About Math and Computer Science at UWaterloo

About six months ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, I joined the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo in a role not only new to me, but the Faculty itself.

Although I was no stranger to the University and knew lots of cutting edge activities were taking place in Math, I realize now, there is so much I didn't know. My journey in Math has only just begun and much learning is ahead, but there are already so many awesome things I want to tell the world about Math & CS at UWaterloo.

It is after all, a part of my new role to share the Math and CS awesomeness with the world and invite conversations and collaborations. So if you want to learn more, stay tuned. I will continue to keep you at the forefront of what our researchers and students are working on.

The Faculty of Mathematics has the largest concentration of Math and Computer Science talent in the world, which means researchers’ work is rich, diverse and across the spectrum. Some are tackling deep theoretical questions and others are working on ideas that not only can make a significant impact on our current lives, but are pushing the boundaries and laying the ground for entire new industries and markets. What else should you know?

Math Has Huge Human Capital

• In Fall 2020, almost a quarter of the undergraduate students at UWaterloo were in the Faculty of Math. 35% identified as female. All of them are some of the brightest young minds in Canada and the world.
• Graduate students in the Faculty of Math make up about 20% of all grad student numbers at UWaterloo. 32% identified as female.
• There are 288 faculty members in the Faculty of Math doing research in theoretical and applied areas
• There are ~43,000 Math Alumni out there, doing amazing things for the world.
• The Cheriton School of Computer Science is ranked #1 in Canada by U.S. News' Global University rankings.
• According to QS World University Rankings, Computer Science remains UWaterloo's top-rated subject internationally. Globally CS ranks 23rd and Math 35th among the world’s top 1,100 universities.

Math is Entrepreneurial

• 100+ startups have been founded by Math and CS students, faculty and alumni.
• First company, Structured Computing Systems, dates back to 1974. The company later became known as WATCOM, was acquired by Sybase, and later by SAP.
• Our Quantum researchers are paving the way in this brand new industry with startups like evolutionQ and softwareQ and are calling on the Federal Government to implement a national quantum strategy.
• Just before the pandemic came along, Inductiv Inc., an AI start-up founded by a Ihab Ilyas a researcher in CS was acquired by Apple.
• More recently, CS researcher, Sergey G co-founder of Axelar announced a $3.75M USD investment from DCVC (Data Collective) a San Francisco–based venture capital firm specializing in deep tech.
• Math and CS students are brilliant and creative, and they are determined to solve important problems. Take for example the Sportsnet Hockey Hack, a virtual hackathon that took place at UWaterloo last term: one third of the participating students were from the Cheriton School of Computer Science.

Math Research Has Real Impact

• Data Science - is all about taking a data-driven approach to solving problems. This means analyzing massive volumes of data from many different sources, extracting knowledge and insight from it, and using it to make better decisions. If this is of interest to you, you should definitely check out the The Data Systems Research Group and learn more about Data Science in the Faculty of Math.
• Math in Medicine and Health Care - researchers are doing cutting edge work in mathematical modelling and producing tremendous innovations in biostatistics. Researchers in the Faculty of Math are making huge strides in helping us further understand and develop mathematical models that predict disease processes. Learn more about the work in Bioinformatics and Mathematical Medicine and Biology.
• Security and Privacy - stories and news about the vulnerabilities and exploits on the Internet are abundant. Researchers in the Faculty of Math have long been developing technologies that have made solid computer systems that can withstand these attacks. Lots more to learn about research in this area if you check out Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research or Cryptography, Security and Privacy
• Quantum Computing - is that just really fast computers? In a nutshell, yes? Still learning about this one, but from what I understand so far. Quantum Computers have the potential to support the simulation and modelling of complex systems in a more powerful way than our current supercomputers. But, did you know that quantum computers could be used to potentially put today’s systems that secure our information at risk? There is an entire institute with world class researchers working on quantum research. If you want to learn more, you should definitely check out Institute for Quantum Computing.
• AI and Machine Learning - a hot topic for everyone today, but one that has deep roots in the Faculty of Math. Here researchers do work on foundational to applied AI and ML, including in areas such as models of intelligent interaction, multi-agent systems, natural language understanding, constraint programming, optimization, computer vision, robotics, machine learning, and reasoning under uncertainty. Profs are also studying how AI algorithms and systems are becoming increasingly integrated with our society, automating tasks and assisting humans with decision making. For more specifics on the type or research Artificial Intelligence Institute and Artificial Intelligence Group
• Actuarial Science - There is an entire department in Math dedicated to risk analysis and risk management: Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science. Banks, investment funds, insurance companies and pension funds, all rely on actuarial science. Among other things, researchers in Math are working to develop frameworks for modelling and analyzing risks in long-term insurance; mortality models and sustainable hybrid pension solutions; statistical and computational tools to model uncertainty and risk in financial and insurance risk management.
• FinTech - what is financial technology? Things like quantitative finance, portfolio valuation and management, high frequency trading and risk management, among other things. In Math at UWaterloo the focus is not on delivering financial services on computer platforms. Rather, researchers here focus on core finance problems that can be unlocked using mathematics, emerging AI techniques, data science, security and privacy technologies. Waterloo Research Institute in Insurance, Securities and Quantitative Finance is a cool place to check out and this is a great example of the work going on Machine-learning earnings: Novel approach triples investment success.
• Blockchain - is all the hype today! What is blockchain anyway? It is a technology that transforms the way transactions happen on the Internet. This will have an impact on every segment of our lives. In Math at UWaterloo there are cutting edge researchers who are advancing knowledge in this space. Some things they are working on are: systems research including networking and distributed systems, distributed systems theory, databases and data mining, and resource management, as well as security research, including cryptography and cryptosystems, data privacy, and information security. You might want to check out Sirius Research Group and read this awesome story about Researchers useing blockchain to drive electric vehicle infrastructure

Some incredible things going on in Math at UWaterloo. I will continue to keep you abreast of the amazing work going on in here, but in the meanwhile, if you have questions, you know where to find me.