Curiosity, risk and code: Bengal’s Eshan Chattopadhyay wins 2025 Godel Prize

The Cornell scientist’s breakthrough in pseudo randomness, first hailed in 2016, is now recognised as a milestone in theoretical computing.

Kolkata: This year's Godel Prize winner, Bengal theoretical computer scientist and IIT Kanpur alumnus Eshan Chattopadhyay, said that the recognition only reinforces his commitment to curiosity-driven research as he is open to taking greater risks and pursuing ideas stretching across disciplines.

Speaking to PTI over the phone from Ithaca, New York, in the United States, Chattopadhyay, an associate professor of Computer Science at Cornell University, expressed interest in broader outreach, hoping to make fundamental research more accessible.

"Research has always been a curiosity-driven pursuit for me, and receiving this award is truly an honour. It reinforces the importance of doing fundamental work, but it doesn't really change how I approach research. Theoretical computer science is about understanding the essence of computation. I am now more open to taking bigger risks, especially in exploring connections between pseudorandomness and quantum computing," Chattopadhyay said.

Chattopadhyay was awarded the 2025 Godel Prize, one of the highest honours in theoretical computer science, for solving a problem that had puzzled researchers for nearly three decades.

His research, conducted during his doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin under noted computer scientist David Zuckerman, created a two-source extractor functional even when both sources of randomness are weak, and is considered to be a milestone in the world of computing and Indian academia.

This breakthrough has wide-ranging implications for fields such as cryptography, machine learning, and complex simulations -- where reliable randomness is essential. The recognition comes nearly a decade after the research was first awarded 'Best Paper' at the IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS) in 2016, and later published in the prestigious 'Annals of Mathematics' journal in 2019.

He credited his PhD advisor, David Zuckerman, with playing a pivotal role in shaping his research mindset.

"David set high standards, but he gave me the space to explore freely and fail. His optimism and mentorship kept me going during years of setbacks," he said.

Originally from Kolkata, Chattopadhyay grew up in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) before enrolling in the Computer Science programme at IIT Kanpur. It was there that he discovered a passion for theoretical computing and mathematics.

"I didn't know much about Computer Science when I joined IIT Kanpur. But I took as many courses as I could and started reaching out to professors to explore research opportunities," he said.

His academic journey eventually took him to the United States, where he has since emerged as a leading voice in Theoretical Computer Science.

Chattopadhyay also acknowledged the support of his family, especially his parents, who were currently based in the Salt Lake area adjacent to Kolkata and partners for his success.

"My parents, Buddhadeb and Atrayee, encouraged me to follow my interests. And my partner, Soubhagya, has been a constant source of wisdom and strength through every high and low," he said, further recollecting spending his summer holidays at his grandparents' residence in Teghoria and Baidyabati.

"Yes, all my extended family live in and around Kolkata. My father currently resides in Salt Lake. Growing up, I have very fond memories of spending my summer months in West Bengal at my grandparents' house (in Teghoria and Baidyabati); also visiting cousins and more. My activities were centred around playing cricket and fishing in local ponds," she said.