In this edition of Inside DEI, we will get to know Professor José Carlos Monteiro a little better.

• Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey at Técnico.

My interest in computers goes back a long way. In the 10th grade, I chose the Electronics track, and the closest school to where I lived (Olivais) was Afonso Domingues Secondary School (it's sad to see the condition of what was once such a great school). It was there that I had my first contact with a computer: a time-sharing terminal (I don't even remember what machine it was, perhaps a PDP-11?). There was no monitor; it was essentially an electric typewriter. Then, of course, came the ZX81 and the ZX Spectrum.

Despite this early interest, when I enrolled at Técnico, my original goal was actually to pursue a degree in Technological Physics. At the time, that program only began in the third year, while the first two years could be completed within any other engineering degree. I chose Electrical and Computer Engineering. However, none of the three Physics courses I took really inspired me, so I decided to continue in Electrical Engineering, specializing in the Computers branch. After completing my undergraduate studies, I stayed on for a Master's degree (during which I also completed my compulsory military service) before going to MIT to pursue my PhD.

Still in my third year (1985!), I joined Professor Vidigal's research group at INESC, where I worked on digital systems. That experience defined the research area I would later pursue in both my Master's and PhD.

I became a teaching monitor in the Electronics Section during the fifth year of my undergraduate degree and, after graduating, was appointed as a teaching assistant. I temporarily interrupted my academic career to complete my PhD. I signed my first faculty contract in March 1997, this time in the Digital Systems Section. In 1998, I was one of the founding members of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI), where I initially worked in the ASO area before moving to MTP in 2016. Over the years, I believe I have held just about every management position the department has to offer!

• What does your teaching work currently consist of?

In the ASO area, I was responsible for courses on Computer Architecture, including IAC and Microprocessors. After moving to MTP, I have been responsible for FP, ASA and CPD. Starting next academic year, I will be responsible for the new Data Structures and Algorithms course in the GENI degree program, which will launch in September.

• And in research?

My research interests have evolved considerably over the years. As I mentioned, I began working on digital systems, specifically on algorithms for the synthesis of digital logic circuits, essentially a kind of hardware compiler, optimized for low power consumption.

Over time, I gradually moved up the abstraction stack to the architectural level. Around that time, multicore processors emerged, and I became interested in parallel algorithms, a field that eventually expanded to include distributed computing. I have been working in this area ever since.

• Which projects from your career would you highlight? For example, the most inspiring, innovative, or impactful ones.

We participated in a relatively recent “European project, European Joint Effort toward a Highly Productive Programming Environment for Heterogeneous Exascale Computing” (EPEEC), led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. It was a fascinating project and a very successful collaboration.

As part of the project, we developed new approaches for a range of large-scale applications, some of which were later incorporated into the OpenMP API.

I am currently involved in an FCT-funded project with Professor Juan Acebrón from the University Carlos III of Madrid, an expert in numerical methods. The goal is to develop parallel and distributed algorithms for the efficient computation of matrix functions. This project has taken me into areas that are quite unfamiliar to me and that I am still learning. For example, for a long time I simply thought that a derivative was just a derivative. It was only recently that I came to appreciate that time derivatives and spatial derivatives are fundamentally different.

And that is without even mentioning the challenge of solving problems involving fractional-order derivatives.

• What do you enjoy most about your day-to-day life at Técnico?

The constant challenges. Working with motivated people. And the continual renewal that comes from welcoming a new cohort of bright young students every year.

• Who is José outside Técnico?

I don’t really have any particular hobby. Beyond the usual cultural activities, I am interested in various areas of science, which I follow as they develop. I also spend a lot of time with my family and have a close group of friends, who often get together for informal gatherings and meals.