Dr. Shayan Oveis Gharan, an alumnus of the Faculty of Computer Engineering at Sharif University of Technology, has been awarded the 2026 Abacus Medal by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) during the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM 2026), held in Philadelphia, United States. This prestigious accolade is regarded as one of the most distinguished global honors in the field of theoretical computer science.
The prominent researcher completed his undergraduate studies at Sharif University of Technology's Faculty of Computer Engineering. He subsequently pursued his graduate education at Stanford University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2013 under the supervision of Dr. Amin Saberi—himself a Sharif University alumnus. Dr. Oveis Gharan is currently a tenured full professor at the University of Washington. Earlier in his career, he also secured a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) in 2004 as a member of Iran's national team.
The Abacus Medal awarding committee cited a body of fundamental contributions to algorithms, graph theory, and theoretical computer science as the basis for selecting Oveis Gharan. Leveraging advanced mathematical tools, his research has opened new horizons in algorithm analysis, extending the frontiers of the field far beyond classical frameworks.
Among his most outstanding scientific contributions are novel methods for the approximate solution of the renowned Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP)—one of the most foundational optimization problems that has occupied computer science researchers for decades. Together with his collaborators, he introduced an innovative algorithm that successfully surpassed the long-standing performance barrier of the classic Christofides algorithm, which had remained unchallenged for nearly half a century. This achievement represents one of the most significant advances in algorithm theory in recent years.
Oveis Gharan's research has also played a decisive role in the development of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling algorithms, the proof of the Mihail–Vazirani conjecture, and the provision of the strongest proven version of Mason's conjecture through the concept of "spectral independence." These accomplishments were specifically highlighted by the Abacus Medal committee as exemplary demonstrations of his profound scientific impact.
It is worth noting that this medal, awarded to young researchers with transformative achievements, is considered the most prestigious international award in computer science and serves as the successor to the esteemed Nevanlinna Prize, as reported by the International Mathematical Union.