Sushant Sachdeva (photo: supplied)
Sushant Sachdeva, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and University of Toronto Mississauga's Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, is the 2024–25 recipient of the distinguished McLean Award.
The McLean Award, funded by the University of Toronto’s Connaught Fund, is given in support of basic research in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering sciences or statistical sciences. It is awarded to an outstanding researcher early in their career to assist in attracting and supporting graduate students and post-doctoral fellows as part of their research team.
“Professor Sachdeva’s research program and exceptional record of achievement stood out to the Connaught Committee,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “His breakthroughs in near-linear time algorithms for maximum flow and other complex problems are advancing computer science, and we’re proud to recognize his leadership.”
Modern computing systems, from transportation networks to AI applications, depend on algorithms that process massive datasets quickly and accurately. Sachdeva’s research delivers a rare breakthrough: algorithms that run in almost linear time, meaning the time to find a solution grows roughly in proportion to the size of the network being analyzed.
This efficiency makes solving complex problems on huge networks far more practical and supports advances in areas like machine learning, optimization and scientific computing.
His work has driven groundbreaking progress on some of the field’s biggest algorithmic challenges including maximum flow, linear programming and solving linear systems.
“The maximum flow problem is a foundational problem that has been studied for over 75 years, older than computer science itself,” Sachdeva said. “It provides a very flexible framework for solving various kinds of flow problems on networks — transportation, communication, energy grids, and friendship graphs.”
Sachdeva and his collaborators resolved a long-standing open question by proving the maximum flow problem can be solved in almost linear time.
The result marks the first proof that such an algorithm is possible.
“It is currently a very intricate construction,” he explained. “We know that subsequent research often ends up distilling the original result over the years — simplifying it and discovering new insights, which will one day result in a significant impact on the practical usage of this algorithm.”
His contributions have been recognized with the Infosys Prize, Sloan Research Fellowship, a Frontiers of Science Award, an IEEE FOCS Best Paper Award, an NSERC Discovery Grant, a Google Faculty Award and an Ontario Early Researcher Award.
“Sushant’s work exemplifies the kind of bold, foundational research that advances our field in profound ways,” said Eyal de Lara, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. “His contributions to algorithm design are not only technically brilliant but also deeply impactful. We are proud to see his achievements recognized with the McLean Award.”
“With the AI revolution at our doorstep, I am excited to pursue a research agenda to explore how we will utilize large models to discover new knowledge,” Sachdeva said. “I am thrilled and deeply honoured by this recognition — it’s a powerful encouragement to keep tackling ambitious problems with my students and collaborators. The McLean Award will be a significant boost in helping me recruit top trainees to pursue these goals.”