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:
- Algebraic combinatorics
- Combinatorial optimization
- Continuous optimization
- Cryptography
- Graph theory
- Quantum computing
Read more about the department's research to learn of our contributions to the world of mathematics!
News
Recognizing outstanding research by a Master’s student
Ishan Bansal was named a University Finalist for the Alumni Gold Medal for a Master’s student. He worked under the supervision of Professors Chaitanya Swamy and Jochen Koenemann.
After completing his BSc at Chennai Mathematical Institute, Bansal received two scholarships, the William Tutte Postgraduate Scholarship and the David Johnston International Student Entrance Scholarship.
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.
Waterloo researchers leading quest to protect against quantum attacks
The University of Waterloo emerged as the Canadian institution with the largest involvement in the latest round of submissions selected by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization process.