Aalok Thakkar: Research

N.S. Bendre, Cosmos in the Making (1963)
N.S. Bendre, Cosmos in the Making (1963)

My research focuses on logic in computer scienceThe study of formal systems for reasoning about truth, inference, and computation. and its applications to programming languagesThe design, semantics, and implementation of languages used to express computational processes., automata theoryThe study of abstract models of computation and formal languages., and trustworthy AIMethods for ensuring that AI systems are reliable, fair, transparent, and aligned with human intent.. Recently, I have also been exploring interdisciplinary questions in computational sustainabilityThe application of computational methods to problems in environmental and social sustainability. and CS pedagogy.

Formal Methods and Logic

My doctoral research focused on automated program synthesis. A good starting point to learn about this work is this survey. In program synthesis, I am looking at the following two questions:

  1. Given a set of specifications, how do we find a program that satisfies a maximal subset of the specifications?
  2. Given a database transformation, how can we generate a query on the transformed database that is equivalent to a specified query on the original database?

Beyond program synthesis, I am interested in various aspects of automata theory, logic, formal methods, and probabilistic programming. These projects are supported by ANRF as a part of the Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant.

Trustworthy AI

I am exploring several aspects of trustworthy AI:

  1. In collaboration with Moolya, we are developing methods to evaluate real-world AI systems, identify failure modes, and ensure reliable behavior under diverse scenarios.
  2. AI Safety for Bharat: Supported by the EkStep Foundation’s AI and Data Adoption Fellowship, this project aims to create context-appropriate safety benchmarks tailored to the Indian ecosystem. This work is conducted jointly with Debayan Gupta and Anirban Sen.
  3. We are investigating how enforcing Lipschitz continuity in transformer architectures can improve robustness, stability, and certifiability of large language models under adversarial or distribution-shifted inputs.

CS Pedagogy

I am interested in the impact of AI on computer science education and in developing curricula and tools that are relevant to the modern learning environment. This includes:

  1. Designing courses that emphasize conceptual understanding, formal methods, and systems thinking to go beyond what AI tools can solve automatically. We have built the BOOP framework for this.
  2. Developing intelligent assistants and teaching tools that guide learning while preserving active engagement and critical thinking.
  3. Creating educational resources and platforms that are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. More details here.

These projects are supported by Mphasis Foundation as a part of the Mphasis AI & Applied Tech Lab at Ashoka.

Computational Sustainability

I am working on two projects that bring together computation and the environment:

  1. Darjeeling Revival Project: We are developing statistical models to estimate carbon captured by Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) in Northern Bengal.
  2. OpenGIS India: This is a project in collaboration with Meghna Agarwala , where we use GIS and remote sensing to study forest dynamics, changing land usage and forest fire patterns, floods and river dynamics, and animal-human conflicts across India.

Some of these projects are supported by Alt Carbon as a part of the Darjeeling Revival Fellowship.