Chinmay Nirkhe

Chinmay Nirkhe is an Assistant Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. His research focuses on the intersection of complexity theory and quantum computation, with particular interest in proving hardness-of-approximation results and lower bounds on the description complexity of quantum states. He is a member of both the CS Theory and Quantum CS research groups at the Allen School.

• Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley (2017-2022), advised by Umesh Vazirani
• B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Caltech (2013-2017)

Dr. Nirkhe's research lies at the forefront of quantum complexity theory, exploring fundamental questions about the capabilities and limitations of quantum computation. His work bridges theoretical computer science and quantum information science, with significant contributions to quantum proofs, quantum error correction, and quantum Hamiltonian complexity. His research has important implications for understanding quantum advantage and the potential of quantum computers to solve problems beyond classical reach.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on quantum complexity theory, particularly examining the NLTS conjecture, quantum PCP conjecture, and relationships between quantum complexity classes like QMA and QCMA. His work often connects quantum information theory with representation theory, algebraic structures, and computational complexity, revealing deep mathematical connections that advance our understanding of quantum computation.

Dr. Nirkhe actively mentors graduate students, currently advising Assaf Harel, asra Masoudi, Nicholas Kockurek, Shreya Gupta, and Arjun Agarwal. He serves on program committees for major quantum computing conferences including QIP 2023, AQIS 2023, QIP 2024, and ITCS 2025, and is an editor for the Quantum Journal. He co-organized the Simons Institute Summer 2023 Cluster on quantum error correction.

He teaches courses including Introduction to Algorithms (CSE 421) and Quantum Information and Computation (CSE 534), and will offer a Special Topics course on Quantum Complexity Theory (CSE 599) in Spring 2026.