Igor Potapov

Professor Igor Potapov serves as a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Liverpool, leading the Algorithms, Complexity Theory and Optimisation research group and acting as Council Member for Networks Sciences & Technologies. He holds key administrative roles including Director of MSc Studies in CS with Year in Industry and module coordination for Efficient Sequential Algorithms (COMP309), MSc Industrial Project (COMP599), and MSc Placement Experience (COMP598).

His research centers on theoretical computer science with emphasis on reachability problems in infinite state systems, distributed computing and pattern formation, combinatorial optimisation, and decidability questions for mathematical structures. Current interdisciplinary work includes Algorithmic Crystal Structure Prediction for Material Design (Royal Society APEX Award 2024-2026) and foundational studies in automata-matrix theory connections. His methodological approach integrates abstract algebra, topology, and computation theory to analyze computational boundaries.

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong convergence between theoretical frameworks and practical applications, particularly in robotics scheduling (addressing collision avoidance and safety verification) and mathematical decidability (matrix semigroups, linear recurrence systems). These works bridge computational geometry with distributed algorithm design, revealing novel complexity boundaries in reachability analysis.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Royal Society Apex Award (2024-2026) for Algorithmic Crystal Structure Prediction
• Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (2020-2021) for "Cornerstones of Reachability"

As an active grant recipient, he manages multiple projects including Algorithmic Intelligence for Life, Society and Science (Royal Society 2024-2026) and UoL-SumDU Collaboration for Digitalisation of Ukraine (Research England 2023-2024). He supervises thesis work on crystal structure prediction and distributed shape formation while serving on examination committees for Oxford, Leicester, and Gran Sasso institutions.

He co-leads the Science for Ukraine initiative's UK branch, developing academic mentoring programs and research twinning partnerships between UK and Ukrainian universities. His editorial work spans Fundamenta Informaticae (2020-present) and Lecture Notes in Computer Science (2009-2013), alongside conference organization for the Reachability Problems series.