Thomas M. Cover, 1938-2012

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I never met Tom Cover. But like every PhD in information theory, I came to know him through his book.  

Elements of Information Theory, better known as Cover and Thomas, is the gold standard for a graduate-level mathematics textbook: always readable, rigorous but never tedious, and comprehensive; one that captures both the elements and the spirit of the discipline. You have to imagine that, if The Book has a section on information theory, it's just Cover and Thomas, verbatim.

Its influence on the field has been so vast, a colleague once said, that "we're not information theorists, we're Coverists."

Thomas M. Cover August 7, 1938 - March 26, 2012