The Laboratoire Méthodes Formelles (LMF) was founded on 1 January 2021 as a joint research centre of University Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ENS Paris-Saclay, Inria, and CentraleSupélec with a main focus on formal methods. The new laboratory combines the expertise of about 100 members from the former Laboratoire Spécification et Vérification (LSV) and the VALS team of Laboratoire de Recherche en Informatique (LRI).

In our mission to enlighten the digital world through Mathematical Logic, we rely on formal methods as a tool to analyse, model, and reason about computing systems, such as computer programs, security protocols, and hardware designs. Our research targets a wide range of computational paradigms, from classical to emerging ones such as biological and quantum computing.

LMF is structured around three hubs: Proofs and Models, which lie at the heart of our historical background, and Interactions, that is aimed at fostering cross-fertilisation between formal methods and other domains in computing science and beyond.

A New Scientist column  entitled "Where does time actually come from?" discusses the recent contribution by Pablo Arrighi and Gilles Dowek from LMF and Amélia Durbec from IEMN, to the somewhat fundamental questions about the nature of Time.

Read more...

A colloquium in memory of Gilles Dowek (1966–2025) will be held on 19 June 2026 at ENS Paris-Saclay.

The event will bring together colleagues, collaborators, and former students to reflect on his influential contributions to computer science, logic, and philosophy. Gilles Dowek made important advances in type theory and automated reasoning, and was also deeply involved in education. The colloquium will highlight the breadth of his work and its lasting impact. Further information is available on the event webpage: https://deducteam.gitlabpages.inria.fr/colloque-gilles/

Mar 24 14:00 ₂₀₂₆

Abstract: Psychological theories are often incompletely specified—that is, certain cases are overlooked, and some statements are ambiguous or imprecise. This is largely due to the fact that such theories are rarely expressed using formal models. Yet in many scientific disciplines, formal modeling plays a crucial role in theory-building: it enhances the precision of predictions, strengthens scientific reasoning, and facilitates collaboration. We propose two automata-based frameworks and a methodology for modeling psychological theories—that is, for transforming informal, verbal descriptions into formal, analyzable models.

Read more...

Jun 2 9:00 ₂₀₂₆ Jun 3 18:00 ₂₀₂₆

GT DAAL, the Working Group on Data, Automata, Algebra, and Logic, gathers the French community working on mathematical foundations for the verification of programs and databases.

Topics include database theory, automata theory (words, trees, orders, quantitative and probabilistic models), logic (specification and query formalisms, model theory, model checking, satisfiability, containment, synthesis), games (in logic, verification, model theory, set theory), and algebra and topology. The annual meeting of GT DAAL will be held at ENS Paris-Saclay, in auditorium 1B26, on 2–3 June 2026. For information on the programme and registration, visit https://lmf.cnrs.fr/DAAL2026/.

Jun 10 9:00 ₂₀₂₆

The 1st Workshop on Computational Psychology will take place on June 10th 2026 at ENS Paris-Saclay. Computational Psychology is an interdisciplinary framework that formalizes psychological processes through explicit computational structures.

Situated at the intersection of theoretical psychology, computer science, and data science, it seeks to transform psychological theories into well-defined systems capable of simulation and empirical testing. For information on the programme and registration, visit https://compsych.sciencesconf.org.

Jun 17 9:00 ₂₀₂₆ Jun 18 18:00 ₂₀₂₆

LHC is a French workgroup about logic, homotopy and categories. It brings together researchers in France who work on connecting theoretical computer science, topology, and

category theory to study the theoretical foundations of programming languages, logic, and their semantics. The seventh edition of the LHC days will take place on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 June 2026. For information on the programme and registration, visit https://smimram.gitlabpages.inria.fr/lhc/journees.html.