Lester S. Hill (1891–1961) was an American mathematician and educator who was interested in applications of mathematics to communications. He received a bachelor's degree (1911) and a master's degree (1913) from Columbia College and a Ph.D. from Yale University (1926). He taught at the University of Montana, Princeton University, the University of Maine, Yale University, and Hunter College. Among his notable contributions was the Hill cipher. He also developed methods for detecting errors in telegraphed code numbers and wrote two books.
Dr. Lester S. Hill | |
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Born | Lester Sanders Hil[1] January 18, 1891 |
Died | January 9, 1961[2][3] | (aged 69)
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | mathematician and cryptographer |
Known for | the Hill cipher (1929) |
Notable work | Cryptography in an Algebraic Alphabet (1929)[4] |
Dr. Lester S. Hill, 70, mathematician and cryptographer, died today in Lawrence hospital after a long illness. Hill was commended for application, of higher mathematics to the construction of secret codes.