An intellectual force in the development of computer science, Richard M. Karp has pioneered linking theoretical advances in the field to real-world problems. When he received the prestigious Turing Award, Karp gave a lecture in which he likened his interest in combinatorial search problems to "jigsaw puzzles, where one has to assemble the parts of a structure in a particular way..." from placing and interconnecting components on an integrated circuit chip to "scheduling of the National Football League, and the routing of a fleet of school buses."

Known for his comprehensive understanding of the field, as well as his fertile creativity, Karp has gained worldwide recognition for his inspired work in complexity theory and determining the inherent difficulty in solving problems with computers. Dedicated to his field, Karp considers himself fortunate to be among the first generation of scientists that came to maturity after the digital computer's invention...