Ugo VACCARO

I'm a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Salerno, where I conduct research at the intersection of information theory, coding theory, and algorithms. My work focuses on developing theoretical foundations and practical solutions for problems in data compression, error correction, secret sharing, and network communication. I previously collaborated extensively with researchers like Roberto Capocelli, Luisa Gargano, and Ferdinando Cicalese on fundamental problems in coding theory and information theory. A significant portion of my research has dealt with entropy bounds, variable-length codes, and probabilistic methods in information transmission. My current research interests span several areas including: information-theoretic approaches to security and cryptography, particularly secret sharing schemes and their variants; algorithmic aspects of network communication, especially broadcast and gossip protocols; and theoretical foundations of data compression and coding, with emphasis on entropy measures and variable-length codes. I aim to develop rigorous mathematical frameworks while keeping practical applications in mind.

Much of my recent work has focused on developing new techniques at the interface of information theory and combinatorics, leading to improved bounds and algorithms for problems in areas like group testing, influence diffusion in social networks, and minimum entropy coupling. I'm particularly interested in probabilistic methods and their applications to discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science.

Publications

Improved Algorithms and Bounds for List Union-Free Families

A. A. Rescigno, U. Vaccaro

IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 2024

Ugo VACCARO

Publications

Improved Algorithms and Bounds for List Union-Free Families

Bounds and Algorithms for Frameproof Codes and Related Combinatorial Structures

Bounds and algorithms for generalized superimposed codes

Achievable Rates and Algorithms for Group Testing with Runlength Constraints

Fast and frugal targeting with incentives

Low-weight superimposed codes and related combinatorial structures: Bounds and applications

A New Kind of Selectors and Their Applications to Conflict Resolution in Wireless Multichannels Networks

An Information Theoretic Approach to Probability Mass Function Truncation

Minimum-Entropy Couplings and Their Applications

Time-Bounded Influence Diffusion with Incentives

Maximum Entropy Interval Aggregations

Low-Weight Superimposed Codes and Their Applications

Bounds on the Entropy of a Function of a Random Variable and Their Applications

On k-Strong Conflict-Free Multicoloring

$\epsilon $ -Almost Selectors and Their Applications to Multiple-Access Communication

Partial Covering Arrays: Algorithms and Asymptotics

$H(X)$ vs. $H(f(X))$

How to find a joint probability distribution of minimum entropy (almost) given the marginals

Evangelism in social networks: Algorithms and complexity

Discovering Small Target Sets in Social Networks: A Fast and Effective Algorithm

Evangelism in Social Networks

Brief Announcement: Active Information Spread in Networks

Approximating probability distributions with short vectors, via information theoretic distance measures

Partial Covering Arrays: Algorithms and Asymptotics

Optimizing Spread of Influence in Weighted Social Networks via Partial Incentives

A Fast and Effective Heuristic for Discovering Small Target Sets in Social Networks

ϵ-Almost Selectors and Their Applications

Optimizing Spread of Influence in Social Networks via Partial Incentives

Spread of influence in weighted networks under time and budget constraints

How to go Viral: Cheaply and Quickly

Information theoretic measures of distances and their econometric applications

Influence diffusion in social networks under time window constraints

Latency-bounded target set selection in social networks

Spider Covers and Their Applications

Sequences II: Methods in Communication, Security, and Computer Science

Hardness, Approximability, and Exact Algorithms for Vector Domination and Total Vector Domination in Graphs

Optimal time data gathering in wireless networks with multidirectional antennas

On the approximability and exact algorithms for vector domination and related problems in graphs

Superselectors: Efficient Constructions and Applications

Two Batch Search With Lie Cost

Analysis and comparison of information theory-based distances for genomic strings

Tunstall Parse Trees Optimum under Various Criteria

Optimal Algorithms for Two Group Testing Problems, and New Bounds on Generalized Superimposed Codes

A Note on Approximation of Uniform Distributions From Variable-to-Fixed Length Codes

Optimal group testing algorithms with interval queries and their application to splice site detection

Asynchronous Deterministic Rendezvous in Graphs

Optimal Group Testing Strategies with Interval Queries and Their Application to Splice Site Detection

Optimal Two-Stage Algorithms for Group Testing Problems

On searching strategies, parallel questions, and delayed answers

Spanning spiders and light-splitting switches

New results and applications of superimposed codes (and related combinatorial structures) to the design of efficient group testing procedures

Bounding the average length of optimal source codes via majorization theory

Constructions of generalized superimposed codes with applications to group testing and conflict resolution in multiple access channels

Generalized Framework for Selectors with Applications in Optimal Group Testing

Multicasting to groups in optical networks and related combinatorial optimization problems

Binary search with delayed and missing answers

Efficient Constructions of Generalized Superimposed Codes with Applications to Group Testing and Conflict Resolution in Multiple Access Channels

Spanning Trees with Bounded Number of Branch Vertices

Bounding the average length of optimal source codes

Generalizations of superimposed codes with applications to efficient design of pooling experiments

Supermodularity and subadditivity properties of the entropy on the majorization lattice

The entropy is supermodular on the majorization lattice

Efficient algorithms for chemical threshold testing problems

coping with Delays and Time-Outs in Binary Search Procedures

Least adaptive optimal search with unreliable tests

ICALP Workshops 2000: Proceedings of the Satellite Workshops of the 27th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages, and Programming

Perfect, minimally adaptive, error-correcting searching strategies

Efficient communication in unknown networks

An improved heuristic for "Ulam-Rényi game"

Optimal Strategies Against a Liar

Randomness complexity of private computation

Efficient generation of fair dice with few biased coins

Efficient m-ary Balanced Codes

Improved Algorithms for Chemical Threshold Testing Problems

Improved Algorithms for Group Testing with Inhibitors

Concurrent multicast in weighted networks

Broadcasting in Hypercubes and Star Graphs with Dynamic Faults

Highly Fault-Tolerant Routing in the Star and Hypercube Interconnection Networks