Title: The side benefits of knowing an algorithm

Abstract: I was trying to help a group of school students discover a beautiful theorem in combinatorics. The theorem says: in any sequence of k^2+1 distinct numbers, there is either an increasing subsequence of k+1 numbers or a decreasing subsequence of k+1 numbers. The students eventually figured this out.  They also figured out why k^2 instead of k^2+1 would not do: there are sequences of k^2 numbers that have neither an increasing nor a decreasing subsequence of k+1 numbers. (Try to build one for k=3.) Just when I thought I had told them everything that I could about the theorem, one of them asked how many such sequences with numbers 1,2, …, k^2 were there. I did not know. I did not want to google. I wanted to understand. I went back to an algorithm I had learnt years ago. It gave me the answer. I understood a little more. I want to tell you what I found, and why that made me happy.

Bio: Jaikumar Radhakrishnan is a theoretical computer scientist with research interests in complexity theory, randomness and computation, quantum information and computation, combinatorics, and information theory. Radhakrishnan obtained his BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1985, and his PhD in Computer Science from Rutgers University, NJ, USA, in 1991.  He joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in 1991; in 2024 he moved to the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR), Bengaluru, where he is currently a Distinguished Professor.

Title: Multilingual and Multicultural Responsible AI

Abstract: This talk explores the principles and challenges of implementing responsible AI in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. It highlights the complexities of addressing gender bias in non-English languages and showcases efforts to develop culturally sensitive methods for bias identification and mitigation. The talk looks into the role of synthetic datasets and evaluation methods in ensuring accurate and inclusive AI applications. It underscores the importance of participatory design and community-centric approaches in uncovering nuanced biases and enhancing the effectiveness of responsible AI principles.

Bio: Kalika Bali is a Sr. Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research Labs India, where she has dedicated nearly two decades to enhancing human-computer interactions through language technologies. Her focus lies in creating inclusive tech for a diverse range of languages and communities, especially those that are underrepresented. She is particularly interested in how Foundational Models like GPT can impact society, for better or worse. Her recent work navigates the crossroads of multilingual and multicultural AI. She was on the first (2023) TIME100 AI list for her continuing work on breaking down language barriers and fostering inclusivity in the AI sphere.

Title: Fair Allocation of Indivisible Resources

Abstract: Fair allocation of indivisible items is a central problem in computer science and economics. Be it the division of inherited property among heirs, assigning courses to lecturers, sharing household chores among family members, distributing public housing units, or allocating healthcare resources, one of the objectives is to divide the resources “fairly” among stakeholders. This talk will introduce the field of Fair Allocation and provide several possible research directions.

Title:   Automated Synthesis: Fusing Formal Methods and AI

Abstract: We increasingly entrust large parts of our daily lives to computer systems, which are becoming more complex. Developing scalable and trustworthy techniques for designing, developing, and verifying these systems is crucial. In this talk, we will focus on automated synthesis, a technique that uses formal specifications to automatically generate systems (such as functions, programs, or circuits) that provably satisfy the specified requirements.

The talk will overview recent approaches that combine advances in automated reasoning, knowledge compilation, and machine learning to address a wide variety of practical automated synthesis problems. Additionally, we will introduce a state-of-the-art functional synthesis algorithm that leverages artificial intelligence to provide an initial guess for the system and then uses formal methods to repair and verify this guess, resulting in a system that is correct by construction.

Short Bio: Priyanka Golia is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Prior to that, she was a faculty at the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, Germany. She completed her Ph.D. through a joint degree program between Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India, and National University of Singapore.  Her research interests lie at the intersection of formal methods and artificial intelligence. Specifically, her work has focused on designing scalable automated synthesis and testing techniques. Her research has received  a Best Paper Nomination at ICCAD-21, a Best Paper Candidate at DATE-23, and an invitation for special issues in FMSD.

Title : Reflections on a journey in logic and automata across academia and industry

Abstract : I’ll briefly present my research work and my transition through various facets of logic and automata.

I’ll share my thoughts on research in academia, industry, and the Ph.D. journey.

Bio : Saptarshi Sarkar received his Ph.D. from IIT Bombay in 2022 in the area of logic, automata, and algebra.

He is a recipient of the Naik and Rastogi Award for excellence in Ph.D. research for the year 2020-2022.

His publications have appeared in top conferences and journals like LICS, CONCUR, LMCS etc.

After Ph.D., he joined Intel as a formal verification engineer. Currently he is a senior formal verification engineer in SiFive.

Title: A Mathematician’s Journey into Building Robust Cryptosystems

Abstract: In this talk, I will share my research journey, beginning as a mathematician and venturing into the realm of theoretical computer science, with a particular focus on cryptography. I will discuss my work on building robust cryptosystems by using techniques from different related areas like coding theory, pseudorandomness, information theory, and more. Along the way, I will highlight several intriguing problems, ranging from theoretical ones to industry-relevant ones. I will also offer insights from my experiences, with key takeaways for PhDs and early-stage postdocs.

Bio: Sruthi Sekar is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Her research interests span both theoretical and applied cryptography, as well as theoretical computer science more broadly. Prior to this, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her Master’s and PhD degrees from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and her undergraduate degree from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. Her thesis, titled “Near-optimal Non-malleable Codes and Leakage Resilient Secret Sharing Schemes,” received an honorable mention at the ACM India Doctoral Dissertation Award 2022. She is the recipient of the Prof. P. L. Bhatnagar Medal (gold medal for her Master’s degree) from IISc. Her research has appeared at top conferences in theoretical computer science, cryptography, and security, and has gained recognition through several awards, including the TCS Ph.D. fellowship, Prof. Venkatchalaienger Scholarship (from the Mathematics Department at IISc), the IDRBT Doctoral Colloquium Award 2021, and the Sandwich Scholarship (facilitated her visit to Technion University, Israel).