Joshua A. Grochow

Joshua A. Grochow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and, by courtesy, in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a member of the CS Theory Group and the Complex Systems Group. Previously, he was an Omidyar Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto.

He completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Chicago under Lance Fortnow and Ketan Mulmuley. His research bridges theoretical computer science and mathematics, focusing on algebraic complexity, group and tensor isomorphism, proof systems, and the theory of complex systems.

His work explores deep connections between algebra, computation, and complexity, with applications in quantum information, ecology, and thermodynamics. He has developed new frameworks for matrix multiplication using infinite groups and advanced the theory of higher-order interactions in complex networks.

His recent publications span top venues such as ITCS, CCC, FCT, and SIAM Journal on Computing, with notable results on tensor isomorphism completeness, parallel group isomorphism algorithms, and algebraic proof complexity. He has mentored several Ph.D. students to completion, including Michael Levet, Maya Ornstein, and Tzu-Chi Yen.

• Best Paper Award at FCT 2023
• Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, CU Boulder (2021–2022)
• Dean’s Faculty Fellowship (2021)

He actively collaborates across disciplines and is involved in educational innovation, including standards-based grading in large algorithms courses. His recent work emphasizes the role of symmetry, structure, and algebra in understanding computational complexity and emergent phenomena.