A pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, Edward A. Feigenbaum took a slightly different approach to his work than some of his colleagues. While much of the focus on artificial intelligence involved efforts to mimic human behavior, Feigenbaum shifted his focus to improving computer performance, regardless of how it compared to human functioning.

Feigenbaum was born January 20, 1936, in Weehawken, New Jersey, the son of Fred J. and Sara Feigenbaum. He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he earned his B.S. in electrical engineering in 1956. While an undergraduate Feigenbaum acquired an interest in the Logic Theorist program, which was at the forefront of the artificial intelligence field. Developed by Carnegie faculty members Herb Simon and Allen Newell, Logic Theorist was a computer program that focused on the problem-solving process. Accepted into the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie, Feigenbaum found it "a spectacular intellectual environment...