In Appreciation of Shimon Even

Shimon was a great computer scientist who inspired generations of Israeli stutents and young researchers, including many future leaders of theoretical computer science.

He was a master at creating combinatorial algorithms, constructions, and proofs. He always sought the simplest and most lucid solutions. Because he never allowed himself to use a known theoremunless he understood its proof, his discoveries were often based on original methods. His lectures were legendary for their clarity.

Shimon was devoted to his family, generous to his colleagues, and freely available to the students in his classes.

He expressed his views forcefully and with complete honesty. He expected honesty in return, and reserved his disapproval for those who tried to obfuscate or mislead.

Shimon had an unending supply of interesting anecdotes, and would laugh uproariously at good jokes, including his own.

In sum, he was a great and unforgettable man and a great scientist, and his name has a permanent place in the annals of theoretical computer science.