Lotfi Zadeh: Remembering the founder of fuzzy logic

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the passing of Lotfi Zadeh, the world-renowned Azerbaijani scientist and founder of fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic. Born in Baku in 1921, Zadeh moved to Iran as a child before pursuing higher education at Tehran University. He later moved to the United States, where he earned advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University.

Zadeh spent much of his career at the University of California, Berkeley, serving as a professor and director of the Soft Computing Institute. His groundbreaking theories on state space, and the control and observation of dynamic systems, form the foundation of modern control science. Notably, NASA utilizes these theories to research, design, and implement various control systems.

In recognition of his scientific contributions and his role in fostering intercultural dialogue, the Azerbaijani government awarded him the Order of Friendship in 2011. In 2021, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the eminent scientist.