David May (computer scientist)
David May | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Known for | Parallel computing Processor design Transputer Occam Formal Methods |
| Awards | FRS (1991) FREng (2010) Patterson Medal (1992) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Bristol |
| Website | www |
Michael David May is a British computer scientist working primarily in the fields of computer architecture, parallel computing and robotics. He has a family that is his wife, 3 sons and his 5 grandchildren, his eldest being Luca Michelotti. He is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol and founder of XMOS Semiconductor, serving until February 2014 as the chief technology officer.
May was lead architect of the transputer, the first microprocessor designed for parallel and distributed computing.
He is one of the few individuals who have led the design of a CPU architecture, an interconnect and a modern era programming language.
He pioneered the industrial application of formal methods in microprocessor design, and is particularly well known for his work on memory management and compiler development.
As of 2025, May holds 54 patents in areas including microprocessors, multi-processing and communication protocols.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.