Nikhil Bansal and I wrote a book-length survey of algorithmic and geometric methods in discrepancy theory, and a draft of it is online arxiv.org/abs/2608.00140. This book has been years in the making, and I’m excited to share it. More 👇

Discrepancy Theory: An Algorithmic and Geometric Perspective

Combinatorial discrepancy theory is a subject with roots in combinatorics, geometry, and number theory, and with numerous applications to mathematics and computer science. At its core, discrepancy the...

arxiv.org

This sounds pretty cool: bipartite perfect matching is solvable in polylog time in parallel with poly many processors. This was known if you allow randomness but has been a longstanding open problem deterministically.

Nutan Limaye@nutanlimaye.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Since today Bipartite Perfect Matching is in NC. The proof uses connections between coding theory and Hall's theorem. Presented at WACT 2026. Yay!!!

I have been watching some show set in a university and their version of tenure is wild! One character was hired as a full prof but without tenure (!), and then asked to be placed on the tenure track. The tenure track was sped up just for her from 5 years to 1 year.

Online Matrix Factorization, Online Private Query Release, and Online Discrepancy Minimization Aleksandar Nikolov, Haohua Tang, Jonathan Ullman http://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08358

Interesting how many people are losing their shit over an innocuous sounding use of AI to make custom feeds.

Jay 🦋@jay.bsky.team · 6mo ago

Today, we’re excited to introduce Attie, currently as an invite-only closed beta. Attie is the first agentic social app on atproto. It’s something completely new — an experiment in making building on the protocol more accessible.

Changing to daylight savings time feels like I’m going through mini jet lag.

A great read about @henryyuen.bsky.social's research. Also great pictures of him looking thoughtfully into the distance.

Ben Brubaker@benbenbrubaker.bsky.social · 7mo ago

How can we make sense of computational problems that we don’t even have the language to describe? I spoke to @henryyuen.bsky.social about what’s missing from the standard approach to quantum complexity theory — read more in @quantamagazine.bsky.social!

I didn't think anyone needed to hear this, but if you are applying for a PhD program, and used an LLM to help write your SoP, check if the papers you cite by the person you say you want to work with actually exist! I remember the titles of my own papers.

To recap: Doug Ford destroyed parkland at Ontario Place for a private waterpark; closed Ontario Science Centre under false pretenses; and now is moving the OSC into Harbourfront. Partial destruction of one public place; permanent destruction of another; longterm takeover of a third.

Happy #STOC2026 deadline to all who celebrate!

Me to my undergrad students: “Don’t submit 30 secs before the deadline. If you do, don’t complain you missed it.” Also me: pushing submit on a paper at 4:59pm, for a 5pm deadline.

I admit I didn't pay much attention to baseball till this year, although I have been to games. This was wild, and heartbreaking for Toronto. The World Series is not always this dramatic, is it? 18 inning games, wedged balls, being short of a win by a few inches in the last inning..

The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the World Series

Congratulation to Canada’s Toronto Blue Jays!! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

The great thing about parenting a toddler is that the rest of your day is easy after whatever you've been through by 9 am

Exciting news from SRI! We’re welcoming Michael Inzlicht & Avery Slater as new research leads for 2025–26! Alongside six continuing leaders, they’ll advance bold projects on AI safety, trust, fairness, creativity & more. Learn more: srinstitute.utoronto.ca/news/eight-n... #AI #UofT

Eight research leads drive SRI’s mission forward with new projects — Schwartz Reisman Institute

With two new appointments and six renewed roles, the Schwartz Reisman Institute ’s 2025–26 cohort of research leads will advance projects on trust, creative pedagogy, agentic AI, democratic fairness,...

srinstitute.utoronto.ca

This is a good feed to have in the mixer. It shows all papers being shared by your follows

Paper Skygest Team@paper-feed.bsky.social · last yr.

**Please repost** If you're enjoying Paper Skygest -- our personalized feed of academic content on Bluesky -- we'd appreciate you reposting this! We’ve found that the most effective way for us to reach new users and communities is through users sharing it with their network

The owner of a giant dog that they had unleashed in a children’s playground just did the “but he’s friendly” to my wife and 4yo this morning. The “Please leash your dog at all times” signs are everywhere. This ad is not mean enough IMO.

David Fisman.@dfisman.bsky.social · last yr.

“Did you make the leash your dog ad?” “Yeah, real mean-spirited and douchey, just like you said boss”

To test a “quantum computing is impossible” argument, substitute “random bit” for “qubit”, and coins for cats, and see if it sounds silly. E.g.: “N random coins are simultaneously heads/tails and do 2^N work for you to test if a number is prime? Extremely dubious” See, it’s silly!

Sasho Nikolov@thesasho.bsky.social · last yr.

Great cringe comedy over at the other site.

Great cringe comedy over at the other site.

Imagine you are in charge of a playground of 3 year olds, but they are each three meters tall and are throwing rocks at you. It wouldn’t be very hard for them to get around you.

Jessica Hullman@jessicahullman.bsky.social · last yr.

Huh? On the bright side, at least Hinton didn’t garble the cringey AI mother analogy like he garbled whatever he was trying to say here.

Here is an uplifting song in memory of the greatest that ever got chalk on his coat www.youtube.com/watch?v=frAE...

Tom Lehrer - We Will All Go Together When We Go

YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel

youtube.com

Blasting Black Sabbath and remembering seeing them in Sofia in 2005.

Spent the week at an AIM workshop on metric embedding in Caltech, and got to meet many of my mathematical heroes. Also had this view as inspiration.

It’s been 10 years (and 3 days) since I moved to Canada. Lots of things changed in my life in these 10 years, but meeting @theannasu.bsky.social and becoming a dad are the definite highlights!

New profile photo taken by my 4yr old, I think he did a good job!

Was reading a paper on my iPad while eating my lunch and the waitress asked if I was doing my homework. Been a while since I passed for a student!

It's a depressing time in Toronto - a city that once had the continent's most ambitious city-building initiative. This transformation had 3 KEY PILLARS: 1. RapidTO 2. GO Expansion 3. Ontario Line Two pillars have been watered down beyond recognition - DEVASTATING for the region. Here's why: 1/🧵

Spread the word: there is a new prize in Theoretical Computer Science in honor of Luca Trevisan-- cs.unibocconi.eu/call-nominat... (Intent-to-nominate letters due by July 31.)