Lovász

Lovász is a Hungarian surname. In contemporary discussions of mathematics and computer science, the name is closely associated with László Lovász, a Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist born in 1948. Lovász is renowned for his work in graph theory, combinatorial optimization, and theoretical computer science. He has held faculty positions at institutions including Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest and Yale University, contributing to both pure and applied areas of discrete mathematics.

Key contributions bearing the Lovász name include the Lovász theta function, the Lovász Local Lemma, the Lovász extension, and the Lovász–Schrijver relaxations. The Lovász theta function is a graph parameter that provides important bounds related to the Shannon capacity of graphs, linking combinatorics with information theory. The Lovász Local Lemma is a foundational probabilistic method that gives conditions under which a set of events can all be avoided with positive probability, widely used in combinatorics and theoretical computer science. The Lovász extension is a construction used in submodular optimization to extend set functions to convex functions, while the Lovász–Schrijver relaxations form hierarchies used to tighten linear programming relaxations in integer optimization.

The surname Lovász is thus associated with a family of results and techniques that bridge discrete mathematics and optimization. Lovász’s work has been highly influential, shaping approaches in graph algorithms, complexity, and approximation methods, and his ideas continue to inform research across mathematics and computer science. Biographical and professional notes indicate his long-standing role in advancing both theory and its applications.