Upon the completion of my thesis, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Prof. Dimitris Kotzinos for believing in me and for providing me with opportunities that helped me pave my path in academia.
This thesis would not have been possible without the patient guidance of Associate Professor Katerina Tzompanaki.
Her love for knowledge and hard work were inspiring and served as the catalyst for every single step that I made towards getting a better grasp on computer science.