~/pingshiyu

Portrait of Pingshi Yu

PhD student · Computer Science

Pingshi (Jacob) Yu 于洴石

I'm a final-year PhD student at Imperial College London, supervised by Prof. Alastair Donaldson and Prof. Nicolas Wu. I'm interested in the theory and practice of developing software systems: either how to find bugs when they occur or how to avoid them in the first place. My research thus far has taken me on a journey through compiler testing, language semantics, property-based testing, complexity theory, and automated verification.

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Publications

  1. 2026

    Complexity Theory of Randomised Testing

    Pingshi Yu, Chengsong Tan, Nicolas Wu, and Alastair F. Donaldson
    arXiv · Paper

  2. 2025

    Ratte: Fuzzing for Miscompilations in Multi-Level Compilers Using Composable Semantics

    Pingshi Yu, Nicolas Wu, and Alastair F. Donaldson
    ASPLOS · Paper · Video · Code

  3. 2023

    RustSmith: Random Differential Compiler Testing for Rust

    Mayank Sharma, Pingshi Yu, and Alastair F. Donaldson
    ISSTA · Paper · Video · Code

  4. 2023

    Reasoning about MLIR Semantics through Effects and Handlers

    Pingshi Yu
    ECOOP/ISSTA Doctoral Symposium · Paper

  5. 2021

    A Novel Automated Screening Method for Combinatorially Generated Small Molecules

    Pingshi Yu, Alistair J. Sterling, and Jotun Hein
    Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling · Paper

Education

  1. 2022–now

    PhD in Computer Science

    Imperial College London

    London

  2. 2016–20

    MMathCompSci Mathematics and Computer Science

    St Anne's College, University of Oxford

    Oxford

Work Experience

  1. 2025–26

    Research Intern

    Huawei Research

    Programming Languages Lab · Edinburgh

  2. 2020–22

    Software Engineer / Quantitative Strategist

    Credit Suisse

    London

  3. 2020

    Research Intern

    Cambridge Quantum Computing (now Quantinuum)

    Cambridge

  4. 2019

    Intern

    Credit Suisse

    London

  5. 2018

    Data Science Intern

    Arm

    Cambridge

  6. 2017,18

    Research Intern

    University of Oxford

    DPIR · Oxford

Activities

  1. 2026
  2. 2025
  3. 2025
  4. 2024
  5. 2024
  6. 2024
  7. 2024
  8. 2023
  9. 2023
  10. 2023
  11. 2023
  12. 2023
  13. 2022

Awards

  1. 2022–27

    Full Doctoral Scholarship

    Imperial College London

  2. 2024

    Poster Presentation Award

    Imperial Computing Conference

  3. 2019,20

    Exhibition Award

    St Anne's College, University of Oxford

Service

  1. 2026

    Subreviewer

    POPL

  2. 2025

    Artifact Evaluation Reviewer

    FormaliSE

  3. 2025

    Subreviewer

    FSE

  4. 2024

    Subreviewer

    ASE

Languages

  • Chinese native
  • English native
  • German basic proficiency
  • Haskell proficient
  • Python fluent
  • C++ fluent
  • 701st programming language same old, probably :)

Skills

  • Full UK driving licence 0 points!
  • Egg fried rice delicious
  • Bicycle maintenance silky smooth gearing
  • Emotional regulation calm

Hobbies

Apart from what's on this page, I also spend much time on piano playing (Chopin, ragtime), cycling, chess, geocaching and road-tripping.