Dimitri Bertsekas passed away

The reinforcement learning, optimization, and control communities have lost one of their greatest pioneers.

Dimitri Bertsekas passed away, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that shaped generations of researchers, engineers, and practitioners.

Professor Bertsekas authored some of the most influential books in dynamic programming, optimal control, optimization, and reinforcement learning, including Dynamic Programming and Optimal Control, Neuro-Dynamic Programming, and the recently updated A Course in Reinforcement Learning. His work helped establish many of the theoretical foundations that continue to drive advances in AI and reinforcement learning today.

Throughout his distinguished career, he received numerous honors, including:

• 1997 INFORMS Prize for Research Excellence in the Interface Between Operations Research and Computer Science
• 2014 Richard E. Bellman Control Heritage Award
• 2015 George B. Dantzig Prize
• 2018 John von Neumann Theory Prize (shared with John N. Tsitsiklis)
• 2022 IEEE Control Systems Award

In 2001, he was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering for his pioneering contributions to optimization, control theory, and engineering education.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Professor Bertsekas’ legacy was his commitment to education. Many of his books have been made freely available online through his MIT webpage:

https://web.mit.edu/dimitrib/www/books.htm

For those interested in learning directly from him, his 2025 Reinforcement Learning lectures at Arizona State University are also available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdxhPj0PDHM&list=PLmH30BG15SIoXhxLldoio0BhsIY84YMDj

His impact on reinforcement learning, optimal control, and optimization will continue to be felt for decades to come through his research, books, lectures, and the generations of students he inspired.

Rest in peace, Professor Bertsekas.

Thank you for the knowledge, inspiration, and foundations upon which so much of our work is built.