Sushant Sachdeva
(photo: Pushkarini Agharkar)
University of Toronto theoretical computer scientist Sushant Sachdeva has been awarded the Infosys Prize in Engineering and Computer Science for his pioneering contributions that have impacted algorithmic challenges underlying modern society.
Presented annually by the Infosys Science Foundation across six categories, the prize recognizes outstanding early-career researchers and scientists of Indian origin or whose work impacts India. It comes with a gold medal, formal citation and US$100,000.
In his research, Sachdeva focuses on the design of fast algorithms for graph problems, as well as mathematical machine learning.
The prize citation highlights Sachdeva’s “deep insights into mathematical optimization and the resolution of longstanding open questions in algorithmic theory.”
“His work has established new standards on achievable performance in computational problems affecting information flows across societal lifelines, including the internet, transportation and communication networks,” the citation reads.
Sachdeva is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga and the tri-campus graduate Department of Computer Science.
He has been recognized by fellow researchers for developing “absurdly fast” algorithms that have created true breakthroughs in the foundational methods of computer science — a rare occurrence for computational challenges that have persisted for decades.
Jury chair Jayathri Murthy notes Sachdeva’s work “will influence fields as diverse as healthcare, transportation and education for years to come.”