Andrew Viterbi, 80, a Jewish-Italian immigrant who co-founded the chipmaker Qualcomm and was part of the revolution in wireless telecommunications, was inducted into the CONNECT Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on Thursday, UT San Diego reported.
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In the early 1960s, Viterbi created the “Viterbi algorithm, ” a mathematical formula for eliminating signal interference. The algorithm was crucial to the transition from analog to digital communications, and is still the conceptual foundation of everything, from cell phones to deep space telemetry.
Viterbi co-founded Qualcomm, the world’s dominant chip maker, with 26, 000 employees.
“The entire world has been affected by Dr. Viterbi’s contributions, ” San Diego philanthropist Malin Burham said at the ceremony.
Viterbi was choked up when he told the audience that his wife, Erna, had recently passed away.
“Time does not heal all things, but strength gradually returns, ” he said.
He thanked everyone “for all of your exaggerations.”
But then humility aside, Viterbi acknowledged that “it has been very satisfying connecting the 6 billion people on this planet—virtually instantly.”
