2006 participants and projects

Maurice Cheung

Home university: 

University of Toronto

Supervisor: 

J. Koenemann

Project title: 

An Efficient Implementation of Fast Approximate LP Solvers

Comments:

Many optimization problems can be formulated as a special type of linear program called Packing LP. My work this summer involved implementing a new class of fast approximation algorithm for Packing LP. I was also able to prove some theoretical results that lead to modifications of the orginal algolrithm, which reduce the run time of the algorithm by a factor of two.

Pat Coutsos

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

R. Shioda/L. Tuncel

Jon Dietrich

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

W.H. Cunningham

Chris Eagle

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

B. Richmond

Project title: 

Chromatic Roots

Joe Istead

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

A. Ambainis

Charles Li

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

I. Goulden

Project title: 

Permutation products with arbitrary factors

Laura Mancinska

Home university: 

University of Latvia

Supervisor: 

Debbie Leung

Project title: 

Quantum query algorithms and lower bounds

Tor Myklebust

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

L. Tuncel

Natalie Mullin

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

C. Godsil

Project title: 

Expanders

Jennifer Nissen

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

B. Guenin

Project title: 

On the Birkhoff-Lewis equations and the 4-colour theorem

Comments:

My work with Professor Guenin centred on trying to use the Birkhoff-Lewis equations to formulate an alternate proof to the 4-colour theorem. The first half of the summer involved writing a program to calculate the Birkhoff-Lewis equations, and then for the second half of the summer I focused on trying to combine these equations with the properties of particular configurations to come up with a proof.
I would recommend the Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) program to anyone thinking about pursuing grad studies or interested in getting a taste of what research is like.

Yingkai Ouyang

Home university: 

Caltech

Supervisor: 

D. Leung

Project title: 

Quantum error correcting codes

Marios Ozols

Home university: 

University of Latvia

Supervisor: 

A. Ambainis

Project title: 

Quantum query algorithms and lower bounds

Jiawei Qian

Home university:

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

H. Wolkowicz

Title: 

Anchored Sensor Metwork Localization

Comments:

This summer, we focused on the Anchored Sensor Network Localization Problem, where we find/estimate the locations of all the sensors from the known distance information by using nearest Euclidean Distance Matrix model and Semidefinite Programming. We also developed MATLAB code for both analyzing and demonstration of the problem. This is the most influential experience for my future study. The URA program is definitely great for anyone who is interested in graduate study in math and its applications.

Yehua Wei

Home university: 

University of Waterloo

Supervisor: 

B. Richter

Project title: 

Tiles Yielding 2- and 3- Crossing-critical Graphs