Editing Ralph Merkle

{{Short description|American cryptographer (born 1952)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name                    = Ralph Merkle
| image                   = Ralph Merkle.png
| caption                 = Merkle in 2007
| birth_date              = {{Birth date and age|1952|2|2|mf=y}}
| birth_place             = Berkeley, California, US
| death_date              =
| death_place             = 
| education               = {{Plainlist|
* [[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]] (B.A., M.S.)
* [[Stanford University]] (Ph.D.)}}
| thesis_title            = Secrecy, authentication and public key systems
| thesis_url              = https://www.ralphmerkle.com/papers/Thesis1979.pdf
| doctoral_advisor        = [[Martin Hellman]]
| doctoral_students       = 
| known_for               = {{Plainlist|
* Co-inventor of [[public key cryptography]]
* [[Merkle tree]]<ref>{{Cite book | doi = 10.1007/3-540-48184-2_32| chapter = A Digital Signature Based on a Conventional Encryption Function| title = Advances in Cryptology – CRYPTO '87| volume = 293| pages = 369–378| series = Lecture Notes in Computer Science| year = 1988| last1 = Merkle | first1 = R. C. | isbn = 978-3-540-18796-7}}</ref>
* [[Merkle's puzzles]]
* [[Merkle–Hellman knapsack cryptosystem]]
* [[Merkle–Damgård construction]]}}
| website                 = {{URL|https://www.ralphmerkle.com}}
| footnotes               = 
| spouse                  =  [[Carol Shaw (video game designer)|Carol Shaw]]
| ethnicity               = 
| field                   = [[Public key cryptography]], [[cryonics]]
| work_institutions       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Singularity University]]
* [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation]]
* Institute for Molecular Manufacturing
* Elxsi
* [[Georgia Institute of Technology]]}}
| prizes                  = [[IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal]] (2010) <br> [[Computer History Museum]] Fellow (2011)<ref>[http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/bios/Ralph,Merkle/ Ralph Merkle 2011 Fellow] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103022732/http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/bios/Ralph,Merkle/ |date=2013-01-03 }}</ref>
}}
'''Ralph C. Merkle''' (born February 2, 1952) is an American computer scientist and mathematician. He is one of the inventors of [[public-key cryptography]], the inventor of [[cryptographic hash]]ing, and more recently a researcher and speaker on [[cryonics]].

Merkle is a renowned cryptographer, known for devising [[Merkle's Puzzles]], co-inventing the [[Merkle–Hellman knapsack cryptosystem|Merkle–Hellman knapsack]] cryptosystem, and inventing cryptographic hashing ([[Merkle–Damgård construction]]) and [[Merkle tree|Merkle trees]]. He has worked as a manager at [[Elxsi]], research scientist at [[Xerox]] [[PARC (company)|PARC]] (Palo Alto Research Center), and a [[nanotechnology]] theorist at [[Zyvex]]. Merkle has held positions as a Distinguished Professor at [[Georgia Tech]], senior research fellow at IMM, faculty member at [[Singularity Group|Singularity University]], and board member at [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation]]. He received the [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers|IEEE]] [[IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal|Richard W. Hamming Medal]] in 2010 and has published works on [[molecular manipulation]] and [[Self-replicating machine|self-replicating machines]]. Ralph Merkle is a grandnephew of baseball star [[Fred Merkle]] and is married to video game designer [[Carol Shaw]]. He serves on the board of directors of the [[Cryonics Institute|cryonics]] organization Alcor Life Extension Foundation and appears in the science fiction novel ''[[The Diamond Age]]''.

==Contributions==
While an undergraduate, Merkle devised [[Merkle's Puzzles]], a scheme for communication over an [[insecure channel]], as part of a class project at UC Berkeley.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Garfinkel|first1=Simson|title=Pretty Good Privacy|publisher=O'Reilly and Associates|year=1994}}</ref> The scheme is now recognized to be an early example of [[public key cryptography]]. He co-invented the [[Merkle–Hellman knapsack cryptosystem]], invented [[cryptographic hashing]] (now called the [[Merkle–Damgård construction]] based on a pair of articles published 10 years later that established the security of the scheme), and invented [[Merkle tree]]s. The Merkle–Damgård construction is at the heart of many hashing algorithms.<ref name="Hash Functions Paper">{{cite web|url=http://crypto.stanford.edu/~mironov/papers/wuf.pdf  |title=Hash Functions: From Merkle–Damgård to Shoup|author=Ilya Mironov}}</ref><ref name="Merkle–Damgård Paradigm Collision Resistance">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxiOCfFZZcM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/jxiOCfFZZcM| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|author=intrigano|title=Cryptofraphy (sic) The Merkle Damgard Paradigm collision resistance|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 
At [[Xerox PARC]] Merkle designed the [[Khufu and Khafre]] [[block cipher]]s and the [[Snefru]] hash function.

==Career==
Merkle was the manager of [[compiler]] development at [[Elxsi]] from 1980. In 1988, he became a research scientist at [[Xerox PARC]]. In 1999 he became a nanotechnology theorist for [[Zyvex]]. In 2003 he became a [[Distinguished Professor]] at [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia Tech]], where he led the [[Georgia Tech Information Security Center]].<ref name=MerkWK>{{cite press release |url= http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=164 |title= Cybersecurity Pioneer Selected to Lead Information Security Center at Georgia Tech |publisher= [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] |date= 2003-07-15 |access-date= 2007-03-17 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060905081109/http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=164 |archive-date= 2006-09-05 }}</ref> In 2006 he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he has been a senior research fellow at IMM, a faculty member at [[Singularity University]], and a board member of the [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation]]. He was awarded the [[IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/hamming_rl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620000223/http://ieee.org/documents/hamming_rl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 20, 2010 | title=IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date=2011-05-29}}</ref> He is active in the field of molecular manipulation and self-replicating machines and has published books on the subject.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Merkle |first1=Ralph |last2=Freitas |first2=Robert |title=Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines |date=2004 |publisher=Landes Bioscience |isbn=1570596905 |edition=978-1570596902}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ralph Merkle is a grandnephew of baseball star [[Fred Merkle]]; son of Theodore Charles Merkle, director of [[Project Pluto]]; and brother of [[Judith Merkle Riley]], a historical writer.<ref name="bio"/> Merkle is married to [[Carol Shaw (video game designer)|Carol Shaw]],<ref name="bio">{{cite web | url= https://www.ralphmerkle.com/ |title= Ralph C. Merkle | quote= My wife is Carol Shaw. My sister, Judith Merkle Riley, wrote historical novels. My father, Theodore Charles Merkle, ran Project Pluto. My great uncle was Fred Merkle, of baseball fame. | publisher= ralphmerkle.com  |access-date= 2013-11-25}}</ref> the video game designer best known for the 1982 Atari 2600 game ''[[River Raid]]''.

Merkle is on the board of directors of the [[cryonics]] organization [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Alcor Board of Directors  | publisher = [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation]]   | date = 2012-09-01 | url = https://www.alcor.org/AboutAlcor/meetdirectors.html#merkle  | access-date = 2013-10-24 }}</ref>

Merkle appears in the [[science fiction]] novel ''[[The Diamond Age]]'', involving nanotechnology.

==Awards==
* 1996 [[Paris Kanellakis Award]] (from the [[Association for Computing Machinery|ACM]]) for the Invention of [[Public Key Cryptography]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=4605383&srt=all&aw=147&ao=KANELLAK&yr=1996 |title=Ralph Merkle - Award Winner |publisher=ACM |access-date=2013-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402194122/http://awards.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=4605383&srt=all&aw=147&ao=KANELLAK&yr=1996 |archive-date=2013-04-02 }}</ref>
* 1998 [[Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology]] for computational modeling of molecular tools for atomically-precise chemical reactions<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foresight.org/FI/1998Feynman.html |title=1998 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology |publisher=Foresight.org |date=1998-09-04 |access-date=2013-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023101639/http://www.foresight.org/FI/1998Feynman.html |archive-date=2013-10-23 }}</ref>
* 1999 [[IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ieee.org/about/awards/tfas/kobayashi.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113121254/http://www.ieee.org/about/awards/tfas/kobayashi.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 13, 2013 |title=Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award |publisher= IEEE |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* 2000 [[RSA Award for Excellence in Mathematics]] for the invention of public key cryptography.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsa.com/press_release.aspx?id=343 |title=Information Security, Governance, Risk, and Compliance - EMC |publisher=RSA |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* 2008 International Association for Cryptographic Research (IACR) fellow for the invention of public key cryptography.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iacr.org/fellows/2008/Merkle.html |title=Ralph Merkle, IACR Fellow |publisher=Iacr.org |year= 2008 |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* 2010 [[IEEE]] Hamming Medal for the invention of public key cryptography<ref>{{cite web |url= http://cisac.stanford.edu/news/cisacs_scholars_awarded_for_invention_of_public_key_cryptography_20091209/ |title=CISAC's scholars awarded for invention of public key cryptography |publisher= Stanford University |date= 2009-12-09 |access-date=2013-11-25}}</ref>
* 2011 [[Computer History Museum]] Fellow "for his work, with Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman, on public key cryptography."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/bios/Ralph,Merkle/ |title=Computer History Museum &#124; Fellow Awards - Ralph Merkle |publisher=Computerhistory.org |access-date=2013-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023134350/http://www.computerhistory.org/fellowawards/hall/bios/Ralph,Merkle/ |archive-date=2013-10-23 }}</ref>
* 2011 [[National Inventors Hall of Fame]], for the invention of public key cryptography<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.invent.org/2011induction/1_3_11_induction_merkle.asp |title=Invent Now &#124; Hall of Fame &#124; Induction &#124; 2011 Inductees |publisher=Invent.org |date=1952-02-02 |access-date=2013-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226183610/http://www.invent.org/2011induction/1_3_11_induction_merkle.asp |archive-date=2013-12-26 }}</ref>
* 2012 [[National Cyber Security Hall of Fame]] inductee
* 2020 [[Levchin Prize]] “for fundamental contributions to the development of public key cryptography, hash algorithms, Merkle trees, and digital signatures”<ref>{{cite web |title=The Levchin Prize for Real-World Cryptography |url=https://rwc.iacr.org/LevchinPrize/winners.html |website=Real World Crypto Symposium |publisher=International Association for Cryptologic Research |access-date=9 April 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* Ralph C. Merkle, ''Secrecy, authentication, and public key systems'' (Computer science), UMI Research Press, 1982, {{ISBN|0-8357-1384-9}}.
* [[Robert Freitas|Robert A. Freitas Jr.]], Ralph C. Merkle, ''Kinematic Self-Replicating Machines'', Landes Bioscience, 2004, {{ISBN|1-57059-690-5}}.
* Paul Kantor (Ed), Gheorghe Mureşan (Ed), Fred Roberts (Ed), [[Daniel Zeng]] (Ed), Frei-Yue Wang (Ed), [[Hsinchun Chen]] (Ed), Ralph Merkle (Ed), "Intelligence and Security Informatics" : ''IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics'', ISI 2005, Atlanta, GA, US, May 19–20, ... ([[Lecture Notes in Computer Science]]), Springer, 2005, {{ISBN|3-540-25999-6}}.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111228061915/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1598612092045110436 Interview] at [[Google Videos]] in the [[Death in the Deep Freeze]] documentary (August 2, 2006)
* [https://archive.today/20130106112747/http://www.fcas.nova.edu/arts/distinguished_speakers_series/ralph_merkle/index.cfm Nova Southeastern University, Nanotechnology Expert Ralph Merkle to Speak on "Life and Death"] (August 2008)

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://hdl.handle.net/11299/107353 Oral history interview with Martin Hellman]{{snd}} from 2004, Palo Alto, California. [[Charles Babbage Institute]], University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. [[Martin Hellman|Hellman]] describes his invention of [[public key cryptography]] with collaborators [[Whitfield Diffie]] and Ralph Merkle at Stanford University in the mid-1970s. He also relates his subsequent work in cryptography with [[Steve Pohlig]] (the Pohlig–Hellman system) and others.

{{Molecular nanotechnology footer}}
{{Richard W. Hamming Medal recipients}}
{{Kanellakis Award laureates}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merkle, Ralph}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American inventors]]
[[Category:American computer security academics]]
[[Category:American cryptographers]]
[[Category:American nanotechnologists]]
[[Category:American people of Swiss descent]]
[[Category:Cryonicists]]
[[Category:Georgia Tech faculty]]
[[Category:International Association for Cryptologic Research fellows]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Modern cryptographers]]
[[Category:Scientists at PARC (company)]]