Viji Z. Thomas

Dr. Viji Z. Thomas is a Professor in the School of Mathematics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), a position he has held since February 6, 2025. Previously, he served as Associate Professor (January 2020-February 5, 2025) and Assistant Professor (July 2013-December 2019) at the same institution. His academic journey includes a Visiting Assistant Professorship at Cleveland State University (2018-2019) and postdoctoral research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (2010-2012).

Dr. Thomas earned his educational qualifications through an impressive international trajectory: B.E in Electrical Engineering from MS University of Baroda, Gujarat, India (2000), MS from Wichita State University, Kansas, USA (2005), and PhD from State University of New York at Binghamton, NY, USA (2010).

Dr. Thomas's research focuses on the deep theoretical aspects of algebra, with particular expertise in Group theory, Homological Algebra, and Commutative algebra. His work bridges abstract algebraic structures with practical applications in various mathematical domains. His research has established significant connections between group theory concepts like Schur multipliers and other mathematical areas including graph theory and algebraic topology. Through his publications spanning over 15 years, he has consistently contributed to advancing our understanding of p-groups, nonabelian tensor products, and related algebraic structures.

Dr. Thomas's publication record demonstrates a clear trajectory of increasingly sophisticated work in group theory and related fields. His most recent research explores the relationship between graph theory and group theory, particularly examining how the properties of graphs relate to Schur multipliers of special p-groups. Earlier works established foundational results on nonabelian tensor products and their properties. His research has consistently appeared in prestigious mathematics journals including Journal of Algebra, Israel Journal of Mathematics, and Communications in Algebra.

• Awarded the PEIN Grant from the Government of Spain to conduct research at University of Santiago de Compostela
• Chaired sessions at prestigious conferences including the 116th Annual AMS/MAA meeting and the Zassenhaus Groups and Friends Conference
• Invited speaker at the Ischia Group Theory conference in Naples, Italy

Dr. Thomas has been actively involved in academic service, serving on the National Center for Mathematics (NCM) Programme Committee for AFS and as a Member of the Board of Studies for Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram. His teaching portfolio is extensive, covering advanced mathematics courses at IISER TVM including Algebra 1, Galois theory, Complex Analysis, Representation theory of finite groups, and Algebraic Number theory. Previously, he taught calculus and algebra courses at SUNY Binghamton and Wichita State University.

Through his international collaborations, particularly with researchers in Spain and other parts of Europe, Dr. Thomas has established himself as a significant contributor to the global mathematics community, with a particular focus on advancing theoretical understanding in group theory and related algebraic structures.