Charles Bennett
contemporaryPhilosophy of Physics, Information Theoryb. 1943
Charles H. Bennett (born 1943) is an IBM physicist and information theorist whose work bridges thermodynamics, computation, and quantum mechanics. He is best known for establishing the thermodynamic foundations of reversible computation and for his analysis of Maxwell's Demon, demonstrating that memory erasure—not measurement—is the irreversible step that saves the second law. He co-developed the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol and the theory of quantum teleportation.
Notable Achievements
1
Resolved Maxwell's Demon paradox by identifying memory erasure (not measurement) as the thermodynamically irreversible step
2
Developed the theory of reversible computation, showing computation need not dissipate energy in principle
3
Co-invented the BB84 quantum cryptography protocol (with Gilles Brassard)
4
Co-discovered quantum teleportation
5
Introduced the concept of logical depth as a measure of computational complexity