As a teenager, Greg created independently of Kolmogorov and Solomonoff,
what we call today algorithmic information theory, a sub- ject of which
he is the main architect. His 1965 paper on gedanken experiments on
automata, which he wrote when he was in high school, is still of
interest today. He was also heavily involved in IBM, where he has worked
for almost thirty years, on the development of RISC technology. Greg's
results are widely quoted. My favorite portrait of Greg can be found in
John Horgan's-a writer for Scientific American-1996 book The End 01
Science. Greg has gotten many honors. He was a guest of distinguished
people like Prigogine, the King and Queen of Belgium, and the Crown
Prince of Japan. Just to be brief, allow me to paraphrase Bette Davis in
All About Eve. She said, "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a
bumpy talk!" Ladies and Gentlemen, Greg Chaitin! [Laughter & Applause]
CRISTIAN CALUDE introducing GREGORY CHAITIN at the DMTCS'96 meeting at
the University of Auckland.