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Seppo Linnainmaa

Profession: Mathematician and Computer Scientist

Nationality:
Finland
Finnish

Biography: Seppo Linnainmaa is a Finnish computer scientist and mathematician known for his pioneering work in the field of automatic differentiation (AD), a technique that computes derivatives of functions using computer algorithms. His work has had a significant impact on various disciplines, including optimization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI).

In his 1970 master's thesis, Linnainmaa introduced the concept of a reverse mode of automatic differentiation, also known as the "backpropagation of errors," which laid the foundation for the backpropagation algorithm later used in training artificial neural networks. This method efficiently computes gradients in complex functions, making it an essential tool for optimization and machine learning applications.

Born: September 28, 1945
Birthplace: Pori, Finland
Age: 78 years old

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rooster
Star Sign: Libra