Personal profile
Biography
I am a Lecturer at the University of St Andrews. My research interests lie in computational combinatorics, graph theory, permutation classes, computational group theory and formal verification.
During my PhD I've investigated the regular language of permutation pattern classes and identified the encodings of sets of permutations with certain properties.
While a researcher I worked on verifying UAV scenarios, memory consistency models, and cache coherence protocols using formal methods, such as model checking. In addition, I have used constraint programming to generate litmus tests for MCMs and CCPs.
More recently, and in line with my main research interests I have been working on improving combinatorial search for graph problems.
Teaching activity
I teach modules which involve theoretical computer science:
- CS5015 -- Symbolic Artificial Intelligence
- CS1003 -- Programming with Data
Past Teaching:
I used to oversee the Graduate Apprenticeship degree (BSc Data Science) and taught:
- CS2001 -- Foundations of Computation
- CS3052 -- Computational Complexity
- IS5104 -- Information Security Management
Research overview
My research interests lie in computational combinatorics and group theory, graph theory, permutation classes and formal verification.
In particular, I am interested in engineering efficient algorithms (such as combinatorial search) for graph problems (e.g. subgraph isomorphism problem), group problems (e.g. finding stabiliser chains) and permutation classes (e.g. language of simple permutations).
Profile Keywords
combinatorics, computational mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, combinatorial search, graphs, groups, permutations, theoretical computer science
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Composable constraint models for permutation enumeration
Hoffmann, R., Akgun, O. & Jefferson, C., 22 Jan 2025, In: Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science. 26, 1, 25 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Symmetry breaking in the subgraph isomorphism problem
Loughney, J., Hoffmann, R., Chang, M. S. & McCreesh, C., 10 Aug 2025, p. 1-10. 10 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Open Access -
Understanding how players solve puzzles
Lofaro, T., Hoffmann, R., Sturdee, M., Jefferson, C. & Lynch, A., 10 Aug 2025, p. 1-2. 2 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract
Open AccessFile -
Symmetry breaking in the subgraph isomorphism problem
Loughney, J. P. & Hoffmann, R., 2 Sept 2024, p. 1-9. 9 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Towards understanding differences between modelling pipelines: a modelers perspective
Balogh, C., Hoffmann, R. & Espasa Arxer, J., 2 Sept 2024, p. 1-9. 9 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Datasets
-
Memory consistency models using constraints (dataset)
Akgun, O. (Creator), Hoffmann, R. (Creator) & Sarkar, S. (Creator), GitHub, 16 Aug 2018
https://github.com/stacs-cp/ModRef2018-MCM
Dataset
-
stacs-cp/composable-permutation-patterns (All versions)
Akgun, O. (Creator) & Hoffmann, R. (Creator), Zenodo, 2023
Dataset: Software
-
Automata
Delgado, M. (Creator), Hoffmann, R. (Contributor), Linton, S. A. (Creator) & Morais, J. J. (Creator), GAP - Groups, Algorithms, Programming, 2025
https://gap-packages.github.io/automata/
Dataset: Software
-
PatternClass Version 2.4.2: A permutation pattern class package (GAP package)
Hoffmann, R. (Creator), Linton, S. A. (Creator) & Albert, M. (Creator), GitHub, 2018
https://github.com/gap-packages/PatternClass/releases/tag/v2.4.2 and one more link, https://gap-packages.github.io/PatternClass/ (show fewer)
Dataset: Software
-
stacs-cp/cp2022-hcicp: Published @ CP2022
Hoffmann, R. (Creator) & Zhu, X. (Creator), Zenodo, 2022
Dataset: Software
Projects
- 3 Finished
-
Enhancing Group Search with Graph Tech: Enhancing Group Search with Graph Techniques
Hoffmann, R. (PI)
1/12/23 → 30/11/25
Project: Standard
-
Creating a Dynamic Domestic Abuse Services Database
Hoffmann, R. (PI), May, B. (CoI), Donaldson, D. (CoI), Mccurry, A. (Researcher) & Michalovits, S. (Student)
University of St Andrews Impact & Innovation Fund
1/12/23 → 1/12/24
Project: Standard
-
Activities
-
Doors Open @ Computer Science 2026
Hoffmann, R. (Chair of organising committee), Morrison, D. (Member of organising committee), Ross, K. (Member of organising committee), Ardati, A. A. (Participant), Dearle, A. (Participant), Connor, R. (Participant), Claydon, B. (Participant), Sturdee, M. (Participant), Miguel, A. R. (Participant), Manataki, A. (Participant), Myles, C. G. G. (Participant), Harris-Birtill, D. C. C. (Participant), Balasubramaniam, D. (Participant), Brady, E. C. (Participant), Ye, J. (Participant), Clarke, L. (Participant), Young, M. (Participant), Chang, M. S. (Participant), Akgun, O. (Participant), Gent, I. P. (Participant), Jefferson, C. A. (Participant), Konovalov, O. (Participant), Nickson, Z. (Participant), Woodville-Price, T. (Participant), Donnelly, P. (Participant), To, S. H. (Participant), Spink, T. (Participant), Ren, Q. (Participant), McKechnie, M. (Participant), Redina, P. (Participant), Martin, N. (Participant), Mccurry, A. (Participant), Donaldson, D. (Participant), McCann, P. (Participant), Crowe, S. (Participant), Michalovits, S. (Participant), Terry, S. (Participant), Rosales Sanabria, A. (Participant), Nowshadi, Z. A. (Participant), Lin, Q. (Participant), Fogwill, M. (Participant), Sullivan, J. (Participant), Cardwell, K. (Participant), Kerlaff, K. (Participant), Chan, T. (Participant), Gronda Garrigues, P. (Participant), Janik, V. (Participant), Oswald, J. (Participant), Ellis, A. (Participant), Novozhylova, M. (Participant), Chub, O. (Participant), Shevchenko, V. (Participant), Boiar, Y. (Participant), Schrempf, P. (Participant), Murray, M. (Participant), Nederhof, M. (Participant), Dobson, S. (Participant), Johnston, A. (Participant), Aitken, L. (Participant), Kirby, G. (Participant), Babazadeh, K. (Participant), Hansen, T. E. (Participant), Telford, H. (Participant), Vesely, K. (Participant), Tronciu, V. (Participant), Huica, T. (Participant), Soe, S. (Participant), Abdul Khadeer, M. S. (Participant), Silva De Oliveira, R. (Participant), McGowan, J. (Participant), Doshi, A. (Participant), Loughney, J. P. (Participant) & Boyd, K. (Participant)
28 Apr 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a public festival/exhibition/event
-
Doors Open @ Computer Science 2025
Hoffmann, R. (Chair of organising committee), Ross, K. (Member of organising committee), Ardati, A. A. (Participant), Dearle, A. (Participant), Connor, R. (Participant), Claydon, B. (Participant), Miller, A. (Participant), Sturdee, M. (Participant), Miguel, A. R. (Participant), Manataki, A. (Participant), Cassidy, C. A. (Participant), Pisani, S. (Participant), Brown, C. M. (Participant), Barwell, A. D. (Participant), Myles, C. G. G. (Participant), Harris-Birtill, D. C. C. (Participant), Morrison, D. (Participant), Balasubramaniam, D. (Participant), Dang, N. T. T. (Participant), Brady, E. C. (Participant), Terzic, K. (Participant), Kadi, H. A. (Participant), Oliver, I. A. (Participant), Kennedy, S. E. (Participant), Espasa Arxer, J. (Participant), Ye, J. (Participant), Clarke, L. (Participant), Jacques, J. T. (Participant), Young, M. (Participant), Chang, M. S. (Participant), Akgun, O. (Participant), Gent, I. P. (Participant), Jefferson, C. A. (Participant), Konovalov, O. (Participant), Loughney, J. P. (Participant), Letham, R. (Participant), Metcalfe, T. (Participant), Henderson, T. (Participant), Zhang, J. (Participant), Nguyen, R. (Participant), Halite, A. (Participant), Leal Teixeira Gondim Simao, A. (Participant), Ozkaya, A. (Participant), Powell, V. (Participant), Watson, H. (Participant), Nickson, M. (Participant), Sullivan, J. (Participant) & Michalovits, S. (Participant)
1 May 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a public festival/exhibition/event
-
GAP Days 2024
Hoffmann, R. (Organiser), Chang, M. S. (Organiser) & Young, M. (Organiser)
26 Aug 2024 → 30 Aug 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a workshop, seminar, course
-
Doors Open @ Computer Science 2024
Hoffmann, R. (Chair of organising committee), Ross, K. (Member of organising committee), Halite, A. (Participant), Mann, A. (Participant), Dearle, A. (Participant), Banks, A. (Participant), Lin, A. (Participant), Boyce, A. (Participant), Manataki, A. (Participant), Singh, A. (Participant), Huang, A. (Participant), Eccles, B. J. (Participant), Claydon, B. (Participant), Varghese, B. (Participant), Clues, C. (Participant), Naughton, C. (Participant), Brown, C. M. (Participant), Myles, C. G. G. (Participant), Kennedy, D. (Participant), Morrison, D. (Participant), Saikumar, D. (Participant), Balasubramaniam, D. (Participant), Brady, E. C. (Participant), Jenkins, E. (Participant), Spillane, E. (Participant), Leitner, F. (Participant), Haywood, G. T. (Participant), Rasheed, H. (Participant), Waller, J. (Participant), Herbert, J. (Participant), Espasa Arxer, J. (Participant), Williamson, J. (Participant), Loughney, J. (Participant), Zhang, J. (Participant), Wang, R. (Participant), Garriock, K. (Participant), Davies, K. (Participant), Clarke, L. (Participant), Laverty, L. (Participant), Andrei, M. (Participant), Young, M. (Participant), Chang, M. S. (Participant), Martin, N. (Participant), Dewally, N. (Participant), Akgun, O. (Participant), Ng, P. (Participant), Connor, R. (Participant), Letham, R. (Participant), Kirkpatrick, R. (Participant), McQuistin, S. (Participant), Yuan, V. (Participant), Tronciu, V. (Participant), Law, Y. N. (Participant) & Zhang, Y. (Participant)
11 Apr 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a public festival/exhibition/event
-
Doors Open @ Computer Science 2023
Hoffmann, R. (Chair of organising committee), Ross, K. (Member of organising committee), Boyd, K. M. (Member of organising committee), Miller, A. H. D. (Participant), Miguel, A. R. (Participant), Varghese, B. (Participant), Brown, C. M. (Participant), Jefferson, C. A. (Participant), Harris-Birtill, D. C. C. (Participant), Balasubramaniam, D. (Participant), Brady, E. C. (Participant), Kirby, G. N. C. (Participant), Gent, I. P. (Participant), Jacques, J. T. (Participant), Espasa Arxer, J. (Participant), Ye, J. (Participant), Terzic, K. (Participant), Fang, L. (Participant), Nederhof, M. J. (Participant), Young, M. (Participant), Dang, N. T. T. (Participant), Konovalov, O. (Participant), Akgun, O. (Participant), Connor, R. (Participant), Dearle, A. (Participant), Filgueira, R. (Participant), Zhu, X. (Participant), Bhatti, S. (Participant), Dobson, S. A. (Participant), Mann, P. S. (Participant), Sarkar, S. (Participant), Kelsey, T. (Participant) & Spink, T. (Participant)
11 Apr 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a public festival/exhibition/event