Markus Wagner

Markus applies optimisation to the reliability and cost of checking software. Research on testing verification tools offers a way to exercise more of the underlying language rules while reducing repeat-testing time. Work on faster proof strategies addresses the needs of verification engineers checking safety- and security-critical programs, where both confidence in the tools and practical running times matter.

Markus Wagner is a Professor and Interim Head of the Department of Data Science and AI at Monash University, as well as Deputy Director (Research) at the Monash AI Institute. Completing doctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and the University of Adelaide, Markus built an academic foundation in optimisation and algorithm design, with applications spanning software engineering and renewable energy.

In software quality, Markus investigates methods for testing verification tools and improving their efficiency. A 2014 paper presented a framework for exercising more of the rules used to represent programming languages, producing test suites that cut regression testing time. Subsequent 2016 research explored techniques to accelerate proof strategies, tackling a major practical bottleneck for engineers verifying safety- and security-critical software.

Alongside research, Markus contributes extensively to the academic community. Service includes acting as General Chair of the 2022 Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference and serving as Treasurer of ACM’s Special Interest Group on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation, supporting work that connects computational methods with industrial practice.