The University of Bergen has established the George Boole International Prize to recognize outstanding contributions in the domain of Boolean functions and related fields.
The notion of a Boolean function was introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century in the context of fundamental mathematics and mathematical logic. It was named after George Boole (1815-1864), an English mathematician, who was one of the pioneers of mathematical logic. Since the middle of the twentieth century, with the rapid development of information and communication technology, Boolean function theory has been an important tool for solving problems on the analysis and synthesis of discrete devices which transform and process information. Boolean functions (both single- and multi-output) are used in the design of stream and block ciphers, in the definition of important error correcting codes and they are directly related to some problems on sequences for telecommunications. In particular, many cryptographic problems are formulated in terms of Boolean functions and Boolean function techniques are essential for solving these problems.
George Boole Prize 2024
The George Boole International Prize for 2023 was awarded at BFA-2024 to Gregor Leander for his pioneering results in the theory of Boolean functions including discovery of the first examples of nonnormal bent functions and new classes of APN functions, and for his important contributions to the understanding of cryptographic properties of Boolean permutations and their efficient and secure implementation as the core components of real-world cryptography. Congratulations!
George Boole Prize 2023
The George Boole International Prize for 2023 was awarded at BFA-2023 to Guang Gong, for considerable contributions to the theory of Boolean functions. Congratulations!
George Boole Prize 2021
The George Boole International Prize for 2021 was awarded at BFA-2021 to Pantelimon Stănică for considerable contributions to the theory of Boolean functions; and to Chunming Tang, as a young research talent in the theory of Boolean functions. Congratulations!
George Boole Prize 2020
The George Boole International Prize for 2020 was awarded at BFA-2020 to Sihem Mesnager, for considerable contributions to the theory of Boolean functions. Congratulations!
Conditions for Nominees
The prize is meant to recognize contributions of extraordinary depth and influence to the theory of Boolean functions. It can be awarded either for one particular contribution, or for the general work of the nominee. In addition, nominees are expected to be “model citizens” of the Boolean functions community.
Retention of Nominations
A candidate nominated in a given year may be reconsidered as if newly nominated for the prize in following years without any need for re-submission, provided that all other conditions are satisfied at the time of reconsideration.
In the case that one of the prize committees members is nominated, the nomination will be retained and then considered only during a year when the person nominated is not part of any prize committee.
Deadline for Nomination
The nomination deadline is July 17, 2024 for the nomination to be considered for the George Boole Prize for 2024.
Announcement of Boolean Prize Laureate
The award ceremony takes place at the annual workshop Boolean Functions and Their Applications on the year following the award announcement.
Prize Amount
The George Boole Prize amount is 10 000 NOK.
Prize Committees
The laureate is chosen by a nomination committee consisting of three or four prominent scientists in the domain of Boolean functions. The nomination committee is selected annually by the steering committee of the prize (although the same committee can serve for several consecutive years). The steering committee will only consult the nomination committee on eligibility of applications and won’t influence the selection process in any other way.
The nomination committee for 2024 consists of Cunsheng Ding, Subhamoy Maitra and Kaisa Nyberg.
The steering committee consists of Lilya Budaghyan, Claude Carlet and Tor Helleseth.
Formal Criteria
The prize can be awarded to a single person or can be shared in the case of closely related contributions. Proposals for candidates may be submitted by a scientist (or a group of scientists) holding a PhD degree in mathematics, informatics or related fields. Nominations are confidential and a nomination should not be made known to the nominee. Proposals are to be submitted directly by the proposers. Posthumous nominations or self-nominations will not be considered.
For proposals to be taken into consideration they must be accompanied by:
- a cover letter providing information about the nominating party and a brief description of the reasons for nomination;
- a detailed justification of nomination up to 3 pages (principal contributions for which the candidate, or candidates, are nominated, and a brief description of the work of the candidate, or candidates);
- a list of selected publications;
- a curriculum vitae of the nominee;
- the names of two or three distinguished specialists in the field of the nominee, or nominees, who can be contacted for an independent opinion if needed.
Instructions for submission
Proposals must be in PDF format – one (1) file only, using a 12 pt. font size.
Proposals should be sent by email to the steering committee: lilya.budaghyan@uib.no, claude.carlet@gmail.com, tor.helleseth@uib.no.
In case a member of the steering committee is nominated, the application will be sent to the remaining two members of the steering committee (to preserve the confidentiality of the nomination from the nominee).
Contact person: Lilya Budaghyan