Jason has been working on a project that falls in the category of “search problems". These are of interest because they have applications such as counteracting the spread of viruses on a computer network. One of these types of search problems is shown by the game of “Cops and Robber” on graphs (networks), which was introduced in the 1980s, with graphs on which one “cop” always wins. These graphs are known as “Copwin” graphs. Recent work has centred on characterizing more complex graphs, such as situations where 2 cops win, or “2-Copwin” graphs.
For his summer research, Jason has been searching for the “building blocks” of new classes of 2-Copwin graphs, to help in characterizing the graphs completely. His work has involved both computational methods and old fashioned pencil and paper mathematics.
Student Research