LIDS Research

The physical world and the social systems that shape human life evolve through complex and deeply interconnected dynamics that we are only beginning to understand. These systems are fundamental to our lives—from transportation and energy networks to biological and economic systems—and they increasingly interact with computing in powerful ways. At LIDS, we are inspired by the opportunity to harness computing to deepen our understanding of these complex systems and to design technologies that improve the physical world, enrich human interactions, and ultimately expand what humans can achieve.

Our focus areas represent the key pillars of this vision. Each brings together a broad set of important challenges whose solutions are essential for enabling a world in which computing is deeply embedded in the physical world and the social fabric of human life.
 
Our research fields reflect the foundational areas of scholarship that our researchers are advancing and shaping to address these challenges. These research fields span a wide intellectual spectrum—from statistics, optimization, and information theory to reinforcement learning and behavioral science.

Across a diverse set of impact areas, LIDS research is motivated by pressing societal challenges, emerging technological opportunities, and critical needs across industry and society. Inspired by real-world applications, our work aims to generate transformative advances that improve systems central to human life and expand the possibilities of what computing can achieve.