עמוס קורמן - הפקולטה למדעי המחשב והמידע

About▼

I am a full professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Haifa. Previously, I served as a senior researcher (Research Director) at the CNRS, located at IRIF and FILOFOCS research groups.

I am deeply fascinated by the examination of complex phenomena through the algorithmic lens, particularly in uncovering the interconnections between distributed computing, collective intelligence, and the evolution of cooperation. To this end, I analyze specific biological systems—including ants, bats, and humans—alongside abstract multi-agent systems in complex environments. This approach allows me to explore key questions that govern many decentralized collectives:

What computational challenges do agents face during foraging or information gathering, and which strategies allow them to overcome these constraints?
How can cooperation emerge in the face of self-interested agents?
How do simple local rules give rise to sophisticated emergent patterns and global stability?

In addressing these questions, I apply analytical tools from distributed computing, evolutionary game theory, and probability theory, while collaborating with biologists to integrate these analytical approaches with experiments on animal behavior.

I consider myself an ambassador for algorithm theory within the study of collective animal behavior. My overarching goal has been to establish the research area of "Algorithmic Biology", providing a bridge where computer science theoreticians can engage with empirical science and biologists can utilize advanced analytical tools to understand the computational nature of life.

Building on this foundation, I have recently begun extending these principles of collective behavior and evolutionary game theory to the study of LLM-based agents. My current interest lies in treating these models as nodes in a distributed system to study the emergence of collective intelligence, the dynamics of agentic cooperation, and the systemic security of multi-agent AI ecosystems.

Highlights and news

2026 Dijkstra Prize
PI of an ISF grant 2024 - 2028
Congratulations to my previous Ph.D student Robin Vacus who won the
2024 PODC dissertation award
2020 SIROCCO Prize for Innovation in Distributed Computing
PI of an ERC Consolidator grant, 2015 - 2020 (budget 1.9M Euros)

Publications▼

Fast and Robust Information Spreading in the Noisy PULL Model, D’Archivio, N., Korman, A., Natale, E. & Vacus, R., 24 May 2026, AAMAS 2026 - Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, p. 3253-3255 3 p. (AAMAS 2026 - Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems).
Brief Announcement: Fast and Robust Information Spreading in the Noisy PULL Model, D'archivio, N., Korman, A., Natale, E. & Vacus, R., 13 Jun 2025, PODC 2025 - Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing. Association for Computing Machinery, p. 545-548 4 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing; vol. Part of F216205).
Fast and Robust Information Spreading in the Noisy PULL Model, D'Archivio, N., Korman, A., Natale, E. & Vacus, R., Jun 2025, PODC '25: Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing. New York: Association for Computing Machinery, p. 545 - 548
The 2025 motile active matter roadmap, Gompper, G., Stone, H. A., Kurzthaler, C., Saintillan, D., Peruani, F., Fedosov, D. A., Auth, T., Cottin-Bizonne, C., Ybert, C., Clément, E., Darnige, T., Lindner, A., Goldstein, R. E., Liebchen, B., Binysh, J., Souslov, A., Isa, L., di Leonardo, R., Frangipane, G. & Gu, H. & 12 others, Nelson, B. J., Brauns, F., Marchetti, M. C., Cichos, F., Heuthe, V. L., Bechinger, C., Korman, A., Feinerman, O., Cavagna, A., Giardina, I., Jeckel, H. & Drescher, K., 7 Apr 2025, In: Journal of Physics Condensed Matter. 37, 14, 143501.
The Query Complexity of Searching Trees with Permanently Noisy Advice, Boczkowski, L., Feige, U., Korman, A. & Rodeh, Y., 7 Feb 2025, In: ACM Transactions on Algorithms. 21, 2, 18.
Comparing cooperative geometric puzzle solving in ants versus humans, Dreyer, T., Haluts, A., Korman, A., Gov, N., Fonio, E. & Feinerman, O., 7 Jan 2025, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 122, 1, e2414274121.
Early adapting to trends: self-stabilizing information spread using passive communication, Korman, A. & Vacus, R., Dec 2024, In: Distributed Computing. 37, 4, p. 335-362 28 p.
Fast and Robust Information Spreading in the Noisy PULL Model, D'Archivio, N., Korman, A., Natale, E. & Vacus, R., Nov 2024, In: CoRR. p. 1-41
Abundant resources can trigger reduced consumption: Unveiling the paradox of excessive scrounging, Vacus, R. & Korman, A., 26 Mar 2024, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 121, 13, e2322955121.
On the Role of Memory in Robust Opinion Dynamics, Becchetti, L., Clementi, A., Korman, A., Pasquale, F., Trevisan, L. & Vacus, R., 2023, Proceedings of the 32nd International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI 2023. Elkind, E. (ed.). International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence, p. 29-37 9 p. (IJCAI International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence; vol. 2023-August).
Public communication can facilitate low-risk coordination under surveillance, Korman, A. & Crescenzi, P., Dec 2022, In: Scientific Reports. 12, 1, 3433.
Early Adapting to Trends: Self-Stabilizing Information Spread using Passive Communication, Korman, A. & Vacus, R., 21 Jul 2022, PODC 2022 - Proceedings of the 2022 ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing. Association for Computing Machinery, p. 235-245 11 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing).
On the role of hypocrisy in escaping the tragedy of the commons, Korman, A. & Vacus, R., Dec 2021, In: Scientific Reports. 11, 1, 17585.
Navigating in Trees with Permanently Noisy Advice, Boczkowski, L., Feige, U., Korman, A. & Rodeh, Y., Jun 2021, In: ACM Transactions on Algorithms. 17, 2, 3448305.
Intermittent inverse-square Lévy walks are optimal for finding targets of all sizes, Guinard, B. & Korman, A., 9 Apr 2021, In: Science Advances. 7, 15, eabe8211.
Multi-round cooperative search games with multiple players, Korman, A. & Rodeh, Y., Nov 2020, In: Journal of Computer and System Sciences. 113, p. 125-149 25 p.
Reinforcement Learning Enables Resource Partitioning in Foraging Bats, Goldshtein, A., Handel, M., Eitan, O., Bonstein, A., Shaler, T., Collet, S., Greif, S., Medellín, R. A., Emek, Y., Korman, A. & Yovel, Y., 19 Oct 2020, In: Current Biology. 30, 20, p. 4096-4102.e6
Tight bounds for the cover times of random walks with heterogeneous step lengths, Guinard, B. & Korman, A., Mar 2020, 37th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science, STACS 2020. Paul, C. & Blaser, M. (eds.). Schloss Dagstuhl- Leibniz-Zentrum fur Informatik GmbH, Dagstuhl Publishing, LIPIcs-STACS-2020-28. (Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics, LIPIcs; vol. 154).
Multi-round cooperative search games with multiple players, Korman, A. & Rodeh, Y., 1 Jul 2019, 46th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming, ICALP 2019. Baier, C., Chatzigiannakis, I., Flocchini, P. & Leonardi, S. (eds.). Schloss Dagstuhl- Leibniz-Zentrum fur Informatik GmbH, Dagstuhl Publishing, 146. (Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics, LIPIcs; vol. 132).
Minimizing message size in stochastic communication patterns: fast self-stabilizing protocols with 3 bits, Boczkowski, L., Korman, A. & Natale, E., 1 Jun 2019, In: Distributed Computing. 32, 3, p. 173-191 19 p.
Searching a tree with permanently noisy advice, Boczkowski, L., Korman, A. & Rodeh, Y., 1 Aug 2018, 26th European Symposium on Algorithms, ESA 2018. Bast, H., Herman, G. & Azar, Y. (eds.). Schloss Dagstuhl- Leibniz-Zentrum fur Informatik GmbH, Dagstuhl Publishing, (Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics, LIPIcs; vol. 112).
Limits on reliable information flows through stochastic populations, Boczkowski, L., Natale, E., Feinerman, O. & Korman, A., Jun 2018, In: PLOS Computational Biology. 14, 6, e1006195.
Random walks with multiple step lengths, Boczkowski, L., Guinard, B., Korman, A., Lotker, Z. & Renault, M., 2018, LATIN 2018: Theoretical Informatics - 13th Latin American Symposium, Proceedings. Mosteiro, M. A., Bender, M. A. & Farach-Colton, M. (eds.). Springer Verlag, p. 174-186 13 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 10807 LNCS).
Minimizing message size in stochastic communication patterns: Fast self-stabilizing protocols with 3 bits, Boczkowski, L., Korman, A. & Natale, E., 2017, 28th Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, SODA 2017. Klein, P. N. (ed.). Association for Computing Machinery, p. 2540-2559 20 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms; vol. 0).
Individual versus collective cognition in social insects, Feinerman, O. & Korman, A., 1 Jan 2017, In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 220, 1, p. 73-82 10 p.
Parallel exhaustive search without coordination, Fraigniaud, P., Korman, A. & Rodeh, Y., 19 Jun 2016, STOC 2016 - Proceedings of the 48th Annual ACM SIGACT Symposium on Theory of Computing. Mansour, Y. & Wichs, D. (eds.). Association for Computing Machinery, p. 312-323 12 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing; vol. 19-21-June-2016).
An optimal ancestry labeling scheme with applications to XML trees and universal posets, Fraigniaud, P. & Korman, A., Feb 2016, In: Journal of the ACM. 63, 1, p. 1-31 31 p.
Confidence Sharing: An Economic Strategy for Efficient Information Flows in Animal Groups, Korman, A., Greenwald, E. & Feinerman, O., 1 Oct 2014, In: PLOS Computational Biology. 10, 10
Breathe before speaking: Efficient information dissemination despite noisy, limited and anonymous communication, Feinerman, O., Haeupler, B. & Korman, A., 15 Jul 2014, PODC 2014 - Proceedings of the 2014 ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing. Association for Computing Machinery, p. 114-123 10 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing).
Toward more localized local algorithms: Removing assumptions concerning global knowledge, Korman, A., Sereni, J. S. & Viennot, L., Oct 2013, In: Distributed Computing. 26, 5-6, p. 289-308 20 p.
Tight Bounds for Distributed Minimum-Weight Spanning Tree Verification, Kor, L., Korman, A. & Peleg, D., Aug 2013, In: Theory of Computing Systems. 53, 2, p. 318-340 23 p.
What can be decided locally without identifiers, Fraigniaud, P., Göös, M., Korman, A. & Suomela, J., 22 Jul 2013, PODC 2013 - Proceedings of the 2013 ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing. Association for Computing Machinery, p. 157-165 9 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing).
Randomized distributed decision, Fraigniaud, P., Korman, A., Parter, M. & Peleg, D., 2012, Distributed Computing - 26th International Symposium, DISC 2012, Proceedings. p. 371-385 15 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 7611 LNCS).
Memory lower bounds for randomized collaborative search and implications for biology, Feinerman, O. & Korman, A., 2012, Distributed Computing - 26th International Symposium, DISC 2012, Proceedings. p. 61-75 15 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 7611 LNCS).
Notions of connectivity in overlay networks, Emek, Y., Fraigniaud, P., Korman, A., Kutten, S. & Peleg, D., 2012, Structural Information and Communication Complexity - 19th International Colloquium, SIROCCO 2012, Proceedings. p. 25-35 11 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 7355 LNCS).
New bounds for the controller problem, Emek, Y. & Korman, A., Nov 2011, In: Distributed Computing. 24, 3-4, p. 177-186 10 p.
Fast and compact self stabilizing verification, computation, and fault detection of an MST, Korman, A., Kutten, S. & Masuzawa, T., 6 Jun 2011, PODC'11 - Proceedings of the 2011 ACM Symposium Principles of Distributed Computing. Association for Computing Machinery, p. 311-320 10 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing).
Local distributed decision, Fraigniaud, P., Korman, A. & Peleg, D., 2011, Proceedings - 2011 IEEE 52nd Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science, FOCS 2011. p. 708-717 10 p. 6108235. (Proceedings - Annual IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science, FOCS).
Tight bounds for distributed MST verification, Kor, L., Korman, A. & Peleg, D., 2011, 28th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science, STACS 2011. p. 69-80 12 p. (Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics, LIPIcs; vol. 9).
Proof labeling schemes, Korman, A., Kutten, S. & Peleg, D., May 2010, In: Distributed Computing. 22, 4, p. 215-233 19 p.
Brief announcement: New bounds for the controller problem, Emek, Y. & Kormany, A., 10 Aug 2009, PODC'09 - Proceedings of the 2009 ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), p. 340-341 2 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing).
Compact routing schemes for dynamic trees in the fixed port model, Korman, A., 2009, Distributed Computing and Networking - 10th International Conference, ICDCN 2009, Proceedings. Springer Verlag, p. 218-229 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 5408 LNCS).
General compact labeling schemes for dynamic trees, Korman, A., Oct 2007, In: Distributed Computing. 20, 3, p. 179-193 15 p.
Compact separator decompositions in dynamic trees and applications to labeling schemes, Korman, A. & Peleg, D., 2007, Distributed Computing - 21st International Symposium, DISC 2007, Proceedings. Springer Verlag, p. 313-327 15 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 4731 LNCS).
On distributed verification, Korman, A. & Kutten, S., 2006, Distributed Computing and Networking - 8th International Conference, ICDCN 2006, Proceedings. p. 100-114 15 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 4308 LNCS).
Constructing labeling schemes through universal matrices, Korman, A., Peleg, D. & Rodeh, Y., 2006, Algorithms and Computation - 17th International Symposium, ISAAC 2006, Proceedings. p. 409-418 10 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 4288 LNCS).
Dynamic routing schemes for general graphs, Korman, A. & Peleg, D., 2006, Automata, Languages and Programming - 33rd International Colloquium, ICALP 2006, Proceedings. Springer Verlag, p. 619-630 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 4051 LNCS).
Label-guided graph exploration by a finite automaton, Cohen, R., Fraigniaud, P., Ilcinkas, D., Korman, A. & Peleg, D., 2005, ICALP 2005: Automata, Languages and Programming. p. 335-346 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; vol. 3580).
Labeling schemes for flow and connectivity (Extended abstract), Katz, M., Katz, N. A., Korman, A. & Peleg, D., 2002, Proceedings of the 13th Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, SODA 2002. Association for Computing Machinery, p. 927-936 10 p. (Proceedings of the Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms; vol. 06-08-January-2002).
Labeling schemes for dynamic tree networks, Korman, A., Peleg, D. & Rodeh, Y., 2002, STACS 2002 - 19th Annual Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science, Proceedings. Alt, H. & Ferreira, A. (eds.). Springer Verlag, p. 76-87 12 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 2285).

Education▼

2015: Habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR) Paris Diderot University. Thesis Title: ""Distributed Decision and Distributed Biological Algorithms.""2000–2005: Direct Ph.D. in Computer Science at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Supervised by Prof. David Peleg. Thesis Title: ""Static and Dynamic Labeling Schemes."" Recipient of the Dean’s Prize for Ph.D. Students. (Degree conferred: May 8, 2006).
1998–1999: M.Sc. in Mathematics Stanford University, USA.
1995–1997: B.Sc. in Mathematics The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Academic Background▼

I am a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Haifa, starting in 2024. My academic career is dedicated to building bridges between theoretical computer science and the study of natural phenomena, driven by a desire to understand biological systems through an “algorithmic lens.”My academic journey began in mathematics: I completed my B.Sc. at the Hebrew University (1997) and my M.Sc. at Stanford University. Upon returning to Israel, I shifted my focus to computer science and joined the direct Ph.D. track at the Weizmann Institute of Science (2000–2005), under the supervision of Prof. David Peleg. My research on labeling schemes in networks earned the Dean’s Excellence Award. I continued my training with a postdoctoral fellowship at the Technion, working with Prof. Shay Kutten on the theory of distributed computing.

In 2007, I joined the CNRS in France, where I served for 16 years as a researcher and later as a Research Director in the IRIF and FILOFOCS groups. During this time, I received international recognition, including the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant (2015–2020), which allowed me to be among the initiators of a new research direction I call “algorithmic biology”: the study of computational mechanisms that enable groups of organisms—such as ants, bats, and humans—to solve complex problems.

In 2024, I joined the faculty at the University of Haifa. My current research, supported by an ISF grant for the years 2024–2028, continues the vision of building a bridge between theoretical computer science and the understanding of complex biological systems.

I see myself as a kind of “representative” of algorithmic theory within the field of biology. My aim is to equip biologists with analytical tools that enable a deep and abstract understanding of computational principles in nature, while opening a window for theoretical computer scientists into the complex and fascinating world of living systems.

Research Areas▼

I am deeply fascinated by the study of natural phenomena through an algorithmic lens, particularly in uncovering the profound interconnections between distributed computing and collective animal behavior. My overarching mission is to establish a new research field: ""Algorithmic Biology"". This emerging area aims to bridge the gap between theoretical computer science and empirical biology along three central axes:

1. Theory-experiment integration: Developing methodologies that combine rigorous algorithmic analysis with the design of biological experiments.

2. Model-driven predictions: Formulating and validating meaningful predictions that emerge from algorithmic reasoning and analysis.

3. Lower bounds in nature: Exploring the insights that algorithmic lower bounds can offer into the fundamental limitations of biological and social systems.

In collaboration with biologists, I investigate a wide range of biological systems—including ants, bats, and humans—alongside abstract models of multi-agent systems. My research seeks to address foundational questions such as:

- Noise and competition: How do these factors affect the efficiency of groups in performing collective tasks?

- Computational foraging: What computational challenges do organisms face when searching for resources, and what strategies help overcome them?

- From simple rules to complex patterns: How do basic individual-level interactions give rise to rich collective dynamics at the group level?

To tackle these questions, I apply analytical tools from distributed computing, game theory, and probability theory. I place strong emphasis on grounding theoretical models in empirical data, through field and laboratory behavioral experiments.

I see myself as a representative of algorithmic thinking within the biological sciences. My goal is to equip the biology community with advanced analytical tools for decoding the computational logic of life, while offering computer scientists a fresh and compelling path into empirical science and the exploration of the natural world.

Awards▼

2026: Dijkstra Prize

2020: SIROCCO Prize for Innovation in Distributed Computing

2009: Best paper award at ICDCN 2009

2006: Dean's Prize for Ph.D. Students at the Weizmann Institute of Science2005: Best student paper award at DISC 2005

1997: Graduated at the Hebrew University with exceptional honors: Magna Cum Lauda

Additional Info▼

Selected Publications (A non-exhaustive list highlighting key interdisciplinary and theoretical results.)Interdisciplinary: Algorithmic Biology & Collective Behavior

1. ""Comparing Cooperative Geometric Puzzle Solving in Ants versus Humans"". T. Dreyer, A. Haluts, A. Korman, N. Gov, E. Fonio, and O. Feinerman.
PNAS, 2024.

Large media exposure, e.g., in Haaretz, Ynet, The Mirror (UK), and The Sun (USA) etc.

2. ""Abundant Resources can Trigger Reduced Consumption: Unveiling the Paradox of Excessive Scrounging"". R. Vacus and A. Korman (Corresponding Author)
PNAS, 2024.

3. ""Intermittent inverse-square Lévy walks are optimal for finding targets of all sizes"".
B. Guinard and A. Korman (Corresponding Author).
Science Advances, 2021.

4. ""Ant collective cognition allows for efficient navigation through disordered environments"" A. Gelblum, E. Fonio, Y. Rodeh, A. Korman, and O. Feinerman. (A. Korman and O. Feinerman are Joint Corresponding Authors).
eLife, 2020.

5. ""Reinforcement Learning Enables Resource-Partitioning in Foraging Bats"". A. Goldshtein et al. Current Biology, 2020. (A. Korman and Y. Yovel are Joint Corresponding Authors)

Media coverage: Featured in Ynet and the French CNRS INS2I.

6. ""Limits on reliable information flows through stochastic populations"". L. Boczkowski, E. Natale, O. Feinerman, and A. Korman (Corresponding Author).
PLoS Computational Biology, 2018.

7. ""The ANTS Problem"". O. Feinerman and A. Korman. Distributed Computing, 2017.

8. ""A locally-blazed ant trail achieves efficient collective navigation despite limited information"". E. Fonio et al. (A. Korman and O. Feinerman are Joint Corresponding Authors).
eLife, 2016.

Media coverage: Featured in Le Monde, Haaretz, and CNRS News.

Theoretical Computer Science & Distributed Computing

1. ""An Optimal Ancestry Labeling Scheme with Applications to XML Trees and Universal Posets"". P. Fraigniaud and A. Korman. STOC 2010, J.ACM 2016.

2. ""Parallel Exhaustive Search without Coordination"". P. Fraigniaud, A. Korman, and Y. Rodeh. STOC 2016, J.ACM 2019.

3. ""Distributed Verification and Hardness of Distributed Approximation"". A. Das Sharma et al. STOC 2011, SIAM Journal on Computing (SICOMP), 2012.

4. ""Proof Labeling Schemes"". A. Korman, S. Kutten and D. Peleg. Distributed Computing, 2010.

5.""Online Computation with Advice"". Y. Emek, P. Fraigniaud, A. Korman, and A. Rosen. ICALP 2009.

הפקולטה למדעי המחשב והמידע

אוניברסיטת חיפה

Prof. Amos Korman