Thomas Rothvoss

Thomas Rothvoss is the Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner Professor in Mathematics at the University of Washington with a joint appointment in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering and the Department of Mathematics. He leads research at the intersection of theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics.

Education:

• Diploma at TU Dortmund (2006)
• PhD at EPFL (2009)
• PostDoc at EPFL (2010)
• PostDoc at MIT (2011-2013)

Research Focus: His work spans approximation algorithms, discrepancy theory, high-dimensional convex geometry, lattice problems, and optimization. Recent breakthroughs include faster integer programming methods and advances in vector balancing for zonotopes. He develops techniques leveraging LP hierarchies, convex geometry, and combinatorial optimization to solve fundamental problems in scheduling, network design, and computational complexity.

Publication Trends: His recent articles demonstrate strong focus on theoretical foundations of optimization, with themes in integer programming, lattice algorithms, convex geometry, and discrepancy theory. Work frequently appears at top theory venues (FOCS, STOC, SODA) and bridges mathematical theory with computational applications.

Awards & Honors:

• Gödel Prize (2023)
• Fulkerson Prize (2018)
• FOCS/STOC/SODA Best Paper Prizes (multiple years)
• Packard Fellowship (2016-2021)
• Sloan Fellowship (2015-2017)

Advising & Funding: Currently mentors PhD students Rainie Heck and Mathews Boban. Graduated advisees include Victor Reis (2023) and Sally Dong (2024). Secured substantial grants including NSF SMALL (2023-2026), NSF CAREER (2017-2022), and Packard Foundation Fellowship (2016-2021).

Labs & Leadership: Member of the UW Theory of Computation Group and Optimization research group. Organized workshops at Simons Institute (2017) and Oberwolfach (2024), and serves as editor for Journal of the ACM.