Theory of Computation
at Harvard

People | Research Areas | Positions | Courses

Harvard Theory of Computation Seminar

Faculty and students in the Theory of Computation (Theoretical Computer Science) group aim to

Understand the mathematical laws governing efficient computation, and
Apply this understanding to address problems arising in other parts of computer science and mathematics, and in other fields such as neuroscience and physics.

Faculty

PhD Students

Kai-Min Chung
Zhenming Liu
Colin Jia Zheng
Varun Kanade
Justin Thaler
Jon Ullman
Jonathan Pines

Visitors / Post-doc

Tal Moran (CRCS Fellow)
Alex Samorodnitsky (Radcliffe Fellow)
Jenn Wortman Vaughan (CI Fellow)

Recent Alumni and Visitors

Stephan Holzer (visiting student ’08-’09)
Flavio Chierichetti (visiting student. ’08)
Steve Homer (Visiting Faculty ’08)
Adam Kirsch (Ph.D. ’08)
Jin-Yi Cai (Visiting Faculty ’08)
Alex Healy (Ph.D. ’07)
Dan Gutfreund (Postdoc & AM Lecturer ’05-’07)
Vitaly Feldman (Ph.D. ’06)
Emanuele Viola (Ph.D. ’06)
Omer Reingold (CRCS Visiting Scholar, ’05)
David Zuckerman (Radcliffe Fellow, ’04-’05)
Dana Ron (Radcliffe Fellow, ’03-’04)
Madhu Sudan (Radcliffe Fellow, ’03-’04)
Adam Klivans (Postdoc ’02-’03)
Yan Zhong Ding (Ph.D. ’01)

Loizos Michael (Ph.D. ’08)
Yevgeniy Dodis (Visiting Faculty ’08)
Shien Jin Ong (Ph.D. ’07)
Alon Rosen (CRCS Postdoc ’05-’07)
Minh-Huyen Nguyen (Ph.D. ’06)
Eleni Drinea (Ph.D. ’05)
Amir Shpilka (Postdoc ’04-’05, joint w/MIT)
Oded Goldreich (Radcliffe fellow, ’03-’04)
Ronitt Rubinfeld (Radcliffe fellow, ’04)
Eli Ben-Sasson (Postdoc ’01-’03)
Rocco Servedio (Ph.D. ’01, Postdoc ’01-’02)

Research Areas

Design and Analysis of Algorithms: Mitzenmacher, Rabin, Valiant
Computational Complexity: Vadhan, Valiant
Logic in Computer Science: Lewis
Error-Correcting Codes: Elkies, Mitzenmacher
Cryptography: Rabin, Vadhan
Learning Theory & Cognitive Computation: Valiant
Randomness in Computation: Mitzenmacher, Rabin, Vadhan
Quantum Computation: Valiant
Computational Algebra & Number Theory: Elkies, Rabin
Parallel Computation: Rabin, Valiant
Computational Mechanism Design & Game Theory: Parkes

Positions at Harvard

Computer Science Faculty Positions: http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/index/eecs_jobs.php.
Graduate study (S.M. and Ph.D.)
Theory Group Postdocs: Occasionally, we have postdoc positions available. If you are interested in such a position, e-mail theory-postdoc-app@eecs.harvard.edu with a CV, research statement, and a list of three references. Please also have your references send their letters to the same address.
Postdocs & Visiting Scholar Positions at the Center for Research on Computation and Society: Current foci include "Privacy & Security".
Applied Math Lectureships: TBD
Computer Science Faculty Positions: TBD
Faculty-level Fellowships at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Benjamin Peirce Lectureships in the Math Dept

Courses Related to TOC

Fall 2009

AM 106/206: Applied Algebra and Combinatorics
Additive Combinatorics (MF 10am in Science Center 232; Lecturer Ben Green)
CS 121: Introduction to Formal Systems and Computation
CS 220r. Cryptography: Trust and Adversity
CS 286r. Topics at the Interface between Computer Science and Economics

Spring 2009

Past Courses

CS 121: Introduction to Formal Systems and Computation (Fall 2008)
CS 226r: Efficient Algorithms (Fall 2008)
CS 286r: Topics at the Interface between Computer Science and Economics (Social Computing) (Fall 2008)
CS 221: Computational Complexity (Spring 2008)
CS 124: Data Structures and Algorithms (Spring 2008)
CS 221: Computational Complexity (Spring 2007)
CS 120: Introduction to Cryptography
CS 220r: Cryptography: Trust and Adversity (Fall 2006)
CS 222: Algorithms at the Ends of the Wire (Fall 2006)
AM 106: Applied Algebra and Combinatorics (Fall 2006)
CS 127: Computational Geometry (Spring 2005)

Harvard Theory of Computation Seminar