Robert Johnson

Dr. Robert Johnson is a Senior Lecturer in Pure Mathematics at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the School of Mathematical Sciences. He leads the Communication and Public Engagement for the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory. His research focuses on extremal combinatorics, graph theory, and probabilistic combinatorics, with particular emphasis on extremal problems on graphs, set systems, permutations, and discrete hypercube structures.

Robert Johnson earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2003 and joined Queen Mary in 2004 after a postdoctoral position at the London School of Economics. His work has contributed significantly to combinatorial optimization, Ramsey theory, and hypercube graph analysis. He has supervised multiple PhD students, including Trevor Pinto (2016), A Nicholas Day (2017), and Natalie Behague (2020), with current advisees Belinda Wickes and Asier Calbet Ripodas.

His research explores topics such as resistor network optimization, synchronizing automata, and extremal set systems, with applications in discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science. Notable contributions include studies on multicolour Ramsey numbers of odd cycles and Turán properties in hypercube intersection graphs.

Johnson's publications span over two decades, covering areas like permutation correlation, hypercube saturation, and Kneser graph Hamiltonicity. He is actively involved in mentoring and welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD candidates.

His affiliations include the Combinatorics group at Queen Mary’s School of Mathematical Sciences and the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory, where he drives public engagement initiatives.