Hi, I am

CHRISTIAN HOWARD

CS Theory PhD Candidate @ UIUC

ABOUT ME

Hello, my name is Christian and I am a third year PhD candidate at UIUC working in cs theory. I am a formerly trained aerospace engineer who spent some time working in control systems and guidance algorithm development. My path to get here has been a bit weird but I am currently having fun at UIUC working on theoretical cs problems with Jeff Erickson in computational geometry and topology.

RESEARCH

As above, I work with Jeff Erickson on algorithm questions largely within the domains of computational geometry and computational topology. We have spent time thinking about a few problems, some of which are stated below:

Fast algorithms for solving systems of hyperbolic partial differential equations using carefully formed spacetime simplices in up to \(\mathbb{E}^3 \times \mathbb{R}\), capable of adaptive error control. Distributed implementation written in C++ using MPI + pthreads

Alternative cyclic edit distance algorithms using ideas about planar graphs

Morphing between isomorphic graph embeddings on spheres

I enjoy theoretical computer science more broadly, especially enjoying usage of randomness in algorithms and its further reaching implications in the limits of what can be computed. I also have a fondness for more general graph algorithms. I am still finding my way in cs theory and have much to learn, but I am enjoying it!

CONFERENCE TALKS

  • Adaptive Spacetime Meshing in 3d x Time for Causal Spacetime Discontinuous Galerkin Solvers
    • With Jeff Erickson, Bob Haber, Amit Madhukar, Reza Abedi
    • 16th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics [2021]
  • Causal Meshing in up to \(\mathbb{E}^3 \times \mathbb{R}\) for parallel-adaptive spacetime discontinuous Galerkin solvers
    • With Jeff Erickson, Bob Haber, Amit Madhukar, Reza Abedi
    • 14th World Congress on Computational Mechanics [2020]
  • Tent Pitching Meshes for Causal Spacetime Discontinuous Galerkin Solvers
    in 3d x Time
    • With Jeff Erickson, Bob Haber, Amit Madhukar, Reza Abedi
    • 15th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics [2019]

MISC TALKS

  • Talk on Foundations of Data Science book [PDF]
    • Theory Summer Reading Group [2020]

TEACHING

As of now, I have been a teaching assistant (TA) to a handful of cs theory courses, such as:

  • University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign
    • CS 374 - Introduction to Algorithms & Models of Computation
    • CS 473 - Algorithms

WRITING

Sometimes when I have the time and motivation, I write about some fun problems or ideas. You can find some of the things I have written below:

MISCELLANEOUS

Like anyone, I have a variety of other interests or things I am involved with. Here are a list of some of them:

  • Letters to a Pre-Scientists pen-pal
    • Involved from Fall 2021 to Spring 2022
  • Drawing/Art
  • Programming [Github]
  • Cooking
  • Correlation One Terminal Competition
    • * = Placed in top three
    • Participated Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021*, Fall 2021
  • Exploring the outdoors
    • especially with my furry companions