Alex Dixon

I am an Associate Professor with the Department of Computer Science here at Warwick. I have been at the university since 2013, where I completed an integrated Master's in Computer Science followed by a PhD in automata theory. I am associated to the Theory and Foundations research theme and the Discrete Mathematics and its Applications centre, with a primary interest in teaching the fundamentals of computer science.

Teaching Responsibilities

As of 2026, I am the module leader for CS141 Functional Programming and CS276 Principles of Video Game Development, and co-leader for CS407 Group Project.

I have acted as an organiser or tutor for all of the following modules:

• CS130 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Scientists
• CS141 and CS256 Functional Programming
• CS259 Formal Languages
• CS260 Algorithms
• CS262 Logic and Verification
• CS276 Principles of Video Game Development
• CS407 Group Project
• CS412 Formal Systems Development
• IL031 Serious Tabletop Game Design and Development.

Other Responsibilities

• Course Director for the Computer Science course.
• Departmental Teaching Mentor, supporting our graduate teaching assistants in their critical roles as lab and seminar tutors, in collaboration with the Graduate Teaching Assistant coordinator (Jonathan Foss).

Research and Interests

My PhD research area is in automata theory and game semantics, primarily focused around automata defined over infinite alphabets and their applications in programming language theory. This has resulted in a number of publications:

• Alex Dixon, Ranko Lazic:
  KReach: A Tool for Reachability in Petri Nets. TACAS 2020
• Alex Dixon, Ranko Lazic, Andrzej S. Murawski, Igor Walukiewicz:
  Leafy automata for higher-order concurrency. FoSSaCS 2021
• Alex Dixon, Ranko Lazic, Andrzej S. Murawski, Igor Walukiewicz:
  Verifying higher-order concurrency with data automata. LICS 2021

I have a personal and professional interest in the theory and practice of game design and development. I am interested in the philosophy of games (please do ask if you have a spare afternoon to listen!) and in the intersection between ludology and education.

Associate Professor

CS3.26 (Third floor, DCS)

Office hours:

All office hours are in person.

Email: alexander.dixon@warwick.ac.uk