Austin Luchsinger

Research Interests

I have a broad range of research interests that can all be categorized as unconventional computation. Generally, I am interested in taking ideas from traditional areas like information theory, computational complexity, thermodynamics, and the theory of computation, and using those ideas to study abstract mathematical models which roughly represent some natural phenomenon. Some particular topics are molecular computing (via kinetics and thermodynamics), algorithmic self-assembly, robot motion planning, and reversible computing.

I've had the pleasure of presenting my research at several conferences: speaking at UCNC 2017, ESA 2018, JCDCG3 2018, SODA 2019, ICALP 2019, ISAAC 2020, DNA 2021, SAND 2022, DNA 2023, and PODC 2024.

Opportunities

I am currently looking to recruit a motivated PhD student to join my research group and pursue UTRGV's PhD in Computer Science with Interdisciplinary Applications. The ideal candidate is intellectually curious and self-driven, with a strong interest in abstract theoretical models of computation. A background in algorithms, discrete mathematics, and formal proofs is preferred, though not strictly required. I’m especially interested in students excited to explore foundational questions in theoretical computer science, with an emphasis on molecular computing. 

If you're excited about abstract theoretical models and enjoy exploring the deep structure of computation, please email me with a brief introduction, your CV, and any relevant research experience or coursework.

Peer Reviewed Publications

1. Optimal Information Encoding in Chemical Reaction Networks
   Austin Luchsinger, David Doty, David Soloveichik
   Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA29), 2023.
   [pdf][arXiv]

2. Uniform Robot Relocation is Hard in Only Two Directions Even Without Obstacles
   David Caballero, Angel Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, Tim Wylie
   Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Unconventional Computation and Natural Computation (UCNC 2023), 2023.
   [url]

3. Programming and Training Rate-Independent Chemical Reaction Networks
   Marko Vasic, Cameron Chalk, Austin Luchsinger, Sarfraz Khurshid, David Soloveichik
   Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 119 (24) e2111552119, 2022.
   [url]

4. Barrier-1 Reachability for Thermodynamic Binding Networks is PSPACE-Complete (Brief Announcement)
   Austin Luchsinger
   Proceedings of the 1st Symposium on Algorithmic Foundations of Dynamic Networks (SAND 2022), 2022.
   [pdf]

5. Fast Reconfiguration of Robot Swarms with Uniform Control Signals
   David Caballero, Angel Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, Tim Wylie
   Natural Computing, 2021
   [url]

6. Unit Tilt Row Relocation in a Square (Short Abstract)
   David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie
   Proceedings of the 23rd Thailand-Japan Conference on Discrete and Computational Geometry, Graphs, and Games (TJCDCG3'21), 2021.

7. Molecular Machines from Topological Linkages
   Keenan Breik, Austin Luchsinger, David Soloveichik
   Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA27), 2021.
   [url]

8. Covert Computation in Self-Assembled Circuits.
   Angel A. Cantu, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
   Algorithmica 83, 531-552, 2021.
   [url]

9. Hardness of Reconfiguring Robot Swarms with Uniform External Control in Limited Directions.
   David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
   Journal of Information Processing 2020.
   [url]

10. Signal Passing Self-Assembly Simulates Tile Automata.
    Angel A. Cantu, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    Proceedings of the 31st International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation (ISAAC 2020), 2020.
    [url]

11. Relocating Units in Robot Swarms with Uniform Control Signals is PSPACE-Complete.
    David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    Proceedings of the 32nd Canadian Conference on Computational Geometry (CCCG'20), 2020.
    [pdf]

12. Building Patterned Shapes in Robot Swarms with Uniform Control Signals.
    David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    Proceedings of the 32nd Canadian Conference on Computational Geometry (CCCG'20), 2020.
    [pdf]

13. Hierarchical Shape Construction and Complexity for Slidable Polyominos under Uniform External Forces.
    Jose Balanza-Martinez, David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Mauricio Flores, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Rene Reyes, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    Proceedings of the ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA'20), 2020.
    Salt Lake City, Utah, January 5-8, 2020.
    [url]

14. Relocation with Uniform External Control in Limited Directions (Short Abstract).
    Jose Balanza-Martinez, David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Timothy Gomez, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    The 22nd Japan Conference on Discrete and Computational Geometry, Graphs, and Games (JCDCG^3'19), 39-40, 2019.
    Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan, September 6-8, 2019.
    [url]

15. Covert Computation in Self-Assembled Circuits.
    Angel A. Cantu, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    Proceedings of the 46th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming (ICALP'19), 2019.
    Patras, Greece, July 8-12, 2019.
    [url]

16. Self-Assembly of Shapes at Constant Scale Using Repulsive Forces
    Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, Tim Wylie
    In Natural Computing, 18(1), 93-105, 2019.
    [springerLink]

17. Full Tilt: Universal Constructors for General Shapes with Uniform External Forces.
    Jose Balanza-Martinez, David Caballero, Angel A. Cantu, Luis Angel Garcia, Austin Luchsinger, Rene Reyes, Robert Schweller, and Tim Wylie.
    Proceedings of the 30th ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA'19), 2019.
    San Diego, California, January 6-9, 2019.
    [url]

18. Freezing Simulates Non-freezing Tile Automata
    Cameron Chalk, Austin Luchsinger, Eric Martinez, Robert Schweller, Andrew Winslow, Tim Wylie
    Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA 24)
    Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China, October 8-12, 2018.
    [springerLink]

19. Tile Pattern-Building Games on a Grid are PSPACE-complete (Short Abstract).
    Angel A. Cantu, Arturo Gonzalez, Cesar Lozano, Austin Luchsinger, Eduardo Medina, Fernando Martinez, Arnoldo Ramirez, and Tim Wylie.
    The 21st Japan Conference on Discrete and Computational Geometry, Graphs, and Games (JCDCG^3'18), 18-21, 2018.
    Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. Sept. 1-3, 2018.
    [url]

20. Self-Assembly of Any Shape with Constant Tile Types using High Temperature
    Cameron Chalk, Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, Tim Wylie
    Proceedings of the 26th Annual European Symposium on Algorithms (ESA 2018)
    Helsinki, Finland, August 8-12, 2018.
    [url]

21. Self-Assembly of Shapes at Constant Scale Using Repulsive Forces
    Austin Luchsinger, Robert Schweller, Tim Wylie
    Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Unconventional Computation and Natural Computation (UCNC 2017)
    Fayetteville, Arkansas, June 5-9, 2017.
    [arXiv] [springerLink]

Unpublished Manuscripts

22. Harvesting Brownian Motion: Zero Energy Computational Sampling [under submission]
    David Doty, Niels Kornerup, Austin Luchsinger, Leo Orshansky, David Soloveichik, Damien Woods
    [arXiv preprint 2023]

In-progress Projects

23. Undecidability of Thermodynamic Equilibria with Geometric Monomers
    For any given (closed) system, its equilibrium states can easily be computed. However, when asking about how the equilibria of a system changes as it scales in size, the problem becomes much harder. In this work, we consider systems of geometric monomers (square tiles) and we aim to show that, as the systems scale, questions about how their thermodynamic equilibrium states change become undecidable.  [Formalizing results. Write-up in progress.]

24. Generalizations of Thermodynamic Networks
    The Thermodynamic Binding Network model was introduced to analyze system behavior under a simplified model of Thermodynamics. In the original presentation of the model, the model considers geometry-less monomers that consist of a set of binding domains which each have exact compliments and all bind at some uniform strength. In this work, we consider variations of this model which allow for things such as ``flexible'' binding domains and varying-strength bonds, among other things. Additionally, we introduce the Thermodynamic Affinity Network model which is an extremely simplified general model that just considers a collection of monomer symbols and a function that dictates how they interact. Surprisingly, we show that all of these different formalizations are equivalent to the canonical Thermodynamic Binding Network model.  [Results are formalized. Write-up in progress.]

25. Designing Leakless Strand Displacement Systems with Thermodynamic Binding Networks
    When engineering DNA Strand Displacement systems, unintended kinetic pathways may cause they system to behave in an undesired manner (leak). Therefore, it is important to be able to design systems which behave as intended, and argue why leak will be avoided in such systems. In this project, we use the Thermodynamic Binding Network model (in a particular regime where enthalpy and entropy are weighted equally) to capture the behavior of Toehold-mediated Strand Displacement systems. We present reversible constructions in the model which have a (programmably) high energy barrier between desired kinetic paths and undesired kinetic paths. Thus, leak can be driven to arbitarily low rates. [Formalizing results. Write-up to begin shortly.]

Collaborators

I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with these amazing and talented people:
Jose Balanza-Martinez, Keenan Breik, David Caballero, Angel Adrian Cantu, Cameron Chalk, David Doty, Luis Angel Garcia, Timothy Gomez, Arturo Gonzalez, Sarfraz Khurshid, Cesar Lozano, Eric Martinez, Fernando Martinez, Eduardo Medina, Arnoldo Ramirez, Rene Reyes, Robert Schweller, David Soloveichik, Marko Vasic, Andrew Winslow, Tim Wylie.