Algorithms and Barriers for Fast Matrix Multiplication
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Matrix multiplication is one of the most basic algebraic operations. Since Strassen's surprising breakthrough algorithm from 1969, which showed that matrices can be multiplied faster than the most straightforward algorithm, algorithmic problems from nearly every scientific domain have been sped up by clever reductions to matrix multiplication. It is popularly conjectured that two n × n matrices can be multiplied in roughly O(n^2) time, but we don't yet have the algorithmic techniques needed to achieve this.
In this talk, I'll give an overview of what's known about the theory of matrix multiplication algorithms, including some exciting recent progress. I'll give an overview of the many applications of matrix multiplication, then I'll talk about the fastest known algorithms, as well as barrier results which help to explain why we've been stuck for so long on this problem, and describe what kinds of insights are needed for further improvements.
About the Speaker:Josh Alman, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. He was awarded the 2026 Banjamin Franklin NexGen Award for his work on algorithm design and complexity theory.
Attachments for this Event:
Location
Hill Conference Room
Lebow Engineering Center, Room 240
31st & Market Streets
Drexel University,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Audience