E. G. Coffman

About

E. G. Coffman is a pioneering researcher whose work bridges operations research, computer science, and manufacturing systems. His key research areas include scheduling theory, queueing systems, and the optimization of automated processes. Coffman made seminal contributions to the design and control of robots for Web search engines, where he developed optimal scheduling policies to minimize the time Web pages spend out-of-date. His 1998 paper on robot scheduling for Web search engines, with 119 citations, remains a foundational reference in the field, addressing how to efficiently maintain database currency under stochastic page-change processes. He also investigated the optimal number of robots for search engines, balancing workload and system performance. Beyond the Web, Coffman analyzed conveyor queues in flexible manufacturing systems, contributing to the efficient layout and operation of automated production lines. His work on pathfinding through mazes of rectangles has applications in VLSI wire-routing and robotics. With a career marked by rigorous mathematical modeling and practical impact, Coffman’s research continues to influence both academic theory and real-world system design.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Optimal robot scheduling for Web search engines

   119 citations · 1998
2. 2
   Controlling the robots of Web search engines

   29 citations · 2001
3. 3
   Analysis of a conveyor queue in a flexible manufacturing system

   14 citations · 1988
4. 4
   Optimizing the Number of Robots for Web Search Engines

   10 citations · 2001
5. 5
   Controlling the robots of Web search engines

   7 citations · 2001
6. 6
   Paths through a maze of rectangles

   6 citations · 1992
7. 7
   Analysis of a conveyor queue in a flexible manufacturing system

   4 citations · 1986
8. 8
   Analysis of a conveyor queue in a flexible manufacturing system

   3 citations · 1986

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links