Welcome to Combinatorics and Optimization

The C&O department has 36 faculty members and 60 graduate students. We are intensely research oriented and hold a strong international reputation in each of our six major areas:

Read more about the department's research to learn of our contributions to the world of mathematics!

News

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Creating opportunities in cryptography

“I was never the type to plan out my career,” says Alfred Menezes, a professor in the Department of Combinatorics & Optimization (C&O) at the University of Waterloo. “It’s always been about being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of every opportunity.” In 1998 Menezes resigned a tenured position at Auburn University to join the Faculty of Mathematics at Waterloo, where he had previously earned three degrees, including his PhD.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Chasing a dream

“While working as an instructional support assistant (ISA), I remember the first time a professor asked for a volunteer to teach a lecture while he was at a conference,” remembers Josué Kurke. “My hand shot up. I donned a professorial kind of jacket with the elbow patches and went all out. Over time, I’ve realized that I feel most at home in front of a classroom. I want to spend my career talking to people about math.”