01 · A life in computing
The person behind the work
Robert Tarjan developed powerful graph algorithms and data structures together with precise methods for analyzing their efficiency. His research includes depth-first search techniques, union-find analysis, and self-adjusting data structures. Collaborations with John Hopcroft helped establish efficient graph processing as a fundamental area of algorithms. At the time of the 1986 award, he was affiliated with Princeton University and AT&T Bell Laboratories.
The contribution, explained
John Hopcroft and Robert Tarjan advanced the design and analysis of algorithms and data structures. Their work showed how the structure uncovered during a graph traversal could support powerful procedures, including tests of whether a graph can be drawn without crossings. The organisation of the computation was as important as its individual operations.
Why it matters
Graph algorithms support tasks across compilers, networks and optimisation, where relationships matter as much as individual objects.