computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...
professor at
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
who works in
programming language
A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs.
Programming languages are described in terms of their Syntax (programming languages), syntax (form) and semantics (computer science), semantics (meaning), usually def ...
research. Prior to his position at Carnegie Mellon, Harper was a research fellow at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
.
Career
Harper made major contributions to the design of the
Standard ML
Standard ML (SML) is a General-purpose programming language, general-purpose, High-level programming language, high-level, Modular programming, modular, Functional programming, functional programming language with compile-time type checking and t ...
ACM Fellow
ACM Fellowship is an award and fellowship that recognises outstanding members of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The title of ACM Fellow
A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals ...
in 2005 for his contributions to
type systems
In computer programming, a type system is a logical system comprising a set of rules that assigns a property called a ''type'' (for example, integer, floating point, string) to every '' term'' (a word, phrase, or other set of symbols). Usual ...
for programming languages. In 2021, he received the ACM SIGPLAN Programming Languages Achievement Award for his "foundational contributions to our understanding of type theory and its use in the design, specification, implementation, and verification of modern programming languages".
ACM Fellow
ACM Fellowship is an award and fellowship that recognises outstanding members of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The title of ACM Fellow
A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals ...
, for contributions to
type systems
In computer programming, a type system is a logical system comprising a set of rules that assigns a property called a ''type'' (for example, integer, floating point, string) to every '' term'' (a word, phrase, or other set of symbols). Usual ...
. (2005)
* ACM SIGPLAN Most Influential PLDI Paper Award, for the paper TIL: a type-directed optimizing compiler for ML. (2006)
* LICS Test-of-Time Award Winner, for the paper A Framework for defining logics. (2007)
* ACM SIGPLAN Programming Languages Achievement Award, for foundational contributions to type theory and its use. (2021)
Books
*
Robin Milner
Arthur John Robin Gorell Milner (13 January 1934 – 20 March 2010) was a British computer scientist, and a Turing Award winner.Mads Tofte, Robert Harper, and David MacQueen. ''The Definition of Standard ML (Revised)''. MIT Press, 1997.
*Robert Harper (editor). Types in Compilation '. Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science, volume 2071, 2001.
*Robert Harper. Type Systems for Programming Languages '. Draft, 2000.
*Robert Harper. Programming in Standard ML '. Working Draft, 2013.
*Robert Harper. ''Practical Foundations for Programming Languages'' 2007 draft 2nd edition: , 2016.
Personal life
In 2003–2008, Harper hosted the progressive talk sho ''Left Out'' on
WRCT
WRCT (88.3 FM broadcasting, FM) is a non-commercial freeform radio, freeform radio station based in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The volunteer-run station has a studio in the basement of Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Mellon's Un ...
-FM with fellow host and
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
School of Computer Science faculty member Danny Sleator.