Theoretical computer science studies the fundamental methods and mathematics of computation: the design of efficient algorithms, models and frameworks for computing, and the resource requirements of computational tasks.

Research groups

Theoretical Computer Science group

Distributed Algorithms

Natural Computation

People

Chris Brzuska, Parinya Chalermsook, Tommi Junttila, Petteri Kaski, Barbara Keller, Sándor Kisfaludi-Bak, Russell W.F.Lai, Pekka Orponen, Alexandru Paler, Jussi Rintanen, Jukka Suomela, Jara Uitto

AI is a major focus area of Aalto University and the Department of Computer Science. Building on the department's strong tradition that includes neural network pioneers Teuvo Kohonen and Erkki Oja.

Research contributes both to the fundamentals of AI across its many subfields, as well as to the accelerating practical impact AI has on businesses and societies.

The Department of Computer Science is a key player in the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence FCAI, a major ecosystem of academic, private and public sector partners.

Research groups

Artificial Intelligence and Software Systems

Machine Learning for Big Data

Probabilistic Machine Learning Group

Semantic Computing Group

People

Stephane Deny, Vikas Garg, Eero Hyvönen, Wilhelmiina Hämäläinen, Alex Jung, Juho Kannala, Petteri Kaski, Samuel Kaski, Jorma Laaksonen, Jaakko Lehtinen, Janne Lindqvist, Riku Linna, Harri Lähdesmäki, Pekka Marttinen, Jussi Rintanen, Juho Rousu, Arno Solin, Jukka Suomela, Linh Truong, Aki Vehtari

The Complex Systems research area studies diverse systems from social networks to the human brain and from cities to the human immune system, applying the tools of network science, stochastic processes, and nonlinear dynamics.

Research groups

Complex Systems

People

Petter Holme, Barbara Keller, Mikko Kivelä, Maarit Korpi-Lagg, Riku Linna, Jari Saramäki

The research area covers the multi-disciplinary activities on computational modelling, data analysis and design of biological systems. The field focuses on the development of original computational methods and their application in collaboration with leading national and international experts in different branches of life sciences.

Research groups

Computational Systems Biology

Kernel Methods, Pattern Analysis and Computational Biology (KEPACO)

People

Stephane Deny, Wilhelmiina Hämäläinen, Samuel Kaski, Barbara Keller, Harri Lähdesmäki, Pekka Marttinen, Pekka Orponen, Juho Rousu, Jari Saramäki, Aki Vehtari

Computing education research (CER) contributes scientific knowledge about the learning and teaching of computer programming and other areas of computing education; develops software tools, pedagogies, and theoretical models to help computing students and teachers; and evaluates such tools, pedagogies, and models empirically.

CER is an interdisciplinary field at the cross-section of computer science, psychology, and education.

We develop and apply educational technology, learning analytics and educational data mining to improve computing education as well as other fields of education.

Research groups

LeTech - Learning + Technology

People

Lassi Haaranen, Arto Hellas, Wilhelmiina Hämäläinen, Lauri Malmi, Kerttu Pollari-Malmi, Nitin Sawhney, Otto Seppälä, Juha Sorva

Internet has catalysed modern computing to evolve towards distributed architectures rapidly, creating novel technology paradigms like cloud computing and IoT. Computing Systems conducts interdisciplinary research into the infrastructure and systems that support such novel technology paradigms. The research ranges from theoretical, such as distributed systems, distributed system architectures and distributed algorithms to applied such as IoT, Web Services, Analytics, Ubiquitous Computing, Systems for Machine Learning and Distributed Multimedia systems. These research areas are intersectional in their design, underlying infrastructure and service delivery constraints. Focus areas include IoT management, networking and applications, vehicular networks, edge computing, web service design and analytics, system analytics, video delivery optimization and low latency distributed multimedia systems including cloud/edge rendered XR. The research uses empirical methodologies to leverage human factors like human visual system and human computer interaction in system design, specifically in cloud rendered XR and ubiquitous computing.

Research groups

Distributed and Mobile Computing

People

Mario Di Francesco, Vesa Hirvisalo, Linh Truong, Petri Vuorimaa

Digital Ethics, Society and Policy (Digital-ESP) brings together diverse researchers, scholars and practitioners engaging at the intersection of technology, social science and policy concerns in a societal context. From a Computer Science perspective this is a crucial area for critically interrogating the ethics and values embedded in technology, the interplay with society, and the role of policy-making to better understand and mediate positive or adverse impacts.

Increasingly, contemporary concerns with emerging technologies such as AI, surveillance, cybersecurity, robotics, drones and autonomous systems in society have been much debated. However, issues of gender and racial equity, Global South inclusion, political participation, democracy, protest, civic engagement, crisis, and sustainability in technological contexts, are also critical topics of emphasis for this area.

Digital-ESP is focused on understanding the societal impact of technologies in a transdisciplinary manner (i.e. drawing on research conducted at the intersection of different fields and engaging diverse stakeholders), while proposing critical guidance and policy interventions.

People

Marjo Kauppinen, Juhi Kulshrestha, Casper Lassenius, Marko Nieminen, Risto Sarvas, Nitin Sawhney, Marko Turpeinen, Johanna Viitanen, Johanna Ylipulli

There is an increasing need to find more comprehensive solutions to the complex problems of the world, to equalise the technology sector and to make the design of technological innovations more human-oriented. Engineering Psychology research area brings together behavioral scientists, engineers, and computer scientists to explore real world problems. The research area tackles questions how human behavior and perception shapes the use and impact of computing systems, services and engineering, and vice versa.

People

Talayeh Aledavood, Mikko Kivelä, Sari Kujala, Janne Lindqvist, Robin Welsch

Human-Computer Interaction and Design (HCID) is a crucial research area examining the intersection of computing, interaction technologies and human-centred design research. HCID engages transdisciplinary approaches to conducting critical research, design, development and evaluation of current and novel technologies, behaviors, processes, models, practices and experiences among human, artificial and non-human entities, while examining the impacts on people, society and ecology. It draws from emerging research, scholarship and practice across disciplines including computer science (computation, software engineering, machine learning, AI, interaction design), cognitive science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, media, arts, design, learning/education, ethics, and public policy, among others.

People

Fabian Fagerholm, Perttu Hämäläinen, Sari Kujala, Juhi Kulshtestha, Jorma Laaksonen, Janne Lindqvist, Lauri Malmi, Marko Nieminen, Mika P.Nieminen, Nitin Sawhney, Johanna Viitanen, Robin Welsch, Johanna Ylipulli

Affiliated

Andres Lucero, Antti Oulasvirta, Esko Penttinen, Virpi Roto, Giulio Jacucci

The area focuses on novel methods, techniques, algorithms, and tools both for computing with large-scale distributed/parallel systems, and for big data analysis and management. Another focus is on identifying, optimizing, engineering, and verifying computationally challenging parts of software systems, dealing with huge amounts of data and computing resources, used in various application domains.

Research groups

Astroinformatics

People
 

Wilhelmiina Hämäläinen, Alex Jung, Maarit Korpi-Lagg, Jorma Laaksonen, Riku Linna, Juho Rousu, Jukka Suomela, Linh Truong

Quantum computing deploys the phenomena of quantum mechanics to solve complex problems that even the most powerful supercomputers cannot execute. This interdisciplinary research area is focused to achieve large-scale quantum computing from the software perspective. The main goal is to support the execution of quantum algorithms with a practical advantage.

Related institute

InstituteQ – The Finnish Quantum Institute

People

Vikas Garg, Petteri Kaski, Alexandru Paler

The goal of this research area are 1) to create new technologies, designs, analysis methods for the development of secure and private computing and communication systems, and 2) advance the fundamental scientific knowledge in security engineering, including human factors.

These new technologies aim either to deter, prevent or detect malicious attacks and they should be, at the same time, secure, privacy-preserving, easy to use, and inexpensive to deploy. As is typical for security research, our results also include the discovery of novel attacks and previously unknown classes of vulnerabilities in existing systems.

Security against malicious attacks is a basic requirement for all networkconnected services and products, and scientific research can provide both fundamental understanding of the security issues and practical solutions that enable product development.

Research groups

Secure Systems Research Group

People

Tuomas Aura, Chris Brzuska, Lachlan Gunn, Russell W.F.Lai, Janne Lindqvist, Sanna Suoranta

We study means for designing, developing, and operating software systems and digital services. Our work covers strategic, managerial, and governance issues in organizations, considering society and the lives of people using digital solutions.

We conduct research on complex software-related challenges in industry, public organizations, NGOs, user communities, and society at large, collaborating closely with diverse stakeholders.

Our work is transdisciplinary, drawing from computer science, engineering, design, business, law, and psychology.

Research groups

PREAGO Research Group

People

Fabian Fagerholm, Marjo Kauppinen, Sari Kujala, Casper Lassenius, Marko Nieminen, Mika P.Nieminen, Jari-Pekka Vanhanen, Johanna Viitanen

Visual computing studies the creation and understanding of images, shapes, and three-dimensional spaces by computational means. As we seek to increase our understanding of not just how to create and analyze images and sounds, but also how we humans perceive, react to, and interact with them, research in visual computing is of an increasingly interdisciplinary nature.

Research groups

Game Research Group

People

Perttu Hämäläinen, Juho Kannala, Jorma Laaksonen, Jaakko Lehtinen, Janne Lindqvist, Lauri Savioja, Arno Solin