Zachary Friggstad

Ph.D. Student in Computing Science at the University of Alberta (third year)
Supervisor: Mohammad R. Salavatipour (link)
Often Found At: Computing Science Centre 2-17 (Algorithmics Lab)
Phone: (780) 492-3977
E-mail:

Research Interests: The majority of my recent work is in combinatorial optimization. Specifically, I develop approximation algorithms for NP-hard optimization problems as well as try to determine how well such problems can be approximated under certain plausible assumptions about complexity theory. While most of my effort is spent on this topic, I also enjoy reading about probabalistically checkable proof systems (PCPs), number theory, graph theory, randomized algorithms, and structural complexity theory. In particular, I'm enjoying topics in spectral graph theory and its application to expanders and Cayley graphs as well as Fourier analysis of boolean functions.

Publications

Algorithms and Theory Reading Group

Interesting Links

List of courses taken

List of ACM problems authored

Books I'm currently enjoying:

• Computational Complexity: A Modern Approach by Sanjeev Arora and Boaz Barak
• Rational Points on Elliptic Curves by Joseph H. Silverman and John Tate
• Elementary Number Theory, Group Theory, and Ramanujan Graphs by Giuliana Davidoff, Peter Sarnak, and Alian Valette
• The Cauchy-Schwarz Master Class: An Introduction to the Art of Mathematical Inequalities by J. Michael Steele

Fall 2009 Activities

I am a TA for CMPUT 325: "Non-Procedural Programming Languages". Check out the class resources in moodle.

We have started a new reading group for Algorithms and Theory. Follow this link for more information. This group is open to everyone. If you want to receive the weekly notifications then please send me and email.

Again, I will be helping organize the 2009 Alberta Collegiate Programming Competition. Additionally, I am one of the coaches for our ACM Programming Contest Team. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in the competition.

I am also attending lectures for MATH 581: Group Theory.

Past Activities