Junaid Aftab

Starting in Fall 2026, I will be a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan.

I received my PhD at University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to that, I completed my MS in Mathematics at Kansas State University and my BS in Economics & Mathematics at Lahore University of Management Sciences.

My research interests lie in the mathematics of quantum information, with a focus on quantum algorithms, topological phases of matter and quantum error correction. I also have broader interests in the mathematical foundations of AI, formalization of mathematics, and AI-assisted mathematical research.

The slogan Pure × Applied reflects my philosophy in approaching mathematics. I keep an open mind and I am always open to learning new mathematical techniques that can help solve problems I find interesting. In particular, I am interested in applying methods from algebraic topology, non-commutative geometry, category theory and various fields of applied mathematics in my research.

“There is no branch of mathematics, however abstract, which may not someday be applied to the real world.” – Nikolai Lobachevsky

Email: junaida@umd.edu

Links: Curriculum Vitae || arXiv || Lecture Notes || Code