Stefan Karpinski

PhD in Computer Science expected in September 2009. Field of research: mathematical modeling and analysis of local area network traffic, especially using cutting-edge linear analysis techniques such as nonnegative matrix factorization, matrix completion, and linear subspace segmentation. Other major interests: parallel scientific computing, distributed systems, programming languages, computational theory, security and cryptography. Graduate studies include: algorithmic theory, distributed systems, modern programming languages and systems, automata-based complexity, networking, mobile and wireless computing, delay-tolerant networking, security, game theory, information theory, and stochastic processes. [GPA: 4.0]

BA degree in Mathematics with honors received in June 2000. Harvard College Scholarship recipient. Have in-depth working knowledge of all branches of modern mathematics including analysis, geometry, abstract algebra, descriptive and classical set theory, point-set and algebraic topology. Course work in computer science included: network programming, mobile and wireless networking, mobile IP, routing protocols, natural language processing, compilers and interpreters, computational theory, tractability problems and algorithmic efficiency. [GPA: 3.56]

Studied measure theory, integration theory (generalized Lebesgue integrals), Lie Algebras, functional analysis, Euclidean, hyperbolic and projective geometries with applications to computer graphics.

Audited courses in analysis and group theory.

Networking Researcher. Network Path Selection Project [2006-2007]: Invented and prototyped a completely redesigned Network Path Selection system, including the core prediction algorithm and data structures. This system provides real-time datacenter/ISP performance predictions for every client connecting to any Citrix Online service. Netmap Project [2005]: Built a system to perform lightweight, real-time mapping of all Internet paths between data centers and client hosts, using probabilistic databases and information theory. Fast Failover Project [2004]: Developed and prototyped a robust, scalable multipath route selection algorithm using a modified paired-series t-test. Also created a highly flexible Internet simulation environment for testing and evaluating multipath routing algorithms.

Teaching Assistant. Taught weekly discussion sessions, held office hours, graded assignments and exams, created and maintained course web-pages, gave lectures when necessary. Subjects taught: formal languages and automata, complexity theory, advanced data structures and algorithms, software engineering, computer architecture, scalable web application development in Ruby on Rails on EC2 [course website; software used for this course became RightScale.com], and parallel scientific computing.

Software Engineer. Engineered, maintained and designed a variety of systems and tools for deploying, monitoring and managing Akamai's global content delivery network of 10,000+ servers worldwide. Primarily worked in C and Perl, with some C++, Python and Java.

Course Assistant. Taught weekly problem sessions, held office hours, graded assignments, created and maintained course web-pages. Subjects taught: single- and multi-variate calculus, differential equations, methods of numerical approximation, point-set topology, axiomatic and naive set theory, group theory.

Software Engineer. Designed and created a graphical, integrated suite of applications for Windows 95/98. The applications automate the control of equipment for cutting-edge research in quantum physics with scanning tunneling electron microscopes and allow on-the-fly graphical analysis of acquired data within a graphical user interface.

Programmer & Systems Administration Assistant. Wrote database query and information extraction programs in ALGOL, C, C++ and Perl. Worked in Windows, UNIX, Linux and mainframe environments. Assisted in network administration; installed and maintained PC hardware and software.