Clément Canonne
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ccanonne.github.io
Clément Canonne
@ccanonne.github.io
Senior Lecturer #USydCompSci at the University of Sydney. Postdocs IBM Research and Stanford; PhD at Columbia. Converts ☕ into puns: sometimes theorems. He/him.
Pinned
Reminder/plug: my graduate-level monograph on "Topics and Techniques in Distribution Testing" (FnT Comm. and Inf Theory, 2022).

📖 ccanonne.github.io/survey-topic... [Latest draft+exercise solns, free]
📗 nowpublishers.com/article/Deta... [Official pub]
📝 github.com/ccanonne/sur... [LaTeX source]
Reposted by Clément Canonne
(As it turns out, the Torment Nexus had already been considerably improved in [Schmidhuber, 1993])
November 24, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
ARC says they’ll announce DECRA and LIEF outcomes tomorrow (Tuesday 25th Nov).

In recent times these announcements have been around 11am Canberra time. With 2 schemes on the same day, I assume they’ll announce one of them later in the day (probably DECRA first).
November 23, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale.
[....]
Academic: Our project, if funded by the government, will considerably improve the efficiency of the existing Torment Nexus,
November 24, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
My attitude towards reviews comes from my favorite Borges story, The Lottery in Babylon. "Like all men of babylon, I have been proconsul; like all, I have been a slave."
web.itu.edu.tr
November 23, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
ICMY: this December, the School of Computer Science at #USyd will host an absolutely incredible line-up of speakers, jointly with the SMRI (@sydmathinst.bsky.social) and the Faculty of Engineering!

🗓️ Mon 1: Bob Tarjan
🗓️ Tue 2: Moti Yung
🗓️ Wed 10: Shafi Goldwasser

Details and how to attend below! ↴
November 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
What do you know about data compression?
- Oh, little bits.
November 23, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
Sydney says hi — see you in 3 weeks!
November 23, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Honestly if I was Art Garfunkel I would design a new quantum algorithm, just to get even.
November 22, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
Please sign to tell the @albomp.bsky.social government it's not enough to "believe" in science for it to exist. Australia needs scientists if it wants to be ready for the future—not nice-sounding empty words.

📋 actionnetwork.org/petitions/cs...
📋 www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
CSIRO needs urgent support
CSIRO is under attack. Sign the petition calling on the Albanese Government to act now to secure the future of CSIRO’s world-leading science and research.
actionnetwork.org
November 21, 2025 at 8:05 PM
TIL why we use the word "oracle" in theoretical CS for blackbox abstractions. Because of some joke from the seventies!

We were absurd before it was cool.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interne... #TCSSky
Internet Oracle - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 22, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Hiked 3 hours, ate a dosa in front of the Opera House, am now reading some lecture notes* while (pretending to be) watching cricket.

Saturday's good!
November 22, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
'“It’s the most shortsighted lack of investment by a federal government since before the Abbott government. And they were stupid," [a former long-serving researcher at #CSIRO] said.'

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne..., article by @sbasfordcanales.bsky.social and @donnadlu.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
If you are looking for a postdoc, there's a lot of great algorithms/theory research (and in all parts of CS) happening at NYU!

Come work with the best, as @gautamkamath.com says!

Courant CS: apply.interfolio.com/175537
CDS: apply.interfolio.com/174686
November 21, 2025 at 5:17 PM
In case you aren't already aware of one of the nerdiest, nich-est online games: TeXnique, where the goal is to type LaTeX formulae as quickly as possible. texnique.xyz

It is "fun."
November 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
'“It’s the most shortsighted lack of investment by a federal government since before the Abbott government. And they were stupid," [a former long-serving researcher at #CSIRO] said.'

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne..., article by @sbasfordcanales.bsky.social and @donnadlu.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
Only 25 hours left before the #FOCS2025 early bird registration deadline! focs.computer.org/2025/register/
two wombats are standing next to each other on the ground .
Alt: Two wombats are standing next to each other on the ground, the photo zooms on the face of the second one, which turns its head to look directly at the camera.
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
It's the weekend, it's the Ashes, please consider helping saving #CSIRO and Australian science from our own government, before relaxing and watching England get trashed 🏏

actionnetwork.org/petitions/cs...
CSIRO needs urgent support
CSIRO is under attack. Sign the petition calling on the Albanese Government to act now to secure the future of CSIRO’s world-leading science and research.
actionnetwork.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:01 AM
It's the weekend, it's the Ashes, please consider helping saving #CSIRO and Australian science from our own government, before relaxing and watching England get trashed 🏏

actionnetwork.org/petitions/cs...
CSIRO needs urgent support
CSIRO is under attack. Sign the petition calling on the Albanese Government to act now to secure the future of CSIRO’s world-leading science and research.
actionnetwork.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
I used AI to create an easier-to-navigate schedule for SODA and SOSA 26 here:
soda26.netlify.app

The original one is hard to see the overview. meetings.siam.org/program.cfm?...
SODA/SOSA 2026 Schedule
soda26.netlify.app
November 21, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
This December, the Faculty of Engineering at #USyd is delighted to welcome Dr Moti Yung, who will speak at the Basser seminar series in our School. He will tell us about "Malicious Cryptography: beyond adhering to specifications in secure systems"

🕒 Tuesday, Dec 2
3:30—4:30pm
November 19, 2025 at 9:26 PM
New game: how to upset as many theoreticians as possible in 5 symbols or less*
November 20, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
Schedule – FOCS 2025
focs.computer.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
While waiting for the full technical program, some useful information!

Sunday, Dec 14: Reception 🥂
Monday, Dec 15: Business meeting 🧑‍💼
Tuesday, Dec 16: Banquet 🍴🍷
Friday, Dec 17: Best paper awards! 🏆
November 19, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
Thrilled to see that powerhouse Nalini Joshi (@monsoon0.bsky.social) has been named the 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year for her work in geometric & asymptotic methods to study discrete and continuous nonlinear mathematical models

Congratulations Nalini!

#MathSky

youtu.be/XoZO6EKqg68
Professor Nalini Joshi AO 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year
YouTube video by Zarco Creative
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Reposted by Clément Canonne
Thoughtful (as always) blog post from Nicholas Carlini. "Are large language models worth it?" A nice read giving his perspective on risks of ML models.

Post: nicholas.carlini.com/writing/2025...

For people who prefer, this is the video of the talk from @colmweb.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=PngH...
November 19, 2025 at 4:56 PM