"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kailath |first1=T. |title=The innovations approach to detection and estimation theory |journal=[[Proceedings of the IEEE]] |date=1970 |volume=58 |issue=5 |pages=680–695 |doi=10.1109/PROC.1970.7723}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Paulraj |editor1-first=Arogyaswami |editor2-last=Roychowdhury |editor2-first=Vwani |editor3-last=Schaper |editor3-first=Charles D. |title=Communications, Computation, Control, and Signal Processing: a tribute to Thomas Kailath |date=2012 |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |isbn=9781461562818}}</ref>
Kailath was born in 1935 in [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]], to a [[Malayalam]]-speaking [[Syrian Malabar Nasrani|Syrian Christian]] family named Chittoor.<ref name=DNA>Kulthe, Bhagyashree (dec 19th 2009) "2 Institutions bring Kailath to Pune", in DNA: Daily News & Analysis newspaper http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1924660891.html</ref> His parents hailed from [[Kerala]]. He studied at [[St. Vincent's High School]], Pune and received his engineering [[Bachelor's degree]] from the [[College of Engineering, Pune|Government College of Engineering]], the [[University of Pune]] in 1956. He received his [[Master's degree]] in 1959 and his [[doctorate degree]] in 1961, both from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT).<ref name="Spectrum">{{Cite news|last=Perry|first=Tekla S.|date=May 2007|title=Medal of Honor: Thomas Kailath|periodical=[[IEEE Spectrum]]|volume=44|pages=44–47|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/networks/medal-of-honor-thomas-kailath|doi=10.1109/MSPEC.2007.352532|issue=5|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515081942/http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/may07/5043|archive-date=2007-05-15}}</ref> He was the first [[India]]n-born student to receive a doctorate in [[electrical engineering]] from MIT.<ref name="Spectrum" />


Kailath is Hitachi America Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, at [[Stanford University]]. Here he has supervised about 80 Ph.D. theses. Kailath's research work has encompassed linear systems, [[estimation theory|estimation]] and [[control theory]], [[signal processing]], [[information theory]] and [[semiconductor device fabrication]].<ref name="Spectrum"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kailath |first1=T. |title=The innovations approach to detection and estimation theory |journal=[[Proceedings of the IEEE]] |date=1970 |volume=58 |issue=5 |pages=680–695 |doi=10.1109/PROC.1970.7723}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Paulraj |editor1-first=Arogyaswami |editor2-last=Roychowdhury |editor2-first=Vwani |editor3-last=Schaper |editor3-first=Charles D. |title=Communications, Computation, Control, and Signal Processing: a tribute to Thomas Kailath |date=2012 |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |isbn=9781461562818}}</ref>
In addition to academic work. Kailath has also co-founded several high-technology companies, including Integrated Systems (founded in 1980 and merged with WindRiver Systems in 1999), Numerical Technologies (founded in 1995 and acquired by [[Synopsys]]), and Excess Bandwidth Corporation (founded in 1998 and acquired by Virata Corporation in 2000, which itself merged with Globespan in 2001 and is now [[Conexant]]).


Kailath has been an [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]] (IEEE) Fellow since 1970. He is also a member of the US [[National Academy of Engineering]] (NAE), the US [[National Academy of Sciences]] (NAS), [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] (AAAS), the Indian National Academy of Engineering and the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/bios/2007_Bios/2007moh-Kailath.html|title=Thomas Kailath|access-date=2007-05-23|publisher=[[IEEE]]}}</ref>
==Honors and Recognition==


Kailath was awarded the 2007 [[IEEE Medal of Honor]] for "exceptional development of powerful [[algorithms]] in the fields of communications, computing, control and signal processing",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/pr/mohpr.html|title=IEEE Medal of Honor Recipients|access-date=2007-05-23|publisher=[[IEEE]]}}</ref> the 2006 [[IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/kilby_rl.pdf |title=IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=February 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/kilby_recipients.html |title=IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients - 2006 - Thomas Kailath |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=February 27, 2011}}</ref> and the 1996 [[IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award]] (together with [[Ali H. Sayed]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/fink_rl.pdf |title=IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=2011-01-02}}</ref> In 2017, the Marconi Society honored Kailath with its Lifetime Achievement Award for "his many transformative contributions to information and system science and his sustained mentoring and development of new generations of scientists."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lifetime Achievement Award|url=https://www.marconisociety.org/lifetime-achievement-award/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=The Marconi Society|language=en-US}}</ref>
Kailath was elected a Fellow of the [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]] (IEEE) in 1970. He is a member of the US [[National Academy of Engineering]] (NAE), the US [[National Academy of Sciences]] (NAS), [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] (AAAS), the Indian National Academy of Engineering and the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/bios/2007_Bios/2007moh-Kailath.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122161750/http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/bios/2007_Bios/2007moh-Kailath.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 22, 2008|title=Thomas Kailath|access-date=2007-05-23|publisher=[[IEEE]]}}</ref>


He was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]] award in 2009 by the Government of India for his contribution to Science and Engineering.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref>
Kailath was awarded the 2007 [[IEEE Medal of Honor]] for "exceptional development of powerful [[algorithms]] in the fields of communications, computing, control and signal processing",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/pr/mohpr.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923041815/http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/pr/mohpr.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 23, 2006|title=IEEE Medal of Honor Recipients|access-date=2007-05-23|publisher=[[IEEE]]}}</ref> the 2006 [[IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/kilby_rl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619214057/http://ieee.org/documents/kilby_rl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 19, 2010 |title=IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=February 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/kilby_recipients.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905043533/http://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/kilby_recipients.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 5, 2012 |title=IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients - 2006 - Thomas Kailath |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=February 27, 2011}}</ref> the 1996 [[IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award]] (together with [[Ali H. Sayed]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/fink_rl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124231931/http://ieee.org/documents/fink_rl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 24, 2010 |title=IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=2011-01-02}}</ref> and the 1986 [[John R. Ragazzini Award]].


He has been awarded with the 2009 [[BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award]] in Information and Communication Technology for break the miniaturization barrier of chips.
Kailath was honored with the [[Padma Bhushan]] award in 2009 by the Government of India for his contributions to Science and Engineering.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, [[Government of India]] | date=2015 | access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> He was also awarded the 2009 [[BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award]] in Information and Communication Technology "for creating knowledge with transformative impact on the information and communication technologies that permeate everyday life".


Kailath received praise from Dr. Patrick Dewilde, the Director of Delft Institute of Microelectronics and Submicron Technology at [[Delft University]] in the Netherlands.
In 2012, Kailath was a recipient of the [[National Medal of Science]], presented by President [[Barack Obama]] in 2014 for "transformative contributions to the fields of information and system science, for distinctive and sustained mentoring of young scholars, and for translation of scientific ideas into entrepreneurial ventures that have had a significant impact on industry."<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://nationalmedals.org/laureates/thomas-kailath |title = NSTMF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/10/03/president-obama-honors-nation-s-top-scientists-and-innovators | work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |title = President Obama Honors Nation's Top Scientists and Innovators| via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |date = 2014-10-03}}</ref>
[[File:Celebrating the 2012 National Medal of Science awardees (15972967204).jpg|thumb|Thomas Kailath receiving the National Medal of Science at the [[White House]] in 2012]]


He was married to Sarah Kailath from 1962 until her death in 2008, with whom he had four children: Ann (wife of MIT professor George Verghese), Paul, Priya and Ryan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022406074350 |title=INDOlink - NRI News - Silicon Valley Honors Prof. Thomas Kailath: Educator, Entrepreneur |website=www.indolink.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315222516/http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022406074350 |archive-date=2006-03-15}} </ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.stanford.edu/~tkailath/FAssisiHoF.htm | title=Thomas Kailath}}</ref>
The Marconi Society honored Kailath in 2017 with the Lifetime Achievement Award for "his many transformative contributions to information and system science and his sustained mentoring and development of new generations of scientists."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lifetime Achievement Award|url=https://www.marconisociety.org/lifetime-achievement-award/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=The Marconi Society|language=en-US}}</ref>


In 2013, Kailath married Dr. Anuradha Luther Maitra, retired economics professor, Trustee and former President of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board, and former CEO of Floreat, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://web.stanford.edu/~tkailath/cgi-bin/index.php | title=Thomas Kailath}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://news.ucsc.edu/2013/10/blumenthal-luther.html | title=Expanding UCSC's international presence and engagement}}</ref>
==Personal==


Kailath is also the brother-in-law of journalist [[T. J. S. George]], who is also a recipient of the [[Padma Bhushan]].
Kailath was married to Sarah (Jacob) Kailath from 1962 until her death in 2008, and they had four children: Ann (wife of MIT professor George Verghese), Paul, Priya and Ryan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022406074350 |title=INDOlink - NRI News - Silicon Valley Honors Prof. Thomas Kailath: Educator, Entrepreneur |website=www.indolink.com |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315222516/http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022406074350 |archive-date=2006-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.stanford.edu/~tkailath/FAssisiHoF.htm | title=Thomas Kailath}}</ref>


Kailath has co founded several high technology companies, including Integrated Systems (founded in 1980 and merged with WindRiver Systems in 1999), Numerical Technologies (founded in 1995 and acquired by [[Synopsys]]), and Excess Bandwidth Corporation (founded in 1998 and acquired by Virata Corporation in 2000, which itself merged with Globespan in 2001 and now [[Conexant]]).
In 2013, Kailath married Dr. Anuradha Luther Maitra, retired economics professor, trustee and former president of the [[University of California, Santa Cruz|UC Santa Cruz]] Foundation Board, and former CEO of Floreat, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://web.stanford.edu/~tkailath/cgi-bin/index.php | title=Thomas Kailath}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://news.ucsc.edu/2013/10/blumenthal-luther.html | title=Expanding UCSC's international presence and engagement| date=8 October 2013}}</ref>
In 2022 a gift from the couple created the Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath Endowed Professorship in South Asian Studies at UC Santa Cruz to advance "research and discourse dedicated to South Asia and the South Asian diaspora".<ref name = "Exponential-Growth" >
{{ Cite web
| year = 2022
| publisher = [[UC Santa Cruz]] (UCSC)
| url = https://news.ucsc.edu/2022/10/csas-endowed-chair.html
| title = UCSC's Center for South Asian Studies positioned for exponential growth
| first = Haneen
| last = Zain
}}
</ref>


He was selected by President [[Barack Obama]] for the [[National Medal of Science]] along with other prominent scientists for "invaluable contributions to their fields and help[ing] improve countless lives."<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/diaspora/indian-american-professor-wins-national-medal-of-science-602003 |title = Indian American Professor Wins National Medal of Science}}</ref>
Kailath is the brother-in-law of journalist [[T. J. S. George]], who is also a recipient of the [[Padma Bhushan]].
He was elected to the 2018 class of [[fellow]]s of the [[American Mathematical Society]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://ams.org/profession/ams-fellows/new-fellows|title=2018 Class of the Fellows of the AMS|publisher=[[American Mathematical Society]]|access-date=2017-11-03}}</ref>


==Publications==
==Publications==
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070521003545/http://isl.stanford.edu/kailathlecture/bios/kailath.html Stanford biography]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070521003545/http://isl.stanford.edu/kailathlecture/bios/kailath.html Stanford biography]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070515081942/http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/may07/5043 IEEE Spectrum article]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070515081942/http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/may07/5043 IEEE Spectrum article]
*[http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/bios/2007_Bios/2007moh-Kailath.html IEEE 2007 Medal of Honor: Thomas Kailath]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081122161750/http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/bios/2007_Bios/2007moh-Kailath.html IEEE 2007 Medal of Honor: Thomas Kailath]
*[http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/history_center/oral_history/abstracts/kailathab.html IEEE History Center: Thomas Kailath oral history from IEEE]
*[http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/history_center/oral_history/abstracts/kailathab.html IEEE History Center: Thomas Kailath oral history from IEEE]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061212174510/http://ias.berkeley.edu/SouthAsia/kailath.html Sarah Kailath Chair in India Studies]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061212174510/http://ias.berkeley.edu/SouthAsia/kailath.html Sarah Kailath Chair in India Studies]
*[http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022406074350 Indolink piece on Dr. Kailath, mentions malayalam script on his house]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060315222516/http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022406074350 Indolink piece on Dr. Kailath, mentions Malayalam script on his house]}}
*{{MathGenealogy|id=41399}}
*{{MathGenealogy|id=41399}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kailath, Thomas}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kailath, Thomas}}
[[Category:American computer scientists]]
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[[Category:Control theorists]]
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[[Category:1935 births]]
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[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellow Members of the IEEE]]
[[Category:Fellows of the IEEE]]
[[Category:IEEE Medal of Honor recipients]]
[[Category:IEEE Medal of Honor recipients]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Foreign Members of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Foreign members of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Foreign Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:Foreign fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:Stanford University School of Engineering faculty]]
[[Category:Stanford University Department of Electrical Engineering faculty]]
[[Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:Savitribai Phule Pune University alumni]]
[[Category:Savitribai Phule Pune University alumni]]
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[[Category:Engineers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Engineers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Detection and estimation theorists]]
[[Category:Detection and estimation theorists]]
[[Category:People from Pune]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:American fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Indian fellows of the Royal Society]]

Latest revision as of 11:17, 11 February 2026


Thomas Kailath
Kailath in 2007 at the IEEE Medal of Honor ceremony.
Born (1935-06-07) June 7, 1935 (age 91)
Poona, Bombay Presidency, British India
Alma mater
Awards
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsStanford University
ThesisCommunication via randomly varying channels (1961)
Doctoral advisorJohn Wozencraft
Doctoral students

Thomas Kailath (born June 7, 1935) is an Indian-American electrical engineer, information theorist, control engineer, entrepreneur and the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering emeritus at Stanford University. Professor Kailath has authored several books, including the well-known Linear Systems.

Kailath was elected as a member of the US National Academy of Engineering in 1984 for outstanding contributions in prediction, filtering, and signal processing, and for leadership in engineering. Kailath is listed as an ISI highly cited researcher and is generally recognized as one of the preeminent figures of twentieth-century electrical engineering.[1]

Biography[edit | edit source]

Kailath was born in 1935 in Pune, Maharashtra, India, to a Malayali Syrian Christian family from Kerala.[2] He studied at St. Vincent's High School, Pune and received his Bachelor's degree in telecommunications engineering from the Government College of Engineering, University of Pune in 1956. He earned his Master's degree in 1959 and doctorate (ScD) in 1961 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the first India-born student to receive a doctorate in electrical engineering from the institution.[3]

Kailath is the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering emeritus at Stanford University, where he has supervised about 80 Ph.D. theses. Kailath's research work has encompassed linear systems, estimation and control theory, signal processing, information theory and semiconductor device fabrication.[3][4][5]

In addition to academic work. Kailath has also co-founded several high-technology companies, including Integrated Systems (founded in 1980 and merged with WindRiver Systems in 1999), Numerical Technologies (founded in 1995 and acquired by Synopsys), and Excess Bandwidth Corporation (founded in 1998 and acquired by Virata Corporation in 2000, which itself merged with Globespan in 2001 and is now Conexant).

Honors and Recognition[edit | edit source]

Kailath was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1970. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), the Indian National Academy of Engineering and the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.[6]

Kailath was awarded the 2007 IEEE Medal of Honor for "exceptional development of powerful algorithms in the fields of communications, computing, control and signal processing",[7] the 2006 IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal,[8][9] the 1996 IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award (together with Ali H. Sayed),[10] and the 1986 John R. Ragazzini Award.

Kailath was honored with the Padma Bhushan award in 2009 by the Government of India for his contributions to Science and Engineering.[11] He was also awarded the 2009 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Information and Communication Technology "for creating knowledge with transformative impact on the information and communication technologies that permeate everyday life".

In 2012, Kailath was a recipient of the National Medal of Science, presented by President Barack Obama in 2014 for "transformative contributions to the fields of information and system science, for distinctive and sustained mentoring of young scholars, and for translation of scientific ideas into entrepreneurial ventures that have had a significant impact on industry."[12][13]

Thomas Kailath receiving the National Medal of Science at the White House in 2012

The Marconi Society honored Kailath in 2017 with the Lifetime Achievement Award for "his many transformative contributions to information and system science and his sustained mentoring and development of new generations of scientists."[14]

Personal[edit | edit source]

Kailath was married to Sarah (Jacob) Kailath from 1962 until her death in 2008, and they had four children: Ann (wife of MIT professor George Verghese), Paul, Priya and Ryan.[15][16]

In 2013, Kailath married Dr. Anuradha Luther Maitra, retired economics professor, trustee and former president of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board, and former CEO of Floreat, Inc.[17][18] In 2022 a gift from the couple created the Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath Endowed Professorship in South Asian Studies at UC Santa Cruz to advance "research and discourse dedicated to South Asia and the South Asian diaspora".[19]

Kailath is the brother-in-law of journalist T. J. S. George, who is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan.

Publications[edit | edit source]

  • 1979, Linear Systems (Prentice-Hall Information and System Science Series) (1979, Prentice Hall, ISBN 978-0-13-536961-6)
  • 1987, Indefinite-Quadratic Estimation and Control: A Unified Approach to H2 and H∞ Theories (Studies in Applied and Numerical Mathematics) with Ali H. Sayed & Babak Hassibi (1987, Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics, ISBN 978-0-89871-411-1)
  • 1997, Discrete Neural Computation: A Theoretical Foundation with Kai-Yeung Siu & Vwani Roychowdhury (1997, Prentice Hall, ISBN 978-0-13-300708-4)
  • 2000, Linear Estimation with Ali H. Sayed & Babak Hassibi (2000, Prentice Hall, ISBN 978-0-13-022464-4)

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Kailath, Thomas, ISI Highly Cited Researchers". Archived from the original on March 4, 2006. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
  2. ↑ Kulthe, Bhagyashree (dec 19th 2009) "2 Institutions bring Kailath to Pune", in DNA: Daily News & Analysis newspaper
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Perry, Tekla S. (May 2007). "Medal of Honor: Thomas Kailath". IEEE Spectrum. Vol. 44, no. 5. pp. 44–47. doi:10.1109/MSPEC.2007.352532. Archived from the original on 2007-05-15.
  4. ↑ Kailath, T. (1970). "The innovations approach to detection and estimation theory". Proceedings of the IEEE. 58 (5): 680–695. doi:10.1109/PROC.1970.7723.
  5. ↑ Paulraj, Arogyaswami; Roychowdhury, Vwani; Schaper, Charles D., eds. (2012). Communications, Computation, Control, and Signal Processing: a tribute to Thomas Kailath. Springer Science+Business Media. ISBN 9781461562818.
  6. ↑ "Thomas Kailath". IEEE. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  7. ↑ "IEEE Medal of Honor Recipients". IEEE. Archived from the original on September 23, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  8. ↑ "IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 19, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  9. ↑ "IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients - 2006 - Thomas Kailath". IEEE. Retrieved February 27, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 24, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  11. ↑ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  12. ↑ "NSTMF".
  13. ↑ "President Obama Honors Nation's Top Scientists and Innovators". whitehouse.gov. 2014-10-03 – via National Archives.
  14. ↑ "Lifetime Achievement Award". The Marconi Society. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  15. ↑ "INDOlink - NRI News - Silicon Valley Honors Prof. Thomas Kailath: Educator, Entrepreneur". www.indolink.com. Archived from the original on 2006-03-15.
  16. ↑ "Thomas Kailath".
  17. ↑ "Thomas Kailath".
  18. ↑ "Expanding UCSC's international presence and engagement". 8 October 2013.
  19. ↑ Zain, Haneen (2022). "UCSC's Center for South Asian Studies positioned for exponential growth". UC Santa Cruz (UCSC).

External links[edit | edit source]

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