Student Spotlight: Tristan Pollner
September 25, 2020
Meet Tristan Pollner
Incoming PhD student this year
HOMETOWN
San Diego, California
PLACE LIVED PRIOR TO STANFORD
Princeton, New Jersey
UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION
Princeton University
DEGREES AND MAJOR
Mathematics
Pre-MS&E experience
I entered undergraduate studies interested in mathematics, but unsure as to which area I wanted to pursue. I was fortunate to find the area of theoretical computer science, which connects beautiful math to an area of practical importance—namely, the design and analysis of algorithms. I also became particularly interested in recent connections with game theory and economics, in designing algorithms that work when many participants have their own incentives. This specific area of work is strongly represented in MS&E, and doing a PhD here is an incredible opportunity to work with leading researchers.
Desired post-MS&E impact
I have been recently interested in the broad area of "algorithms under uncertainty"—how do we design algorithms that must make irrevocable decisions with only partial knowledge of future circumstance? It is often unreasonable to assume that we have full information for many problems of real-world importance, but decisions must be made. Such scenarios can be found all around us, from ad-auctions to rideshare apps to kidney exchanges. I hope to improve our understanding of what mathematical guarantees can be achieved in these algorithmic settings, to generate practical insights that can improve the experience of the participants.
Interests and hobbies
I enjoy playing the piano and rock climbing!