Anup Rao

Anup Rao is a Professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, specializing in the Theory & Models of Computation. His research focuses on algorithms, complexity theory, and communication complexity, with significant contributions to understanding fundamental limits of computation and communication. Rao has established himself as a leading researcher in theoretical computer science through his extensive publication record in top venues including FOCS, STOC, and CCC.

Rao's research interests span a broad spectrum of theoretical computer science. He has made significant contributions to communication complexity, developing new techniques for analyzing information flow in distributed computation. His work on sunflowers in combinatorics has provided novel connections between extremal set theory and computational complexity. In information theory, Rao has advanced our understanding of error-correcting codes, Boolean function analysis, and the Fourier spectrum of bounded functions. His research often bridges multiple areas, revealing deep connections between seemingly disparate fields of theoretical computer science.

An analysis of Rao's recent publications reveals a strong focus on fundamental questions in communication complexity and combinatorics. His work frequently explores the boundaries of what can be efficiently computed or communicated, often developing novel mathematical techniques in the process. There's a clear progression from foundational work on direct sum theorems and information complexity to more recent breakthroughs on sunflower lemmas and XOR lemmas. His research demonstrates consistent innovation in theoretical methods while maintaining relevance to practical computational problems.

• NSF Career Award
• Sloan Research Fellowship
• BSF 2010089
• NSF CCF-1420268
• NSF CCF-1524251
• NSF CCF-1016565

Rao has successfully advised several doctoral students to completion, including Makrand Sinha (PhD 2018) and Sivaramakrishnan Ramamoorthy (PhD 2020), with current advisees Siddharth Iyer and Oscar Sprumont continuing his research program. His research has been generously supported by multiple NSF grants, a Sloan Research Fellowship, and international funding through the Binational Science Foundation. Rao's funding record demonstrates sustained recognition of the importance and quality of his research program by major funding agencies.

As a faculty member in the Theory group at the Paul G. Allen School, Rao contributes to a vibrant research community focused on foundational aspects of computer science. His work intersects with multiple research centers at the University of Washington, particularly those focused on theoretical foundations and algorithms. Rao's research group actively collaborates with other theoretical computer scientists both within UW and across the global research community, maintaining a strong presence in major theory conferences and workshops.