Nicholas Harvey

Nicholas Harvey is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC), part of the Faculty of Science. He holds affiliations as an Associate Member in the Department of Mathematics and serves as Director of the Mathematics of Information, Learning, and Data (MILD) research cluster. His research focuses on randomized algorithms, convex optimization, and machine learning theory, with notable contributions to online learning, submodular functions, and algorithmic aspects of discrepancy theory.

Harvey's academic journey includes significant work on problems such as prediction with expert advice, learning mixtures of Gaussians, and graph algorithms. He has supervised numerous graduate students, including notable researchers like Huang Fang and Victor Sanches Portella. His work has been recognized with awards such as the Best Paper Award at NeurIPS 2018 and the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2024.

His research outputs span theoretical computer science, optimization, and machine learning, with key contributions in algorithms for submodular functions, online convex optimization, and probabilistic methods. He has also contributed to practical applications, such as algorithms for network coding and efficient failure notification systems in distributed networks.

Harvey is actively involved in teaching, including pioneering courses on randomized algorithms and machine learning theory. His research group collaborates on projects related to the MILD cluster, focusing on interdisciplinary applications of data science and mathematics.