Research at Yale CS

At Yale Computer Science, our faculty and students are at the forefront of innovation and discoveries.  We conduct ground-breaking research covering a full range of areas in theory, systems, and applications. 

Our department is currently in the middle of substantial growth. Data and Computer Science is listed as one of the top five Science Priorities in Yale’s recent University Science Strategy Committee Report. Yale’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is also launching a substantial initiative in Artificial Intelligence, broadly construed, that will include research in the foundations of AI, in applications and technology, and in societal and scientific impacts. 

 

Interdisciplinary Centers & Initiatives

Computer Science has also grown beyond its own bounds to become a multi-disciplinary field that touches many other sciences as well as arts and humanities: physics, economics, law, management, psychology, biology, medicine, music, philosophy, and linguistics. They have also led to interdisciplinary research centers.


Institute for the Foundations of Data Science

Schools/Departments: CS, S&DS, EE, Econ, Social Science, Political Science, and SOM

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Wu-Tsai Institute for Interdisciplinary Neurocognition Research

Schools/Departments: CS, Psych, S&DS, SEAS, and Medicine

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Yale Institute for Network Science

Schools/Departments: CS, Social Science, S&DS, and EE

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Yale Quantum Institute

Schools/Departments: CS, Applied Physics, Physics, and EE

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Computation and Society Initiative

Schools/Departments: CS, S&DS, Social Science

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Research Areas


Algorithms and Complexity Theory 

Yale’s Theory group advances our understanding of the fundamental power and limits of computation and creates innovative algorithms to empower society.

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Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

We study how to build systems that can learn to solve complex tasks in ways that would traditionally need human intelligence. Our research covers both the foundation and applications of AI: Robotics, Machine Learning Theory, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Human-Computer Interactions, AI for Medicine, and AI for Social Impact.  

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Computer Architecture

We design the interface of software and hardware of computer systems at all scale –  ranging from large-scale AI and cloud services to safety-critical embedded systems to Internet-Of-Things devices. We deliver the next-generation processors to meet performance, power, energy, temperature, reliability, and accuracy goals, by composing principled and well-abstracted hardware.

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Computer Graphics

Research in computer graphics at Yale includes sketching, alternative design techniques, texture models, the role of models of human perception in computer graphics, recovering shape and reflectance from images, computer animation, simulation, and geometry processing.

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Computer Music

Computer music research at Yale encompasses a range of technical and artistic endeavors. 

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Computer Networks

Computer networks allow computers to communicate with one another, and provide the fundamental infrastructures supporting our modern society. Research on computer networks at Yale improves on essential network system properties such as efficiency, robustness, and programmability. 

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Database Systems

Database systems provide an environment for storage and retrieval of both structured and semi-structured data.

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Distributed Computing

Distributed computing is the field in computer science that studies the design and behavior of systems that involve many loosely-coupled components. Distributed systems research at Yale includes work in the theory of distributed computing, its programming language support, and its uses to support parallel programming.

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Natural Language Processing

Yale scientists conduct cutting-edge research in NLP, including computational liguistics, semantic parsing, multilingual information retrieval, language database interfaces and dialogue systems. We also investigate how to use NLP to create transformative solutions to health care. 

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Operating Systems

Yale is developing new operating system architectures, application environments, and security frameworks to meet today’s challenges across the computing spectrum, including IoT devices, cyber-physical systems (such as self-driving cars and quadcopters), cloud computers, and blockchain ecosystems.

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Programming Languages and Compilers

We approach Programming Languages research from several directions including language design, formal methods, compiler implementation, programming environments, and run-time systems. A major focus of the research at Yale is to build secure, error-free programs, as well as develop frameworks that help others achieve that same goal.

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Quantum Computing

Yale has been at the forefront of innovation and discoveries in Quantum Science. Through interdisciplinary research and pioneering innovations, our Yale CS faculty advances the state-of-the-art in quantum computing and quantum information science, building upon insights and lessons from classical computer science.

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Robotics

Robotics research at Yale’s Computer Science department is currently focused on advancing Human-Robot Interaction. Applications include education, manufacturing, entertainment, and service domains. Robots are also used to advance our understanding of human behavior.

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Scientific Computing and Applied Math

Scientific computing research at Yale emphasizes algorithm development, theoretical analysis, systems and computer architecture modeling, and programming considerations. 

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Security and Cryptography

Adequately addressing security and privacy concerns requires a combination of technical, social, and legal approaches. Topics currently under active investigation in the department include mathematical modeling of security properties, implementation and application of cryptographic protocols, secure and privacy-preserving distributed algorithms, trust management, verification of security properties, and proof-carrying code. 

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Societal and Humanistic Aspects of Computation

Today’s society comprises humans living in a complex and interconnected world that is intertwined with a variety of computing, sensing, and communicating devices. Yale researchers create innovative solutions to mitigate explicit and implicit biases, control polarization, improve diversity, and ensure privacy.

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