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MCU 2026 - FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS

11th Conference on Machines, Computations and Universality

Trier, Germany, July 27–29, 2026

Co-located with CiE 2026

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We invite submissions to MCU 2026, the 11th edition of the
International Conference on Machines, Computations and Universality.
The MCU series focuses on fundamental aspects of computation and
universality across a wide range of computational models.

IMPORTANT DATES
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Submission deadline: May 10, 2026 (AoE, strict)
Notification: June 15, 2026
Final version: August 15, 2026

SUBMISSION
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https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mcu2026

Please distribute.

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ABOUT MCU
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The MCU conference series, initiated in Paris in 1995, has a long tradition
of exploring the nature of computation and universality. Previous editions
were held in Metz (1998), Chișinău (2001), St. Petersburg (2004),
Orléans (2007), Zurich (2013), Famagusta (2015), Fontainebleau (2018),
Debrecen (2022), and Nice (2024).

The 2026 edition will take place at Trier University, Germany.

SCOPE
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MCU 2026 welcomes contributions on theoretical and interdisciplinary
aspects of computation, including (but not limited to):

• Discrete models: Turing machines, automata, grammars, cellular
  automata, tile assembly systems, rewriting systems

• Analog and hybrid models: BSS machines, real computation,
  infinite-time models, quantum computing

• Natural and emerging computation: molecular computing,
  neural models, membrane systems, swarm intelligence

• Foundations: computability, complexity, decidability,
  universality, and their limits

Special emphasis is placed on:

• Boundaries between decidability and undecidability

• Minimal and universal computational models

• Predictability and complexity of computational processes

TOPICS OF INTEREST
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Topics of interest include, but are not limited to

• Analog and continuous computation

• Automata theory

• Cellular automata

• Computability theory and degree structures

• Computable structures and models

• Decidability of theories

• DNA computing, self-assembly and tiling

• Dynamical systems and computational models

• Emerging and non-standard models of computation

• Finite model theory

• Generalized recursion theory

• Higher type computability

• Hyper-computational models

• Infinite time Turing machines

• Membrane computing

• Molecular computation

• Morphogenesis and developmental biology

• Multi-agent systems models

• Natural computation and hybrid systems

• Neural nets and connectionist models

• Physics and computability

• Proof theory and computability

• Quantum computing and information

• Randomness and Kolmogorov complexity

• Relativistic computation

• Swarm intelligence and self-organisation

• Theory of Petri nets

• Turing, Counter, Register, Signal machines

• Universality of systems

PROGRAM CHAIRS
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Henning Fernau (Trier University, Germany)

Serghei Verlan (University Paris-Est Créteil, France)

INVITED SPEAKERS
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Martin Kutrib (University of Gießen, Germany)

Olivier Bournez (Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France) - tutorial at CiE.

Joint CiE special session “At the Borderline of Universality”:

• Artiom Alhazov, State University of Moldova

• Matthew Cook, University of Groningen

• Gemma De les Coves, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona

• Victor Mitrana, University of Bucharest

AUTHOR GUIDELINES
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All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. We expect non-anonymous submissions up to 15 pages in LNCS format, including all content except for an optional appendix (read at the discretion of the PC); alternatively, include a link to an arXiv version.

Accepted papers will appear in the Springer LNCS volume of MCU.

A selection of papers will further be invited to a Special Issue of a journal.

Submission link:

https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mcu2026

PROGRAM COMMITTEE

Artiom Alhazov (State University of Moldova, Moldova)

Péter Battyányi (University of Debrecen, Hungary)

Song Bosheng (Hunan University, China)

Olivier Bournez (Ecole Polytechnique, France)

Erzsébet Csuhaj-Varjú (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary)

Jérôme Durand-Lose (University of Orléans, France)

Rudi Freund (TU Wien, Austria)

Daniela Genova (University of North Florida, USA)

Dora Giammarresi (Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy)

Mika Hirvensalo (University of Turku, Finland)

Jarkko Kari (University of Turku, Finland)

Lila Kari (University of Waterloo, Canada)

Tomas Masopust (University of Olomouc, Czech Republic)

Benedek Nagy (Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, North Cyprus)

Matthew Patitz (University of Arkansas, USA)

Simon Perdrix (INRIA, France)

Agustín Riscos-Núnez (University of Seville, Spain)

Shinnosuke Seki (University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan)

KG Subramanian (Liverpool Hope University, UK)

György Vaszil (University of Debrecen, Hungary)

Tomoyuki Yamakami (University of Fukui, Japan)