He is known for his many contributions in the areas of finite model theory, database theory, and database systems. In finite model theory, the Abiteboul–Vianu Theorem states that polynomial time is equal to PSPACE if and only if fixed point logic is the same as partial fixed point logic.[14][15] In database theory, he has contributed a wide variety of results, the most recent on languages for the distributed processing of XML data. In data management, he is best known for his early work on semistructured and Web databases. In 2008, according to Citeseer, he is the most highly cited researcher in the data management area who works at a European institution.
Abiteboul is also known for two books, one on database theory[16] and one on Web data management.[7] He frequently writes for French newspapers, including Le Monde,[17] Libération[18] and La Tribune[19]
A member of the ARCEP, the independent agency in charge of regulating telecommunications in France,[20] Abiteboul has been an advocate of net neutrality.[18] He has also been critical of virtual assistants and their impact on privacy.[21]
In 2019, he is among the members of a group tasked by the French government with addressing online bullying and harassment.[22]
^Dawar A, Hella L, Seth A (24 June 1998). "Ordering finite variable types with generalized quantifiers". Proceedings. Thirteenth Annual IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science (Cat. No.98CB36226). pp. 28–43. doi:10.1109/LICS.1998.705641. ISBN978-0-8186-8506-4. S2CID206438299.
^Abiteboul, Serge Joseph (1982). Matching Functions and Disaggregations in Databases (PhD thesis). University of Southern California. OCLC8982457. ProQuest303233018.
^Abiteboul, S.; Vianu, V. (1991). "Generic Computation and its complexity". Proceedings of the twenty-third annual ACM symposium on Theory of computing - STOC '91. p. 209. doi:10.1145/103418.103444. ISBN978-0897913973. S2CID12707902.
