Research Report Year 2004-2005

The Dipartimento di Informatica is the center coordinating the research activity in the area of Computer Science and Information Technology at the Università di Torino.

At the end of 2005, 50 people with permanent academic positions (full professors, associate professors, and researchers) were active at the Dipartimento di Informatica. Their research activity covers a wide range of topics in Computer Science and related areas (see the pages relative to the Research Report Year 2004-2005 for each research group). With regard to the department's teaching activity, they are organized on three levels: the normal laurea degree, awarded after three years of study, a specialized laurea degree, which is awarded after two additional years of study,  and a Ph.D. program that lasts three years. Consequently, the teaching activity in the academic years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 covered both introductory and advanced courses for three types of degree: laurea degree in Informatica, specialized laurea degree and Ph.D.  in Computer Science. Teaching activities are also performed in the School of Humanities (in particular, for Corso di Laurea in Scienze della Comunicazione, Diploma di Operatore in Beni Culturali - Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia -, for DAMS - Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione - , for Corso di Laurea in Lingue - Facoltà di Lingue e Letterature Straniere -, for Corso di Laurea in Psicologia, Facoltà di Psicologia, for Corso di Laurea Interfacoltà di Scienze Strategiche, for Corso di Laurea Interfacoltà di Scienze Motorie, and for various Masters).

Both research and teaching activities are supported by a technical staff of  8 people (2 temporary positions), an administrative staff of  8 people (2 temporary position), a library staff of 2 permanent clerks helped by short-term collaborators, a logistic staff of 2 people, and a reception staff of 4 people (some people have temporary positions). Strategic for the development of the research activity of the members of the Dipartimento di Informatica has been the collaboration with 10 cooperating researchers, 22 temporary researchers and 35 PhD students. More information can be found at http://www.di.unito.it/servlet/DipAnagrafica.ShowCategories.

The following report summarizes the research activity performed during the past year. Note that most of the professors and researchers are active in the area of Computer Science (scientific sector INF/01).  At the beginning of 2001, the research was organized into five broad sub-areas and a research laboratory was established for each sub-area. All of the research projects active at the Dipartimento di Informatica in the year 2004-2005 are grouped into those five sub-areas (see the pages of the Research Report relative to each research group).

Two other smaller groups are also active in the Dipartimento di Informatica, one in the area of Operational Research (scientific sector MAT/09) and the other one in the area of Economics and Management Science (scientific sector SECS-P/08).

As in previous years, an important source of funding was the European Union within projects in the V and VI framework: some new projects have started and others are under negotiation. Furthermore, in 2003 the Dipartimento di Informatica was able to obtain research contracts from industry and both private and public organizations.

With respect to the previous year, research could have suffered from reduced income from European, national, local and private bodies. Despite this, there have not been negative repercussions on the research activities of the department, neither in a quantitative nor in a qualitative sense.

The analysis of publications (listed after the report of each research group), as well as of the research contracts, shows the international dimension of the research activity carried out at the Dipartimento di Informatica, and the ability of many groups of establishing strong links with industries and research centers.

A final section of this report is devoted to describe the Dottorato di Ricerca in Informatica (the Ph.D. Program in Computer Science) of the Dipartimento di Informatica.

Finally, note that the Dipartimento di Informatica is cooperating with and supporting both the Ph.D Program in Cognitive Sciences and the Ph.D Program in Communication Sciences.