How to build software systems with correctness guarantees

During his studies, Anders Alnor Mathiasen researched how to build verifiable correct software systems. In the first part of his studies, Anders focused on database implementations, a fundamental component of our critical infrastructure. He showed how we can prove that database implementations behave as they should. In the second part of his studies, Anders focused on programming languages with effect handlers. Effect handlers are a feature of programming languages that gives a lot of flexibility to programmers. His research shows how programs with effect handlers can free memory more efficiently without introducing new errors. 

The PhD degree was completed at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Friday 13 November 2026 at 13:00
Place: Building 5342, room 333 Ada, Department of Computer Science, Åbogade 34, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus N.
Title of dissertation: Building Systems with Guarantees
Contact information: Anders Alnor Mathiasen, e-mail: alnor@cs.au.dk
Members of the assessment committee:
Associate Professor Azalea Raad, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Associate Professor Ilya Sergey, School of Computing, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Associate Professor Sophia Yakoubov (chair), Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University
Main supervisor: Professor Lars Birkedal, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor: Associate Professor Amin Timany, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C