Post 05 · Philosophical Dialogue
A Dialogue Concerning the Future of Mathematics
On Proof, Understanding, and Artificial Intelligence
Hongru Zhao
IRSA Faragher Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow
School of Statistics, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
About Me
I am a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Statistics at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities (2025–2027). I received my Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Minnesota in 2025, advised by Adam J. Rothman.
My current research focuses on quantum information science. I study the statistical limits of quantum state estimation, the behavior of quantum entanglement, and the mathematical foundations of quantum computational advantage. My broader research interests include high-dimensional statistics, adaptive experimental design, and gravitational-wave inference. Random matrix theory and probability provide central mathematical tools for this work, alongside statistical learning and optimization.
News
All TalksMy recent work on uniform hiding and local hafnian anticoncentration represents a significant breakthrough toward establishing quantum advantage in Gaussian boson sampling. Read the explanation.
Invited talk on gravitational-wave inference at Sun Yat-sen University. Slides
Invited talk on adaptive design for quantum state tomography at Tianjin University. Slides
Began the IRSA Faragher Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Minnesota.
Latest Posts
All Posts
Post 04 · Quantum Information Science
Gaussian Boson Sampling, Uniform Hiding, and Anticoncentration
From photon interference and the permanent to hafnians, including my results on both uniform hiding and local anticoncentration.
Post 03 · Formal Verification and AI
Lean and the Future of Theoretical Research
From chess and AI coding to scientific discovery: why verification matters, what Lean checks, and how I would organize research with AI and formal proofs.
Post 02 · Mathematics and AI
My First Vibemathing Attempt
A PDF, an overnight argument, and two days learning the geometry behind a problem that had resisted me for months.