Computer Science Student | Algorithms & Graph Theory — Ali Tavakoli

About Me

I am a final-semester Computer Science undergraduate student at the University of Tehran with a minor in Mathematics. My main academic interests lie in theoretical computer science — particularly graph theory, algorithms, combinatorics, and combinatorial optimization — with a related interest in integer programming.

I ranked 2nd out of 42 students in my cohort (GPA 19.26/20) and have consistently pursued the theoretical side of the curriculum, from graduate-level convex analysis to graph theory and combinatorics, both as a student and as Head Teaching Assistant.

I have recently been admitted to the Master's program in Computer Science at Sharif University of Technology through the highly selective Talented Students program, chosen as one of the top 2 candidates from across the country.

Education

Fall 2026 (Upcoming)

M.Sc. in Computer Science

Sharif University of Technology

Admitted via the Talented Students Program (Top 2 nationwide)

2022 – Present (Expected 2026)

B.Sc. in Computer Science (Minor in Mathematics)

University of Tehran

  • GPA: 19.26 / 20.0  |  Rank: 2nd out of 42 students
  • Relevant coursework: Design & Analysis of Algorithms, Data Structures & Algorithms, Graph Theory, Fundamentals of Combinatorics, Linear Programming, Convex Analysis (graduate-level), Stochastic Processes, Game Theory, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Analysis I–II

Research & Independent Study

Exact Solving Methodologies and Duality in Integer Programming (BSc Project)

Status: Ongoing | Advisor: Dr. Majid Soleimani-Damaneh

This project systematically investigates classical and advanced exact solving methods for Integer Linear Programming (ILP). While traditional approaches rely heavily on geometric pruning, this research deeply explores Lagrangian and superadditive duality to construct tighter dual bounds. An unexplored variant of an ILP problem will be computationally analyzed to evaluate the empirical efficiency provided by these duality-based techniques.

Independent Study in Structural Graph Theory & Algorithms

Focus: Theoretical Computer Science

Conducted in-depth reviews of research papers bridging logic, structural graph theory, algorithmic game theory, and algorithm design, including work on LOCAL certification of MSO2 properties under bounded treewidth, fairness in facility location games, and density-based active covering.

Selected Projects

SAT-Based Solver for Sokoban

Jun 2024  |  GitHub

Modeled the puzzle using propositional logic, reduced it to SAT, converted constraints to CNF, and decoded solution paths from the SAT solver's output.

Bayesian Inference via MCMC (Metropolis–Hastings)

Sep 2025

Implemented the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm for sampling from complex distributions and used MCMC for parameter estimation in a linear model.

Multi-Armed Bandit Simulation (Bakery Problem)

Jul 2023  |  GitHub

Implemented Thompson Sampling with Beta–Binomial models, simulating stochastic rewards and evaluating performance in Python (NumPy, SciPy).

Honors & Activities

  • Teaching Assistant (Theory Focus): Served as Head Teaching Assistant for Graph Theory (2 semesters) and Fundamentals of Combinatorics, directing weekly problem sessions for 40+ students. Also TA for Design & Analysis of Algorithms, Data Structures, and Linear Algebra.
  • Competitive Programming: Reached a maximum rating of 2000 (Candidate Master) on Codeforces and 1437 on AtCoder, across 112 rated contests combined (97 on Codeforces, 15 on AtCoder). Particularly strong in graph algorithms and algorithmic problem solving, with additional experience in dynamic programming and number theory.
  • National Olympiads: National Finalist and recipient of the Diploma of Honor in the Iranian National Olympiad in Informatics (INOI). Later served as an official Grader for INOI (Summer 2024).
  • University Entrance Exam: Ranked in the Top 0.5% in the National University Entrance Exam (Konkur) among 100,000+ candidates in Mathematics and Engineering.
  • Summer Schools: Accepted into the Probability in Turkey 2026 Summer School at Nesin Mathematics Village (Aug 2026). Participated in the IPM Summer Mathematics School focusing on random graphs and analytic number theory (Summer 2023)..