USA (Commonwealth Union)_ Eshan Chattopadhyay, an Indian-born computer scientist and associate professor at Cornell University, has been awarded the 2025 Gödel Prize, one of the most prestigious accolades in theoretical computer science. He won the award for solving a problem that had baffled researchers for almost 30 years by creating a method to get reliable randomness even from two weak sources. This achievement not only marks a significant milestone in his career but also illuminates a field that underpins everything from encryption to secure communications.
Eshan’s biggest accomplishment was creating a unique tool known as a “two-source extractor.” The purpose of this program is to produce robust and usable random numbers, regardless of the quality or reliability of both input sources. Before his breakthrough, many people thought that this endeavor was almost impossible under such circumstances. But Eshan’s work proved it wrong. His achievement is a major progress in theoretical computer science and a source of pride for India and Indian-origin researchers globally.
Eshan’s path for education began in India. He attended the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, one of the country’s leading engineering universities. After completing his undergraduate studies, he moved to the United States to pursue his Ph.D. at the University of Texas, Austin. David Zuckerman, a well-known researcher in randomness and computational complexity, was his mentor. Zuckerman made significant contributions to Eshan’s research and problem-solving approaches.
After getting his degree, Chattopadhyay served in reputed institutions like the University of California, Berkeley; Microsoft Research; and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Later, he entered Cornell University in 2018 and served as an associate professor in 2024. His research work mainly centered on major topics like pseudorandomness, extractors, and computational complexity, all of which are vital to current data security and computing efficiency.
The Gödel Prize, named after eminent logician Kurt Gödel, recognizes exceptional papers in theoretical computer science. It is jointly managed by ACM SIGACT (Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory) and the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science. Winning this award signifies that the recipient’s work has had a substantial long-term impact on the field. This award recognizes Chattopadhyay’s brilliance as well as years of his hard work on a topic that many others had given up on.
Eshan took a topic relevant to real-world applications, such as encryption, secure communication, and data storage. In these fields, reliable random numbers are critical. His method demonstrated that two weak random sources can yield reliable results. This revelation fundamentally changes academics’ understanding of randomness, paving the path for new, more secure, more efficient tools and systems. Chattopadhyay’s work builds on a larger research tradition initiated by his advisor, David Zuckerman. Their collaborations, which include scientific works and public lectures like “How random is your randomness?”, reflect a shared interest in uncovering the fundamental patterns and principles that govern random behavior in computers.
Zuckerman’s counsel allowed Eshan to take on one of the most challenging assignments in the profession. In addition to the Gödel Prize, Eshan also earned several additional awards. These include the Sloan Research Fellowship and the NSF CAREER Award, which are both offered to early-career scientists who demonstrate significant promise. At Cornell, he is recognized as a challenging yet inspirational teacher and mentor. He often presents his research at leading computer science conferences such as FOCS (Foundations of Computer Science), STOC (Symposium on Theory of Computing), and SODA (Symposium on Discrete Algorithms).
Eshan Chattopadhyay’s accomplishments are a source of pride not only for Indian intellectuals but for the whole scientific world. In an era where applied technologies like AI typically take center stage, his achievement serves as a sharp reminder of how fundamental theoretical work continues to power the digital tools we use every day. His achievement signals that brave analysis and cognitive thinking continue to yield surprising outcomes.
