Seminar • Algorithms and Complexity • Structure, Approximation, and Iteration for Graph Algorithms

Monday, April 17, 2023 10:30 am - 11:30 am EDT (GMT -04:00)

Please note: This seminar will take place in DC 1304 and virtually over Zoom.

Jason Li, Postdoctoral Fellow
Simons Institute, University of California, Berkeley

Graphs are among the most well-studied objects in combinatorics and optimization, and are central to many areas of algorithm design. In this talk, I describe some powerful new tools critical to recent progress on fundamental problems in graph algorithms, including long-standing problems such as all-pairs minimum cut, parallel shortest paths, and dynamic connectivity. Specifically, I demonstrate how the interplay between structure, approximation, and iteration forms the basis of my research process, and discuss how these ideas can lead to further breakthroughs.


Bio: Jason Li is a Simons Institute postdoctoral fellow working on fundamental graph optimization problems such as minimum cut and maximum flow. His research efforts have led to state-of-the-art algorithms for a wide array of classic problems, including deterministic global minimum cut, minimum k-way cut, Gomory-Hu tree or all-pairs minimum cut, and single-source shortest paths in parallel.

He has received the EATCS Distinguished Dissertation Award, the Machtey Best Student Paper Award at FOCS 2019, and the Best Paper Award at ESA 2021.


To attend this seminar in person, please go to DC 1304. You can also attend virtually using Zoom at https://uwaterloo.zoom.us/j/96210413333.

For those attending virtually: The passcode will be provided by email on Friday before the seminar as well as on the morning of the seminar.