Title and department: Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Educational/professional background:
I got a double PhD in mathematics from Moscow State University and University of Utrecht, spent four months at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute at Berkeley and then seven years at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
How did you get into your field of research?
I got extremely lucky in this extent. I was taking a class on algebraic combinatorics during the first year of my undergrad and the professor for the class — Grigori Olshanski — approached me and suggested I do research with him. At that point I did not know much about the area or my advisor, yet I decided to give it a try and the choice turned out to be truly fascinating!
Could you please describe your area of focus?
I try to obtain precise mathematical descriptions for very large random systems. Examples include corners of crystals (such as a cube of salt), two- and three-dimensional models imitating ice and some magnets, spectra of random matrices.
What main issue do you address or problem do you seek to solve in your work?
I concentrate on the systems that possess large degrees of integrability or exact-solvability. This means that they can be described by means of many exact formulas. Such systems are rare and the search for them spans an important part of my research. Their origins are often rooted in the mathematical area called “representation theory,” which studies spaces with different symmetries.
What attracted you to UW-Madison?
The mathematical department has a spectacular set of colleagues in different areas and I am thrilled to communicate and collaborate with them. In particular, the UW-Madison probability group is one of the largest and strongest in the country. My wife simultaneously joined the Econ department — Madison is a very nice research fit for both of us!
What was your first visit to campus like?
I gave a talk at the Madison Probability Seminar around five years ago. The audience and mathematics were lovely. Yet, it was a rainy day and my return flight got cancelled … I later decided to give Madison a second chance!
What’s one thing you hope students who take a class with you will come away with?
Mathematics is interesting, unpredictable and beautiful. It goes well beyond “tools to add numbers and compute areas.”
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter at parties?
Many airlines split the passengers into several groups during the boarding. Yet, mathematical results (closely related to what I am doing) indicate that this is actually bad and only slows down the boarding process.
What are you looking forward to doing or experiencing in Madison?
Winter is coming, so I am planning to learn some figure skating!
Hobbies/other interests:
I’ve been playing collectible card game “Magic: the Gathering” since the 9th grade. Am I getting too old for it?