PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Marcello Pelillo

Marcello Pelillo is a computer scientist whose graph-based optimization work links pattern recognition and computer vision. He earned a summa cum laude computer science degree from the University of Bari in 1989, joined the University of Venice in 1995, and established its Computer Vision and Machine Learning Lab. His work applies replicator equations to graph isomorphism and constrained dominant sets to interactive image segmentation. The IAPR named him a Fellow in 2008, and he served as General Chair for ICCV 2017. In December 2025, he coordinated RePAIR, which joined robotics and AI to reassemble Pompeii frescoes; as of October 2026, he is a Full Professor at Ca’ Foscari and leads the lab.

Now at
Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Works
459
Citations
11,734
h-index
44

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1989

    A computer science degree

    He earns a summa cum laude computer science degree at the University of Bari in 1989.

  2. 1991–1995

    Moving to the University of Venice

    He becomes an assistant professor at the University of Bari in 1991 and joins the University of Venice in March 1995. He establishes the Computer Vision and Machine Learning Lab at Ca’ Foscari in 1995.

  3. 1998

    Replicator equations for graphs

    In 1998, he presents a graph-isomorphism framework that reduces the problem to maximum-clique optimization and uses replicator equations to search for solutions.

  4. 2008

    An IAPR Fellowship

    The IAPR names him a Fellow in 2008 for graph-theoretic and optimization-based contributions to pattern recognition and computer vision.

  5. 2016

    Constrained dominant sets

    With Eyasu Zemene, he proposes interactive image segmentation using constrained dominant sets, a graph-theoretic cluster concept.

  6. 2017

    Leading ICCV 2017

    He serves as General Chair for ICCV 2017.

  7. December 2025

    Reassembling Pompeii frescoes

    In December 2025, he coordinates RePAIR, a project that combines robotics and artificial intelligence to reassemble Pompeii frescoes. Its prototype helps assess which work robotic systems can support.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor and lab lead

    As of October 2026, he is a Full Professor of Computer Science at Ca’ Foscari and leads the Computer Vision and Machine Learning Lab.

Sources and credits

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  1. Marcello Pelillo dsi.unive.it. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. people: Ca' Foscari University of Venice unive.it. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Replicator Equations, Maximal Cliques, and Graph Isomorphism papers.neurips.cc. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. IAPR - IAPR Fellows old.iapr.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Interactive Image Segmentation Using Constrained Dominant Sets arxiv.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. Marcello Pelillo dsi.unive.it. Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. RePAIR: Results and Future Prospects of the Project Integrating Robotics and Artificial Intelligence in the Reassembly of Frescoes at Pompeii unive.it. Checked 14 October 2026.