Andrew Viterbi is an American electrical engineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist best known for co-founding Qualcomm, a global technology company specializing in wireless communications, and for his invention of the Viterbi algorithm, which has had a significant impact on digital communication systems. Born on March 9, 1935, in Bergamo, Italy, Viterbi and his family emigrated to the United States in 1939 to escape the growing persecution of Jews in Italy.
Viterbi earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957 and his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1962. After completing his education, he worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where he was involved in developing communication systems for spacecraft.
In 1967, Viterbi published a seminal paper outlining the Viterbi algorithm, a method for decoding convolutionally encoded data in digital communication systems. The algorithm significantly improved the reliability of data transmission, particularly in noisy environments, and has been used in numerous applications, including satellite and deep-space communications, mobile phones, and digital television.
In 1968, Viterbi co-founded Linkabit Corporation with Irwin M. Jacobs and Leonard Kleinrock. The company focused on digital communication systems, particularly satellite communications. After the company's merger with M/A-COM in 1980, Viterbi continued as the Chief Technical Officer and Vice President of M/A-COM Linkabit until 1985.
Viterbi, along with Jacobs and five other colleagues, co-founded Qualcomm in 1985. The company's initial goal was to develop satellite-based communication systems but later expanded to become a pioneer in wireless communication technologies. Qualcomm's groundbreaking innovation was the development and commercialization of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, which forms the basis for 3G and 4G mobile communication networks and has significantly increased network capacity and efficiency.
Viterbi served as Qualcomm's Vice Chairman and Chief Technical Officer until his retirement in 2000. After retiring, he continued to be involved in the company as a technical advisor and remained on the board of directors until 2011.
Throughout his career, Viterbi has received numerous awards and honors, including the Marconi Prize, the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, the National Medal of Science, and the Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Viterbi is also known for his philanthropy, particularly in the areas of education, research, and the arts. He has made significant donations to institutions such as the University of Southern California, which renamed its engineering school the USC Viterbi School of Engineering in his honor, and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
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