Thomas Rothvoss

Thomas Rothvoss is a Professor at the University of Washington with a joint appointment in the Mathematics and Computer Science departments, conducting pioneering research at the intersection of theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics. His work has fundamentally advanced multiple subfields through breakthrough algorithmic developments.

Rothvoss is renowned for solving longstanding problems including exponential lower bounds for extension complexity of combinatorial polytopes, optimal approximation algorithms for Steiner tree and bin packing, and efficient discrepancy minimization techniques. His recent focus on integer programming culminated in the first major running-time improvement in over 30 years, resolving a conjecture by Kannan and Lovász that had stood since 1988.

His publication trajectory demonstrates consistent innovation in leveraging geometric and number-theoretic methods to solve NP-hard optimization problems, with recent work bridging lattice theory and algorithmic design to achieve breakthrough complexity results in integer programming.

Professor Rothvoss has received top honors in theoretical computer science:

• Delbert Ray Fulkerson Prize (2018)
• Gödel Prize (2023)
• Best Paper Award at FOCS 2023

While specific advising relationships aren't detailed in available sources, his sabbatical collaborations—like the May-June 2025 engagement with CWI's Networks & Optimization group—reflect active mentorship within international research communities. His work continues to attract significant funding, evidenced by support for extended research visits from institutions like CWI.

Rothvoss maintains strong ties with European research groups, particularly through his ongoing collaboration with CWI's Networks & Optimization team during sabbatical periods, where he develops lattice-based approaches to combinatorial optimization problems.