Nutan Limaye granted 12.8 million DKK to explore the limits of computation
The Carlsberg Foundation has granted Professor at the IT University, Nutan Limaye, 12.8 million DKK to develop a new theory on the limits of algorithms.
Written 30 January, 2026 12:33 by Jari Kickbusch
Professor at the IT University, Nutan Limaye, has secured DKK 12.8 million for her project, Algebraic Hardness and Applications (AHA), which is focused on exploring the limits of computation: which problems can be solved efficiently, and which resist efficient solutions?
Computation underpins daily life. Yet, we lack a deeper understanding of its true power and limits. Uncovering these limits is one of the great scientific challenges of our time.
"Computers use random numbers efficiently to solve problems that help us secure communication, to analyse large data sets and many other things. However, there is a flip side: generating truly random numbers consumes resources, and randomised algorithms are inherently less reliable than their deterministic counterparts," says Professor Nutan Limaye.
New theory
AHA combines mathematics and computer science to develop a new theory on the limits of algorithms. Given a computational task, Nutan Limaye will analyse whether it can be solved efficiently using several processors in parallel:
"Consider a recipe with 20 steps. A naive cook may follow them one by one, while an efficient team might split the steps among several people and work in parallel before combining the results. Similarly, in this project, I ask: Does every problem with an efficient algorithm also admit an efficient parallel algorithm?"
Top shelf research
Nutan Limaye expects the project result to lead to publications in leading international journals and presentations at leading international conferences, and ultimately to increase the presence of Danish researchers in the global research community.
"The success of this project rests on building and supporting a strong team of researchers. Nationally, this will be achieved through my ties with the Danish Theoretical Computer Science community and specifically through my role as a core member of the Basic Algorithms Research Copenhagen centre, which is hosted jointly by the University of Copenhagen and ITU. Internationally, I will build on my existing collaborations in India, France, Canada, and the US. ITU will be a perfect host for housing and nurturing such a team. I am positive that this grant from the Carlsberg Foundation will help further the goal of making Denmark a hub for world-leading research in complexity theory," ends Nutan Limaye.
Learn more about AHA Jari Kickbusch, phone 7218 5304, email jark@itu.dk