Gilles Brassard, is a faculty member of the
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-de ...
, where he has been a Full Professor since 1988 and
Canada Research Chair
Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a title given to certain Canadian university research professors by the Canada Research Chairs Program.
Program goals
The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 as a part of the Government of Canada ...
since 2001.
Education and early life
Brassard received a Ph.D. in
Computer Science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
from
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
in 1979, working in the field of
cryptography
Cryptography, or cryptology (from grc, , translit=kryptós "hidden, secret"; and ''graphein'', "to write", or ''-logia'', "study", respectively), is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adver ...
with
John Hopcroft
John Edward Hopcroft (born October 7, 1939) is an American theoretical computer scientist. His textbooks on theory of computation (also known as the Cinderella book) and data structures are regarded as standards in their fields. He is the IBM P ...
as his advisor.
Research
Brassard is best known for his fundamental work in
quantum cryptography
Quantum cryptography is the science of exploiting quantum mechanical properties to perform cryptographic tasks. The best known example of quantum cryptography is quantum key distribution which offers an information-theoretically secure solution ...
,
quantum teleportation,
quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon that occurs when a group of particles are generated, interact, or share spatial proximity in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of the group cannot be described independently of the state of ...
distillation,
quantum pseudo-telepathy
Quantum pseudo-telepathy is the fact that in certain Bayesian games with asymmetric information, players who have access to a shared physical system in an entangled quantum state, and who are able to execute strategies that are contingent upon m ...
, and the classical simulation of quantum entanglement.
[Herzberg runner-up: Gilles Brassard](_blank)
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC; french: Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada, CRSNG) is the major federal agency responsible for funding natural sciences and engineering rese ...
, retrieved January 24, 2010. Some of these concepts have been implemented in the laboratory.
In 1984, together with
Charles H. Bennett, he invented the
BB84
BB84 is a quantum key distribution scheme developed by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard in 1984. It is the first quantum cryptography protocol. The protocol is provably secure, relying on two conditions: (1) the quantum property that informatio ...
protocol for quantum cryptography. He later extended this work to include the Cascade error correction protocol, which performs efficient detection and correction of noise caused by eavesdropping on quantum cryptographic signals.
Awards and honours
Brassard was the editor-in-chief of the ''
Journal of Cryptology
The ''Journal of Cryptology'' () is a scientific journal in the field of cryptology and cryptography. The journal is published quarterly by the International Association for Cryptologic Research
International is an adjective (also used as a nou ...
'' from 1991 to 1998.
In 2000, he won the
Prix Marie-Victorin
The Prix Marie-Victorin is an award by the Government of Quebec that is part of the Prix du Québec, which "goes to researchers in the pure and applied sciences whose work lies in fields outside biomedicine. These fields include the natural and ph ...
, the highest scientific award of the government of Quebec.
He was elected as a
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
of the
International Association for Cryptologic Research
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
in 2006, the first Canadian to be so honored.
In June 2010, he was awarded the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal, Canada's highest scientific honour. Brassard was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...
and the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
of London (2013).
His nomination reads: On December 30, 2013, the Governor-General of Canada, the Right Honourable David Johnston, announced that Gilles Brassard has been named as an Officer in the
Order Of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
. In 2018 he received the
Wolf Prize in Physics
The Wolf Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine and Arts.
...
and in 2019 the
BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards () are an international award programme recognizing significant contributions in the areas of scientific research and cultural creation. The categories that make up the Frontiers of Knowledge Awards ...
in Basic Sciences. as well as the
Micius Quantum Prize
The Micius Quantum Prize is awarded every year since 2018 "for promoting the quantum information science and technology research". The recipients are awarded one million Chinese yuan (about 150,000 US dollars) and a gold medal. The prize is awarde ...
.
In September 2022, Brassard was awarded the
Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prizes are a set of international awards bestowed in three categories by the Breakthrough Prize Board in recognition of scientific advances. The awards are part of several "Breakthrough" initiatives founded and funded by Yuri Mi ...
in fundamental physics, the world’s largest science prize.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brassard, Gilles
1955 births
Living people
Canadian computer scientists
Modern cryptographers
Academics from Montreal
Université de Montréal alumni
Cornell University College of Engineering alumni
Canada Research Chairs
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Canadian Fellows of the Royal Society
Officers of the Order of Canada
International Association for Cryptologic Research fellows
Officers of the National Order of Quebec
Quantum information scientists
Scientists from Montreal
Wolf Prize in Physics laureates