http://yufeizhao.

com
[email protected]
Yufei Zhao MIT Department of Mathematics
77 Massachusetts Ave, Room 2-271
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

Current Position
Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
Class of 1956 Career Development Assistant Professor 2018—
Assistant Professor 2017—2018

Previous Positions
Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA
Simons-Berkeley Research Fellow Spring 2017
New College, University of Oxford Oxford, UK
Esmée Fairbairn Junior Research Fellow in Mathematics 2015—2017

Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
Ph.D. Mathematics. Advisor: Jacob Fox 2011—2015
University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK
M.A.St. Mathematics with Distinction 2010—2011
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
S.B. Mathematics, with minor in Economics 2006—2010
S.B. Computer Science and Engineering

Research Interests
Extremal/probabilistic/additive combinatorics; graph theory and graph limits

Selected Awards and Honors

Sloan Research Fellowship, 2019
MIT Future of Science award, 2018
SIAM Dénes König Prize, 2018
Johnson Prize, MIT Mathematics Department, 2015
Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship, 2013–2015
Morgan Prize Honorable Mention, 2011
Gates Cambridge Scholarship, 2010–2011
MIT Jon A. Bucsela Prize in Mathematics, 2010
Putnam Math Competition: Three-time Putnam Fellow (top five rank) 2006, 2008, 2009; 7th Place 2007
International Mathematical Olympiad: Gold Medal 2005; Silver Medal 2006; Bronze Medal 2004
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Grants
MIT Solomon Buchsbaum Research Fund 2018—
NSF award DMS-1764176 2018—2021
NSF award DMS-1362326 2017—2018

Research Internships
Microsoft Research New England Cambridge, MA
Mentor: Henry Cohn Summers 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Microsoft Research Theory Group Redmond, WA
Mentor: Eyal Lubetzky Summer 2012

Papers
39. Z. Jiang, J. Tidor, Y. Yao, S. Zhang, and Y. Zhao,
Equiangular lines with a fixed angle, arXiv:1907.12466
38. Y. Zhao and Y. Zhou, Impartial digraphs, arXiv:1906.10482
37. A. Sah, M. Sawhney, D. Stoner, and Y. Zhao,
Exponential improvements for superball packing upper bounds, arXiv:1904.11462
36. J. Fox, A. Sah, M. Sawhney, D. Stoner, and Y. Zhao,
Triforce and corners,
Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc., to appear. arXiv:1903.04863
35. A. Sah, M. Sawhney, D. Stoner, and Y. Zhao,
A reverse Sidorenko inequality, arXiv:1809.09462
34. D. Conlon, J. Tidor, and Y. Zhao,
Hypergraph expanders of all uniformities from Cayley graphs, arXiv:1809.06342
33. A. Ferber, V. Jain, and Y. Zhao,
On the number of Hadamard matrices via anti-concentration, arXiv:1808.07222
32. A. Sah, M. Sawhney, D. Stoner, and Y. Zhao,
The number of independent sets in an irregular graph,
J. Combin. Theory Ser. B 138 (2019), 172–195. arXiv:1805.04021.
31. J. Fox, L. M. Lovász, and Y. Zhao,
A fast new algorithm for weak graph regularity,
Combin. Probab. Comput., to appear. arXiv:1801.05037
30. N. Alon, J. Fox, and Y. Zhao,
Efficient arithmetic regularity and removal lemmas for induced bipartite patterns,
Discrete Anal. 2019:3, 14 pp. arXiv:1801.04675
29. Y. Zhao, Group representations that resist worst-case sampling. arXiv:1705.04675
28. Y. Zhao, Extremal regular graphs: independent sets and graph homomorphisms,
Amer. Math. Monthly 124 (2017), 827–843. arXiv:1610.09210
27. B. B. Bhattacharya, S. Ganguly, X. Shao, and Y. Zhao,
Upper tails for arithmetic progressions in a random set,
Int. Math. Res. Not. IMRN, to appear. arXiv:1605.02994
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26. J. Fox, L. M. Lovász, and Y. Zhao,

On regularity lemmas and their algorithmic applications,
Combin. Probab. Comput. 26 (2017), 481–505. arXiv:1604.00733
25. D. Conlon and Y. Zhao,
Quasirandom Cayley graphs,
Discrete Anal. 2017:6, 14 pp. arXiv:1603.03025
24. B. B. Bhattacharya, S. Ganguly, E. Lubetzky, and Y. Zhao,
Upper tails and independence polynomials in random graphs,
Adv. Math. 319 (2017), 313–347. arXiv:1507.04074
23. L. M. Lovász and Y. Zhao,
On derivatives of graphon parameters,
J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 145 (2017), 364–368. arXiv:1505.07448
22. Y. Zhao, On the lower tail variational problem for random graphs,
Combin. Probab. Comput. 26 (2017), 301–320. arXiv:1502.00867
21. C. Borgs, J. T. Chayes, H. Cohn, and Y. Zhao,
An L p theory of sparse graph convergence II: LD convergence, quotients, and right convergence,
Ann. Probab. 46 (2018), 337–396. arXiv:1408.0744
20. D. Conlon, J. Fox, and Y. Zhao,
The Green-Tao theorem: an exposition,
EMS Surv. Math. Sci. 1 (2014), 249–282. arXiv:1403.2957
19. E. Lubetzky and Y. Zhao,
On the variational problem for upper tails in sparse random graphs,
Random Structures Algorithms 50 (2017), 420–436. arXiv:1402.6011
18. C. Borgs, J. T. Chayes, H. Cohn, and Y. Zhao,
An L p theory of sparse graph convergence I: limits, sparse random graph models, and power law
distributions,
Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., to appear. arXiv:1401.2906
17. Y. Zhao, An arithmetic transference proof of a relative Szemerédi theorem,
Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 156 (2014), 255–261. arXiv:1307.4959
16. J. Fox and Y. Zhao,
A short proof of the multidimensional Szemerédi theorem in the primes,
Amer. J. Math. 137 (2015), 1139–1145. arXiv:1307.4679
15. D. Conlon, J. Fox, and Y. Zhao,
A relative Szemerédi theorem,
Geom. Funct. Anal. 25 (2015), 733–762. arXiv:1305.5440
14. Y. Zhao, Hypergraph limits: a regularity approach,
Random Structures Algorithms 47 (2015), 205–226. arXiv:1302.1634
13. H. Cohn and Y. Zhao,
Sphere packing bounds via spherical codes,
Duke Math. J. 163 (2014), 1965–2002. arXiv:1212.5966
12. H. Cohn and Y. Zhao,
Universally optimal error-correcting codes,
IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory 60 (2014), 7442–7450. arXiv:1212.1913
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11. E. Lubetzky and Y. Zhao,

On replica symmetry of large deviations in random graphs,
Random Structures Algorithms 47 (2015) 109–146. arXiv:1210.7013
10. J. Fox, P. Loh, and Y. Zhao,
The critical window for the classical Ramsey-Turán problem,
Combinatorica 35 (2015) 435–476. arXiv:1208.3276
9. D. Conlon, J. Fox, and Y. Zhao,
Extremal results in sparse pseudorandom graphs,
Adv. Math. 256 (2014), 206–290. arXiv:1204.6645
8. Y. Zhao, The bipartite swapping trick on graph homomorphisms,
SIAM J. Discrete Math. 25 (2011), 660–680. arXiv:1104.3704
7. Y. Zhao, Sets characterized by the number of missing sums and differences,
J. Number Theory 11 (2011), 2107–2134. arXiv:0911.2292
6. D. Galvin and Y. Zhao,
The number of independent sets in graphs with small maximum degree,
Graphs Combin. 27 (2011), 177–186. arXiv:1007.4803
5. Y. Zhao, Counting MSTD sets in finite abelian groups,
J. Number Theory 130 (2010), 2308–2322. arXiv:0911.2288
4. Y. Zhao, Constructing numerical semigroups of a given genus,
Semigroup Forum 80 (2010), 242–254. arXiv:0910.2075
3. Y. Zhao, Constructing MSTD sets using bidirectonal ballot sequences,
J. Number Theory 130 (2010), 1212–1220. arXiv:0908.4442
2. Y. Zhao, The number of independent sets in a regular graph,
Combin. Probab. Comput. 19 (2010), 315–320. arXiv:0909.3354
1. Y. Zhao, The coefficients of a truncated Fibonacci power series,
Fibonacci Quart. 46/47 (2009), 53–55.

Invited Talks
2019 ETH Zurich Theory of Combinatorial Algorithms Mittagsseminar Zürich, Switzerland
Oberwolfach workshop: Combinatorics, Probability and Computing Oberwolfach, Germany
Rutgers Discrete Math Seminar Piscataway, NJ
Yale Combinatorics Seminar New Haven, CT
Stanford Combinatorics Seminar Stanford, CA
2018 Clay Math Institute workshop: Recent Advances in Extremal Combinatorics Oxford, UK
ICM satellite workshop — Combinatorics: Extremal, Probabilistic and Additive São Paulo, Brazil
Simons Institute workshop: Pseudorandomness Reunion Berkeley, CA
MIT Workshop on Local Algorithms (WOLA 2018) Cambridge, MA
MIT workshop on Sublinear Algorithms: bootcamp tutorial Cambridge, MA
SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics: minisymposium Denver, CO
SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics: Dénes König Prize Lecture Denver, CO
Georgia Tech workshop: Algorithms and Randomness Atlanta, GA
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Northeastern U. Network Science Institute Talk Boston, MA

AMS Sectional Meeting at Northeastern University Boston, MA
Rutgers Discrete Math Seminar Piscataway, NJ
Tsinghua YMSC minicourse Beijing, China
CMU ACO Seminar Pittsburgh, PA
Harvard CMSA workshop: Probabilistic and Extremal Combinatorics Cambridge, MA
UCLA Combinatorics Seminar Los Angeles, CA
2017 Harvard CMSA workshop: Additive Combinatorics Cambridge, MA
Birmingham workshop: Interactions with Combinatorics Birmingham, UK
BGSMath workshop: Random Discrete Structures and Beyond Barcelona, Spain
SFSU: ACG Seminar San Francisco, CA
Stanford Math Department Colloquium Stanford, CA
Simons Institute workshop: Structure and Randomness Berkeley, CA
MIT Combinatorics Seminar Cambridge, MA
UC Berkeley Combinatorics Seminar Berkeley, CA
Simons Institute workshop: Pseudorandomness Boot Camp Berkeley, CA
Stanford Combinatorics Seminar Stanford, CA
Oberwolfach workshop: Combinatorics Oberwolfach, Germany
2016 Turing Institute workshop: Large-scale structures in random graphs London, UK
Birmingham Combinatorics Seminar Birmingham, UK
IHÉS Seminar Bures-sur-Yvette, France
Warwick DIMAP Seminar Coventry, UK
LSE/Queen Mary Colloquia in Combinatorics London, UK
Oberwolfach workshop: Combinatorics, Probability and Computing Oberwolfach, Germany
Simons Symposium: Analysis of Boolean Functions Krün, Germany
British Mathematical Colloquium: Combinatorics Workshop Bristol, UK
Oxford Mathematical Institute North meets South Colloquium Oxford, UK
AMS-MAA Joint Mtgs: AMS Spec. Session on Pseudorandomness and Its Applications Seattle, WA
2015 London School of Economics Discrete Mathematics and Game Theory Seminar London, UK
Queen Mary Combinatorics Seminar London, UK
Warwick Combinatorics Seminar Coventry, UK
Oxford Combinatorial Theory Seminar Oxford, UK
Northeastern U. workshop: Random Graphs, Simplicial Complexes, and their Appl’ns Boston, MA
U. of Chicago Combinatorics and Theoretical Computer Science Seminar Chicago, IL
Rutgers Discrete Math Seminar Piscataway, NJ
ICERM workshop: Crystals, Quasicrystals and Random Networks Providence, RI
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2014 Atlanta Lectures Series in Combinatorics and Graph Theory at Emory Atlanta, GA
GSU Colloquium Atlanta, GA
CRM workshop: New Topics in Additive Combinatorics Montreal, QC
IMA workshop: Additive and Analytic Combinatorics Minneapolis, MN
Clay Math Institute workshop: Extremal and Probabilistic Combinatorics Oxford, UK
Georgia Tech Combinatorics Seminar Atlanta, GA
IAS Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar Princeton, NJ
Oxford Combinatorial Theory Seminar Oxford, UK
London School of Economics Discrete Mathematics and Game Theory Seminar London, UK
Eurandom: Minicourse on Graph Limits Eindhoven, Netherlands
(6-hour minicourse co-taught with Christian Borgs)
Oberwolfach workshop: Combinatorics Oberwolfach, Germany
2013 Simons Institute workshop: Neo-Classical Methods in Discrete Analysis Berkeley, CA
Rutgers Discrete Math Seminar Piscataway, NJ
MIT Combinatorics Seminar Cambridge, MA
Yale Combinatorics and Probability Seminar New Haven, CT
Microsoft Research Theory Reading Group Cambridge, MA
Oberwolfach workshop: Combinatorics and Probability Oberwolfach, Germany
2012 MIT Combinatorics Seminar Cambridge, MA
SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics Halifax, NS
2009 MIT Combinatorics Seminar Cambridge, MA

Teaching
[U = Undergraduate, G = Graduate]

MIT Spr 2020 U 18.212 Algebraic Combinatorics

Fall 2019 G 18.217 Graph Theory and Additive Combinatorics
Fall 2019 U 18.A34 Mathematical Problem Solving (Putnam Seminar)
Spr 2019 G 18.218 The Probabilistic Method
Fall 2018 U 18.A34 Mathematical Problem Solving (Putnam Seminar)
U 18.211 Combinatorial Analysis
Fall 2017 U 18.A34 Mathematical Problem Solving (Putnam Seminar)
G 18.S997 Graph Theory and Additive Combinatorics
Oxford MT 2016 U Geometry (tutorial)
TT 2016 G Polynomial Method in Combinatorics

Advising
Current PhD students: Aaron Berger, Benjamin Gunby, Jonathan Tidor
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Undergraduate research supervised: Yang Liu (2018), Ryan Alweiss (2018), Yunkun Zhou (2018–2019),
Mehtaab Sawhney (2018– ), Ashwin Sah (2018– ), David Stoner (2018–2019),

Service
Co-organizer of MIT Combinatorics Seminar, Fall 2017—current
Organizer of the MIT team for Putnam Competition, Fall 2017—current

Other Experiences and Activities

Quantitative Research Intern, D. E. Shaw & Co., New York
MIT Lusztig PRIMES Mentor
Research Experience for Undergraduates at Duluth participant (mentor: Joe Gallian)
Deputy Leader for Canadian IMO Team
Instructor at Canadian IMO Training Camps
Mentor at AwesomeMath Summer Program, Dallas
Trainer at US Math Olympiad Summer Program, Lincoln, Nebraska
Teacher at Spirit of Math Schools, Toronto

CV updated: July 29, 2019