A Master of the Traveling Salesperson Problem Finds His Own Path

Shayan Oveis Gharan, a computer scientist at the University of Washington, has won the twenty twenty-six IMU Abacus Medal, one of the top honors in discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science. His most notable work focuses on the traveling salesperson problem—a classic optimization challenge. Quanta Magazine reports that Gharan stands out for his unconventional philosophy: rather than mastering a fixed set of tools, he develops novel approaches tailored to each problem. That willingness to forge new techniques has become the hallmark of his research career.

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