1. Combinatorics & Optimization
Graduate Information Session
Steve Vavasis

2. Department of C&O Bill Tutte joined UW in 1962
The C&O department was founded in 1967
Jack Edmonds joined in 1969
C&O is the only department of its kind in the world. Closest approximations are ACO (A: Algorithms) programs at Georgia Tech and Carnegie Mellon

3. Research Areas Algebraic Combinatorics Graph Theory
Discrete Optimization
Continuous Optimization
Cryptography
Quantum Computing
Also: Algebraic Geometry, Algorithms, Algorithmic Game Theory, Operations Research, Financial Mathematics, …

4. Algebraic Combinatorics
Math 239/249: Introduction to Combinatorics
CO 330: Combinatorial Enumeration
CO 430: Algebraic Enumeration
CO 444: Algebraic Graph Theory
Faculty: Chris Godsil, Ian Goulden David Jackson, Kevin Purbhoo, David Wagner, Karen Yeats

5. Graph Theory Math 239/249: Introduction to Combinatorics
CO 342: Introduction to Graph Theory
CO 442: Graph Theory
CO 444: Algebraic Graph Theory
CO 446: Matroid Theory
Faculty: Jim Geelen, Chris Godsil, Bertrand Guenin, Penny Haxell, Peter Nelson, Luke Postle, Bruce Richter

6. Discrete Optimization
CO 250/255: Introduction to Optimization
CO 351: Network Flow Theory
CO 353: Computational Discrete
Optimization
CO 454: Scheduling
CO 450: Combinatorial Optimization
CO 452: Integer Programming
Faculty: Joseph Cheriyan, Bill Cook, Ricardo Fukasawa, Bertrand Guenin, Jochen Koenemann, Laura Sanità, Chaitanya Swamy, Levent Tuncel

7. Continuous Optimization
CO 250/255: Introduction to Optimization
CO 367: Nonlinear Optimization
CO 463: Convex Optimization and Analysis
CO 466: Continuous Optimization
CO 471: Semidefinite Optimization
Faculty: Tom Coleman, Levent Tuncel, Steve Vavasis, Henry Wolkowicz

8. Cryptography / Quantum Computing
CO 485: Mathematics of Public-Key Cryptography
CO 487: Applied Cryptography
Faculty: David Jao, Alfred Menezes
CO 481: Introduction to Quantum Information Processing
Faculty: Debbie Leung, Mike Mosca,
Ashwin Nayak, Jon Yard

9. Applying for C&O Grad Programs
Minimum overall average: 78%
Full funding in the form of scholarships, RAs, TAs
Application deadline for FA17 admissions: Feb 1, 2017
Available programs: MMath (C&O), MMath (QIP), MMath (CoOp) (and PhD (C&O), PhD (QIP) after completing Master’s)
Also Accelerated MMath: Start working on your graduate degree during your 4th undergrad year; need ≥ 85% average in math courses, major in C&O or related field
Summer Undergrad Research (URA) program: