Welcome to my homepage!
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering in Concordia University. I work on theoretical aspects of computer science (such as algorithm design and analysis, as well as complexity theory), motivated by practical considerations. In practice, algorithms often outperform the worst-case theoretical guarantees. Some striking examples of this phenomenon include Boolean satisfiability and linear programming. At a high level, my research aims to narrow this gap in our understanding through an information-theoretic lens.
If you are interested in contacting me, you can email me at denis.pankratov@gmail.com. I greatly prefer emails over other types of communication. If I have not responded to your important email, do not hesitate to send a reminder. I do not mind reminders.
Work Experience
My current work consists of research, teaching, mentoring, service to the research community, and administration. I will not bore you with administration part. Instead, here is a short summary of my current professional activities.
Research
My research spans topics such as algorithm design and analysis, online algorithms, communication complexity, information theory, proof complexity, analysis of Boolean functions. To see the list of my publications, please visit my Google scholar profile or my DBLP page.
Teaching
I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Concordia University on introduction to computation, probability theory and statistics, algorithm design and analysis, and online algorithms. Many of the classes I taught had large sizes ranging from 80 to 150 students. I also taught algorithms design at the University of Toronto.
Mentoring
I have supervised a postdoc, several Masters and PhD students, as well as undergraduate summer research students. Here you can learn more about my students and their exciting projects.
To learn more about my current work experience at Concordia University and my past experiences at Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, Google Inc. (Mountain View), and Zurich Insurance Company, please visit the Work page.
Education
I received my Bachelor’s from the University of Toronto, and my PhD and Master’s from the University of Chicago. I spent three years as a postdoc at the University of Toronto prior to joining Concordia University.
To learn more about my education, please visit the Education page.
Hobbies
Programming Contests
I have long-term involvement with programming contests, first as a contestant, then as an assistant coach and judge, and later as a coach. I have mostly been involved with ICPC-style contests (aka leetcode) that require one to solve challenging algorithmic problems in a small team under time pressure.
Woodworking, etc.
I like building things, which is the essence of creativity. This includes building abstract things, such as algorithmic models and theories, which I do in my professional life. In my spare time, I enjoy more hands-on building process, so my hobbies include programming, woodworking, carpentry, and 3d printing.
To learn more about my hobbies, please visit the Hobbies page.