Alejandro Sanchez Ocegueda L&S Math & Physical Sciences
Network Dismantling with Algebraic Combinatorics
This summer, I will be using math to take down human trafficking rings, prevent the spread of diseases, and make companies more resistant against cyberattacks! You may be surprised, but it turns out that since criminal organizations, cities, and computer systems can all be modeled as networks, all these scenarios are actually the same problem in disguise! Indeed, in a branch of mathematics called graph theory, this problem is called “network dismantling.” In essence, dismantling a network boils down to removing enough components such that the network is broken up into small pieces. With the help of my mentor, Dr. Andrés Vindas Meléndez, I will be using techniques from another branch of mathematics, algebraic combinatorics, to design an algorithm that dismantles networks quickly, while removing only a very small fraction of its components. Stay tuned!
Message To Sponsor
I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am to you for providing me with this opportunity to do research in mathematics over the summer. As a kid, I always dreamed that I would grow up to be a mathematician, and your support is allowing me to finally make that dream come true. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.