Vikash K. Mansinghka
[my initials] at mit dot edu
My research focuses on uncertain reasoning, inductive learning and stochastic computation. I try to make computers smarter by generalizing the classic tower of computing abstractions to the broader setting of probabilistic (rather than deductive or Boolean) inference and stochastic (rather than deterministic) languages, algorithms, and machines. My research draws on tools from probability theory, Bayesian statistics, computational statistical mechanics and formal approaches to knowledge representation (both procedural - e.g. Scheme - and declarative - e.g. graphs, grammars and logics). In particular, I work on: My academic work is driven by the engineering challenge of building intelligent, autonomous machines and the scientific challenge of explaining human mental life and behavior in computational terms. I am a member of the Computational Cognitive Science Group at MIT's Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where I am advised by Professor Joshua Tenenbaum. My other academic interests include the integration of programming with pedagogy, the procedural formalization of mathematics and physical law, and the clear (and hopefully inspiring and empowering) communication of the methods and products of human knowledge to the general public.

I am also involved in an ongoing effort to develop several commercial applications of this research, focused on specific problems of inference and optimization at the core of many consumer internet and biotechnology businesses, and to produce a commercially backed software and hardware platform for natively stochastic computing.
Manuscripts in preparation (email me for a copy): Some peer reviewed publications, reverse chronological order:
Feel free to read my old homepage.