Selim Akl
Encyclopedia
Selim G. Akl is a professor
at Queen's University
in the Queen's School of Computing
, where he leads the Parallel and Unconventional Computation Group. His research interests are primarily in the area of algorithm
design and analysis, in particular for problems in parallel computing
and unconventional computing
. He is married, and has three children.
of Parallel Processing Letters (World Scientific Publishing; 1991 -) and an editor of several major computing
journals including:
Akl is the founding editorial board member of International Journal of High Performance Computing and Networking (Inderscience Publishers; 2003 -), and a past editor of Journal of Cryptology (Springer-Verlag; 1988–1991), Information Processing Letters (North-Holland; 1989–1999), and Parallel Algorithms and Applications (Taylor and Francis; 1991–2004).
Akl has claimed that the notion of universality in computation is false.http://www.cs.queensu.ca/home/akl/techreports/even.pdf Akl asserts that no machine can claim universality since there will always be a larger set of problems that such a machine cannot solve.
A more detailed description of Dr. Akl's Non universality in Computation result can be found here Non-Universality in Computation: The Myth of the Universal Computer
, Canada
.
and computational geometry
:
He is also the co-author of Parallel Computational Geometry (Prentice Hall, 1993).
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in the Queen's School of Computing
Queen's School of Computing
The Queen's School of Computing is a unit of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Queen's University responsible for research, as well as undergraduate and graduate education in computing and technology....
, where he leads the Parallel and Unconventional Computation Group. His research interests are primarily in the area of algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
design and analysis, in particular for problems in parallel computing
Parallel computing
Parallel computing is a form of computation in which many calculations are carried out simultaneously, operating on the principle that large problems can often be divided into smaller ones, which are then solved concurrently . There are several different forms of parallel computing: bit-level,...
and unconventional computing
Unconventional computing
Unconventional computing is computing by a wide range of new or unusual methods. It is also known as alternative computing. The different methods of unconventional computing include optical computing, quantum computing, chemical computing, natural computing, biologically-inspired computing, wetware...
. He is married, and has three children.
Activities
Dr. Akl is currently Director of the School of Computing at Queen's University. He is editor in chiefEditor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of Parallel Processing Letters (World Scientific Publishing; 1991 -) and an editor of several major computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
journals including:
- International Journal of Unconventional Computing (Old City Publishing; 2011 -)
- Computational Geometry (Elsevier; 1993 -)
- International Journal of Parallel, Emergent, and Distributed Systems (Taylor and Francis; 2004 -)
- Communications in Applied Geometry (Research India Publications; 2006 -)
Akl is the founding editorial board member of International Journal of High Performance Computing and Networking (Inderscience Publishers; 2003 -), and a past editor of Journal of Cryptology (Springer-Verlag; 1988–1991), Information Processing Letters (North-Holland; 1989–1999), and Parallel Algorithms and Applications (Taylor and Francis; 1991–2004).
Current research
Recently Dr. Akl created Quantum Chess. The purpose of Quantum Chess is not to make the game more difficult; rather, by adding the unpredictability of quantum physics to chess, humans and computers are put on a level playing field, as they both face the same difficulties posed by the weirdness of the quantum. Alice Wismath, an undergraduate summer student, wrote a program implementing one of the many versions that Dr. Akl proposed in his article On the Importance of Being Quantum in September's Parallel Processing Letters article.Akl has claimed that the notion of universality in computation is false.http://www.cs.queensu.ca/home/akl/techreports/even.pdf Akl asserts that no machine can claim universality since there will always be a larger set of problems that such a machine cannot solve.
A more detailed description of Dr. Akl's Non universality in Computation result can be found here Non-Universality in Computation: The Myth of the Universal Computer
Conferences
Dr. Akl chaired the 2007 International Conference on Unconventional Computation that took place in Kingston, OntarioKingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Publications
Akl is the author of several textbooks in the areas of parallel computingParallel computing
Parallel computing is a form of computation in which many calculations are carried out simultaneously, operating on the principle that large problems can often be divided into smaller ones, which are then solved concurrently . There are several different forms of parallel computing: bit-level,...
and computational geometry
Computational geometry
Computational geometry is a branch of computer science devoted to the study of algorithms which can be stated in terms of geometry. Some purely geometrical problems arise out of the study of computational geometric algorithms, and such problems are also considered to be part of computational...
:
- Parallel Sorting Algorithms (Academic Press, 1985)
- The Design and Analysis of Parallel Algorithms (Prentice Hall, 1989)
- Parallel Computation: Models and Methods (Prentice Hall, 1997).
He is also the co-author of Parallel Computational Geometry (Prentice Hall, 1993).