Portrait of Minjian Zhang

Minjian Zhang

张敏缄子曰：君子敏于行而讷于言。

I recently completed my Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where I was very fortunate to be advised by Mahesh Viswanathan, and I will join Nanyang Technological University as a postdoctoral researcher working with Luke Ong.

My research has always been algorithmic in nature, with a focus on algorithms for concurrent programs, dynamic analysis, and model checking.

More recently, a growing research focus of mine is how to enhance coding agents so that they can generate more correct concurrent programs.

My work has been recognized with a SIGPLAN Research Highlight, a CSF Distinguished Paper Award, and a POPL ACM SIGPLAN Distinguished Paper Award.

CV Email

Selected Papers

My name is in bold. An asterisk denotes equal contribution.

  1. Efficient Dynamic Algorithms to Predict Short Races

    Manuscript under review. Minjian Zhang, Mahesh Viswanathan.

  2. State-Space Estimation for DPOR-based Model Checkers

    PLDI 2026. A. R. Balasubramanian, Mohammad Hossein Khoshechin Jorshari, Rupak Majumdar, Umang Mathur, Minjian Zhang.

  3. Efficient Timestamping for Sampling-based Race Detection

    PLDI 2025. Minjian Zhang, Daniel Wee Soong Lim, Mosaad Al Thokair, Umang Mathur, Mahesh Viswanathan.

  4. Deciding Branching-Time Hyperproperties for Timed Systems

    CSF 2024. Nabarun Denka*, Minjian Zhang*, Rohit Chadha, Mahesh Viswanathan.

    Received the CSF 2024 Distinguished Paper Award.

  5. Dynamic Race Detection with O(1) Samples

    POPL 2023. Mosaad Al Thokair*, Minjian Zhang*, Umang Mathur, Mahesh Viswanathan.

    Awarded a POPL Distinguished Paper Award and later selected as a SIGPLAN Research Highlight. SIGPLAN notes that, as of February 2025, only 70 papers had been recognized as Research Highlights since the program began in 2008.

    SIGPLAN Research Highlights

  6. Stack-Aware Hyperproperties

    TACAS 2023. Ali Bajwa*, Minjian Zhang*, Rohit Chadha, Mahesh Viswanathan.

  7. Checking LTL[F,G,X] on Compressed Traces in Polynomial Time

    ESEC/FSE 2021. Minjian Zhang, Umang Mathur, Mahesh Viswanathan.

Journal Versions

Selected journal versions and ongoing revisions.

Outside research, I enjoy powerlifting as an amateur.