iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 3h

Hahaha There ALWAYS is a deadline nearby.

000

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 3h

Pro tip: don't think of a deadline as a stressful constraint. View it as an opportunity to sleep less!

290

Reposted by Clément Canonne

FOCS 2026 @focs2026.bsky.social · 5h

Registration for #FOCS2026 is now open: focs.computer.org/2026/registr... Early bird deadline: ⏰ October 26, AoE

focs.computer.org

Registration – FOCS 2026

023

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

A very important message from Omer Reingold to our TCS community, especially us (arg, already) senior researchers: "snap out of it." Please, digest, and share. theorydish.blog/2026/09/29/s...

As for depression: the next time you have the urge to lament, or even celebrate, being “the last generation of human mathematicians,” perhaps keep it to yourself. Contemplating the end of your profession from the relative comfort of an established, tenured career is a privilege, and it comes with responsibilities. Senior academics are not merely individual researchers; we are stewards of our field, and we owe our junior colleagues active leadership rather than abandonment.

47220

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 30/09/2026

Meanwhile, on my way to the office. #USyd

A kookaburra, on a sign near a pond (Victoria Park, in Sydney)

A close-up of the very fluffy kookaburra

2463

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 30/09/2026

(That was very good! Ryan is truly incredible at tricking me into believing I understand things.)

050

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

"Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man." (remotely attending the Simons Institute's Karp Distinguished Lecture by @booleananalysis.bsky.social) @simonsinstitute.bsky.social

Ryan O'Donnell's (almost) favorite expander graph

2203

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

By Omer Reingold: bsky.app/profile/ccan...

050

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

You or I may disagree with some specific statements made, maybe, but the gist of the article (no time for doomerism or complacency from established/tenured folks) stands! "I urge us to be brave enough to pursue dramatic, ongoing transformations."

070

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

A very important message from Omer Reingold to our TCS community, especially us (arg, already) senior researchers: "snap out of it." Please, digest, and share. theorydish.blog/2026/09/29/s...

47220

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

Very hard to read though, that phone is shaking way too much

100

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

One-year position, on the following areas of interest (copied directly from the posting linked above): www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc... (Apply by December 1)

This position is part of a broader effort to advance fundamental research in classical and quantum complexity theory. The successful candidate will conduct cutting-edge research on the interplay of theoretical computer science, mathematics, and quantum mechanics. Particular topics include classical and quantum aspects of:

Sublinear algorithms and property testing

Cryptography, zero-knowledge proofs, and probabilistically checkable proofs

Locally testable and locally decodable codes

Computational learning theory

Structure-versus-randomness and local-to-global phenomena

Harmonic analysis, additive combinatorics, and their applications in theoretical computer science

010

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

If you're in #TheoreticalCS and on the postdoc job market, now or soon: this opportunity to work with Tom Gur (@tomgur.bsky.social) on "cutting-edge research on the interplay of theoretical computer science, mathematics, and quantum mechanics" sounds amazing: www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

cam.ac.uk

Research Assistant/Associate in Theoretical Computer Science (Fixed Term)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 year.

1205

Reposted by Clément Canonne

TCS+ @tcsplus.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Zoom link for Sepehr Assadi's talk, "Greedy is Optimal for the Semi-Streaming Matching Problem," is now available on our website. See you tomorrow, 1pm ET! www.tcsplus.org/welcome/next...

tcsplus.org

TCS+ - Next TCS+ talk

Our next TCS+ talk will take place on September 30 (10:00am Pacific Time, 1:00 pm Eastern Time, 19:00 Central European Summer Time, 17:00 UTC — check yours here ). Sepehr Assadi, from the University o...

054

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Hung Le @hunglv.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

SODA 27 notifications are out. Interesting facts: 1. Submissions: 1181 papers. Last year, 809 submissions, a 46% up. 2. Acceptance: 287 (~24.3%). Last year, 243 acceptances (~30%) Personal facts: Only 4-4-4 papers got into SODA; all 3-3-4 papers rejected. Rebuttal does not change anything.

191

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

Maybe we could have very big paper too!

140

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

I don't understand all this hand-wringing about "paperclip maximization." I would love to see a very, very big paperclip

390

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

Really? I never saw them appear on my aggregator :/

100

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

I agree! The fact that the *Simons Institute* organized this in the US (at Berkeley) seems reasonable to me, though: that's where it is! The fact that the (non-Simons) people involved didn't argue we should also have similar events elsewhere and aggregate the results is the problem

120

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

(to be fair, we don't know where the 32 people they invited but who couldn't make it were from. But on short notice, and to fly to the US, there was obviously going to be a very, very strong bias...)

110

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

Well yeah, you do have Anthropic, OpenAI *and* Google

130

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

The report from the AI + TCS Working Group held at the @simonsinstitute.bsky.social is out, including "twelve concrete near-term recommended actions." Currently reading it: while I have some reservations, but there is some good in it! Notably items 7, 8, and 11. simons.berkeley.edu/ai-tcs-worki...

7. Best works and technical talks in interviews.

- Emphasize quality over quantity. Evaluate candidates on no more than three works of their choosing, with this fact explicit in the instructions for candidates and their letter writers.

- Test technical depth. Evaluate the depth of the candidates’ understanding of the aforementioned works more than was done normally until now.

8. Additional postdocs. Establish additional postdoctoral positions for the TCS community, a temporary measure that will be phased out after a few years.

9. Workshops for identifying new theory directions. First, organize a workshop (or several) with the goal of identifying a list of modern topics related to AI; and second, run a series of workshops on each of these topics to identify fundamental directions and establish foundations and agendas for future work.

10. “TCS in the Age of AI” series at the Simons Institute. Establish a recurring and widely accessible “TCS in the Age of AI” series at the Simons Institute.

11. Opportunities for training and evaluation without AI assistance. To ensure development of necessary skills for a successful career in academia, a PhD in TCS should partially include training and evaluation components where the use of AI is forbidden.

43112

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

Especially given that many interesting papers are about asking the right question (and, once this is done, some of the answers become obvious—which is what made the right question so important to ask)

030

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Louis Barclay @louisbarclay.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The latest urgent research from the Center for the Alignment of AI Alignment Centers: alignmentalignment.ai/caaac/blog/p...

alignmentalignment.ai

Prediction: AI will kill every human by next year, or not

Our latest prediction model uses cutting-edge binary methodology to forecast potential AI futures

0115

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

@tdietterich.bsky.social Maybe an obvious question or existing feature I don't know, but has @arxiv.bsky.social considered implementing a notification or announcement system for when papers are *updated*? (Especially useful for cases where the update is a correction, or adds new results)

170

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

For the first point, I assume that every such rule will allow for exceptions in cases like the one you suggest (and arXiv can be replaced by other repositories such as ECCC, etc.). As for the second... Yes. We'll need to step up.

040

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

*made explicit. And yes, one "limitation" is, due to the fact that the workshop was short notice and at Simons in Berkeley, that all but one attendee are based in the US. (There are more researchers from OpenAI and Anthropic than from all other countries in the world combined.)

140

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

Item 7 is also crucial—I am very glad to see it make explicit. "This changing landscape is also obfuscating what early career researchers view as success and how their mentors should guide them. In particular, AI risks accelerating an “arms race” in the number of research publications."

Action: A comprehensive review of the hiring process is needed. We recommend the following immediate changes to committees for hiring junior faculty:

1. Emphasize quality over quantity. Evaluate candidates on no more than three works of their choosing, with this fact explicit in the instructions for candidates and their letter writers. The expectation is that letters of reference speak in detail on these works, and that job talks will be based on these works. This is standard practice in other fields like economics.
2. Test technical depth. Evaluate the depth of the candidates’ understanding of the aforementioned works more than was done normally until now. This evaluation could take the form of a “chalk talk,” probing questions during meetings, and/or other methods of the department’s choosing. Section 5.2 recommends related forms of AI-free evaluation during the PhD.

In addition, we recommend that hiring committees carefully review their process in order to prioritize enduring traits. Examples of such traits might include clarity of thought, the ability to pose novel questions, effective exposition, insightfulness, and creativity.

181

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

To elaborate on Point 8: of course, this acknowledges uncertainty, which is scary (but unfortunately obvious). The good and uplifting part is that it's explicitly prescribing that there should be a community focus (with funding!) on junior researchers, as opposed to "doom and free for all."

180

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 29/09/2026

43112

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

By my wonderful colleague Katy Gero: A 4-month artist residency, Feb to May 2027, at the School of Computer Science at #USyd, "to support artists working on projects that involve serious consideration of computation and its related subjects." Share broadly, and apply! www.writefutureslab.com/air/

writefutureslab.com

Artist in Residence

2177

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

Thanks! I'll get cracking this week, then!

010

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

Why not ask the PC chair then, instead of Gemini?

060

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

Deadline to apply: October 31. www.writefutureslab.com/air/

Application Process & Timeline.
Artists submit a resume, updated portfolio, project proposal, and budget proposal.

Proposal: 500 words describing your intended use of the residency. This should explain your area of interest, how the residency will support your work, and any concrete outcomes you expect or desire.
Budget: Please include a budget outline and justification. Applicants can request $1,000-$15,000 to support their work. The program has a total budget of $30,000 for all residents selected.
A panel consisting of representatives from the School of Computer Science and the Sydney College of the Arts will select residents based on their fit for the residency and the cohort diversity. The number of artists / collectives selected will be based on our budget constraints.

Program Timeline:

September 1, 2026: Applications open
October 31, 2026: Applications close at 23:59 AEST
December 1, 2026: Applicants contacted
February - March 2027: Program duration
April - June 2027: Artwork showcase!

010

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

writefutureslab.com

Artist in Residence

2177

Reposted by Clément Canonne

TCS+ @tcsplus.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This is this week! Register here (free) for Sepehr's talk: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

docs.google.com

TCS+ RSVP: Sepehr Assadi (2026/09/30)

Greedy is Optimal for the Semi-Streaming Matching Problem

012

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

As a caveat, I don't have the depth of thought of the giants of our field, and I haven't had the strength to climb on their shoulders. I just have opinions about what I like, what I thought we all agreed on, and the people I look up to.

190

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

I don't have a blog, I don't do podcasts, but I have thoughts (sometimes), and to put my money where my mouth is I may write something about what I think the values of Theoretical CS are, should be, and where to (possibly) go from there these days. Would there be some interest?

11621

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

Research update: turns out you can't do that

0290

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

From our friends at the School of #Mathematics and Statistics at #USyd: positions as 'Magma Research Associates / Magma Research Fellows to develop and maintain the Magma computer #algebra system." 2 positions, each for 3 years: apply by October 20 usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USYD_E...

usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com

Magma Research Associate / Magma Research Fellow

2 x full time, 3-year fixed term positions, located on the Camperdown Campus at the School of Mathematics and Statistics Opportunity to drive research in computational pure mathematics through the dev...

189

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 28/09/2026

- Put cat in box - Wait until cat falls asleep - Solve nap-sack problem

120

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 27/09/2026

This is what "research" looks like for many paper-producing groups or individuals, in light of the recent advances in LLMs/AI systems. PSA: this may look tempting! But this is not good, this is not research, and, very much like when I tried to play Quake 3 back in the day, this will not end well.

Capture the Flag starting screen from a game of Quake 3 Arena

Screenshot (thumbnail) from https://youtu.be/cDq2LOQlAG4?si=iplz1qQELCdG_zIT

3315

Reposted by Clément Canonne

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 27/09/2026

When I say "this is not good" let me be more specific: (1) this is not good for academia (destroying the current system before it has a chance to reassess its incentive structure), (2) it is not good for science (flooding the gates with ill-understood results and insightless or badly written proofs)

1255

Clément Canonne @ccanonne.github.io · 27/09/2026

Applying for a passport, and I have reached new levels of confusion. Why would one ever choose the first option here? How does this make sense? Has the person who created this form ever taken Logic 101? I am really trying here.

Select 3 documents from Category B, including 1 that is a passport;
OR
Select any 2 documents from Category B.

3140