Richard Mayr

Roles and Affiliations

Richard Mayr is a Professor (Reader) in Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh, part of the School of Informatics and the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science (LFCS). He has held academic positions in Germany, the US, and Sweden before joining Edinburgh in 2008. His research focuses on theoretical computer science, with a particular emphasis on formal verification, game theory, and automata theory.

Education

• Diploma (Master) in Computer Science and Mathematics, TU Munich, Germany (1994)
• PhD in Computer Science, TU Munich (1998)
• Habilitation (Postdoctoral Thesis), University of Freiburg (2002)

Research Interests

His research spans game theory (e.g., strategy complexity in stochastic games), formal verification (e.g., model checking for infinite-state systems), automata theory, and logic. He explores algorithmic questions in these areas, including decidability, complexity, and practical tool development.

Teaching and Advising

Mayr teaches courses such as Algorithms and Data Structures and Computer Security. He has advised numerous PhD students, including Mohan Dantam (current) and Eric Munday (2019–2023). His group focuses on advancing theoretical foundations with applications to verification and decision processes.

Contributions and Tools

He develops tools for solving automata-theoretic problems, such as language inclusion and minimization. His work is published in top venues like ICALP, CONCUR, and LICS, with over 150 cited works. He actively participates in organizing international conferences and workshops.