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Gordon Plotkin

b. 1946

Scottish computer scientist

Computer scientist Engineer University teacher
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About Gordon Plotkin

Born 1946. Gordon Plotkin is a British computer scientist, engineer and university teacher, known for Domain theory, Operational semantics and Programming Computable Functions.

Gordon David Plotkin (born 9 September 1946) He has contributed to many other areas of computer science.

Education Plotkin was educated at the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh, gaining his Bachelor of Science degree in 1967 supervised by Rod Burstall. His former doctoral students include Luca Cardelli, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a winner of the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. Plotkin received the Milner Award in 2012 for "his fundamental research into programming semantics with lasting impact on both the principles and design of programming languages." His nomination for the Royal Society reads:

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Important facts

Born
9 September 1946, Glasgow
Birth century
20th century
Occupation
Computer scientist, engineer, university teacher
Nationality
United Kingdom
Known for
Domain theory, Operational semantics, Programming Computable Functions, Unbounded nondeterminism
Education
University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow
Employers
University of Edinburgh
Awards
Fellow of the Royal Society; Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship; EATCS award; Programming Languages Achievement Award; Milner Award and Lecture; Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; ACM Fellow; Lovelace Medal; European Association for Theoretical Computer Science; Milner Award; Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award
Also known as
Gordon David Plotkin, Gordon D. Plotkin

People in Gordon Plotkin's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Portrait of Luca Cardelli
Luca Cardelli
b. 1954
Computer scientist
 Portrait of Rod Burstall
Rod Burstall
1934 – 2025
Computer scientist

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gordon Plotkin's

Portrait of Albert B. Sabin
Albert B. Sabin
1906 – 1993
Virologist
 Portrait of Grigore Moisil
Grigore Moisil
1906 – 1973
Mathematician
 Portrait of Hans Bethe
Hans Bethe
1906 – 2005
Physicist
 Portrait of Harry Hammond Hess
Harry Hammond Hess
1906 – 1969
Geologist
 Portrait of Ivan Knunyants
Ivan Knunyants
1906 – 1990
Organic chemist
 Portrait of Jean Dieudonné
Jean Dieudonné
1906 – 1992
Mathematician

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gordon Plotkin?

Scottish computer scientist

When was Gordon Plotkin born?

Gordon Plotkin was born on 9 September 1946 in Glasgow.

What is Gordon Plotkin's occupation?

Gordon Plotkin is a computer scientist, engineer and university teacher.

What is Gordon Plotkin known for?

Gordon Plotkin is known for Domain theory, Operational semantics, Programming Computable Functions and Unbounded nondeterminism.

What nationality is Gordon Plotkin?

Gordon Plotkin is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gordon Plotkin

· Wikidata: Q967536

· DBpedia: Gordon Plotkin

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gordon Plotkin. https://biography.guide/gordon-plotkin/

MLA: "Gordon Plotkin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gordon-plotkin/.

Chicago: "Gordon Plotkin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gordon-plotkin/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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