CSE 421: Introduction to Algorithms, Autumn 2023

Course Staff/Office Hours

In addition to the staff contact information, this page contains the most up-to-date listing of staff office hours (and their location). Office hours are subject to change, but we'll try to keep this page accurate at least a week into the future. Note: AC nth floor = Allen Center Breakout Space on Floor n. Gates = CSE2

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
9-9:30a Samarjit Kaushik
(CSE2 150)
Daniel Gao
(CSE2 150)
9:30-10a Samarjit Kaushik
(CSE2 150)
Daniel Gao
(CSE2 150)
10-10:30a
Paul Beame
(CSE 668)

10:30-11a
Paul Beame
(CSE 668) 		Tom Tian
(AC 4th Floor Breakout)
11-11:30a Edward Qin
(CSE2 153)

Tom Tian
(AC 4th Floor Breakout) 		Kyle Mumma
(CSE2 151)
11:30-12p Edward Qin
(CSE2 153)


Kyle Mumma
(CSE2 151)
12-12:30p

12:30-1p


1-1:30p Ben Zhang
Robert Stevens
(CSE2 121)
1:30-2p Lecture
(CSE2 G20) 		Ben Zhang
Robert Stevens
(CSE2 121)		 Lecture
(CSE2 G20) 		Lecture
(CSE2 G20)
2-2:30p Lecture
(CSE2 G20)
Lecture
(CSE2 G20) 		Lecture
(CSE2 G20)
2:30-3p Glenn Sun
(CSE2 131)
Paul Beame
(CSE 668)		 Paul Beame
(CSE 668)
3-3:30p Glenn Sun
(CSE2 131) 		Aman Thukral
Maxwell Wang
(AC 4th Floor Breakout)


3:30-4p Raymond Guo
(CSE2 121)		 Aman Thukral
Maxwell Wang
(AC 4th Floor Breakout)
Muru Zhang
(CSE2 150)
4-4:30p Raymond Guo
(CSE2 121)
Muru Zhang
(CSE2 150)
4:30-5p



5-5:30p


5:30-6p
  • Paul Beame (he/him) (Instructor)
  • beame [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Office Hours:Tuesdays 10:00-10:50, WF 2:20-2:50 (CSE 668)
  • Lecture: (CSE2 G20)
  • Welcome to CSE 421! I've been here long enough to have worked with the design teams for both the Gates and Allen Centers. My research is in computational complexity and algorithms, with interests both in pure theory and in its applications to other areas of CS. CSE 421 contains some of my most favorite topics to teach. I hope you have fun.

  • Aman Thukral (he/him)
  • athukral [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AD: Thursdays 2:30-3:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Tuesdays, 3:00-3:50 (AC 3rd Floor Breakout)
  • Hey guys, I'm Aman. I'm a senior here at the UW majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Math. I took CSE 421 in Spring 2022 and immediately fell in love with the art of problem-solving and algorithmic design. It was a very rewarding course for me, and I hope it is for you too! Outside of class, I like doing knife tricks and performing stand-up, usually at the same time haha. Come to me if you have any doubts about the material; there are no stupid questions!
  • Ben Zhang (he/him)
  • bzhang0 [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AB: Thursdays 12:30-1:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-1:50, CSE2 121
  • Hello! I'm Ben, and I'm a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in CS and minoring in Math. If I'm not in the labs, I'm either cooking, climbing, gaming, or watching 3b1b's latest video. I had a lot of fun in CSE 421 and it's given me many practical skills for interviews and problem solving. Feel free to reach out to chat about theory, math, or anything else! Looking forward to meeting all of you!
  • Daniel Gao (he/him)
  • dgao2 [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AD: Thursdays 2:30-3:30, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Wednesdays 9-9:50, CSE2 150
  • Hi! I'm Daniel, a third-year Computer Science student minoring in Business. Outside of school I like to run, play video games, draw, and watch shows/anime. Feel free to ask me about anything whether algorithms related or hobbies related!
  • Edward Qin (he/him)
  • edwardcq [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AC: Thursdays 1:30-2:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Mondays 11:00-11:50, CSE2 153
  • Hi everyone, I'm a third-year computer science student. I have TA'ed for 312 for 3 quarters, but this will be my first time TAing for 421. Outside of school, I enjoy playing cello and listening to music. Feel free to stop by office hours to chat about anything. I look forward to working with you!
  • Glenn Sun (he/him)
  • glennsun [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AA: Thursdays 11:30-12:20, ECE 042
  • Office Hours: Mondays 2:30-3:20, CSE2 131
  • Hi everyone! I'm a first-year Ph.D. student in the Allen School, and my undergrad was in math. I've been teaching for over 4 years and I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all! I like cooking, board games, and playing Teamfight Tactics. If you ever have questions, confusions, or want to chat about something, feel free to stop by anytime.
  • Kyle Mumma (he/him)
  • kmumma1 [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AE: Thursdays 3:30-4:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Fridays 11-11:50, CSE2 151
  • Hi, I'm a graduating senior in computer science who loves theory. I just took algos in the spring and have been religiously leetcoding since. Its my first time TAing, so I can't wait to improve my teaching skills while we tackle many algorithms together.
  • Maxwell Wang (he/him)
  • mxwllw [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AC: Thursdays 1:30-2:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Tuesdays 3:00-3:50 (AC 3rd Floor Breakout)
  • Hey all, I'm a senior studying Computer Science and Statistics. I'm passionate about data and problem solving, and algos was one of my favorite classes. I've taken 421 and 521 but this will be my first time TAing! Outside of class, you can find me at the gym or drawing, cooking, and hiking.
  • Muru Zhang (he/him)
  • nanami17 [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AA: Thursdays 11:30-12:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Fridays 3:30-4:20 CSE2 150 (starting Week 2)
  • Hi everyone! I'm currently a BS/MS student working toward my master's degree. I love algorithms and have been TAing 421 for the past year. Beyond classes, I do research in Natural Language Processing and am interested in deep learning in general. Outside school, I have a broad interest in anime, video games, Esports, and soccer. Come to chat with me about anything you want to discuss, I look forward to seeing you all in class!
  • Raymond Guo (he/him)
  • rpg360 [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AE: Thursdays 3:30-4:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours:
  • Hi everyone, it's a pleasure to meet you all! I'm a BS/MS student that's always loved theory. My academic interests are somewhat wide-ranging, and split between ML, algorithms, and mathematics. Outside of school, I enjoy playing video games and the piano. Feel free to chat with me about anything at all, and I'm excited to have a great quarter with you all!
  • Robert Stevens (he/him)
  • rsteve2 [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AB: Thursdays 12:30-1:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-1:50, CSE2 121
  • Hi everyone! I'm a junior majoring in math and computer science and I'm excited to be TAing 421 this quarter. I'm interested in probability, analysis, and (of course) algorithms. This summer I have been fortunate enough to work on a research project featuring all of the above. Feel free to ask me anything about research, hiking, video games, or music. Looking forward to meeting you all!
  • Samarjit Kaushik (he/him)
  • samarjit [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Section AE: Thursdays 3:30-4:20, ECE 026
  • Office Hours: Mondays 9:00-9:50 am, CSE2 150
  • Hi! I’m a Junior majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Applied Math, and I’m excited to TA for the first time this quarter! If I’m not coding, I’m probably somewhere in Seattle going for a run, taking the train, or reading a new book. CSE 421 is the most interesting class I’ve taken at UW, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I look forward to meeting you all!
  • Tom Tian (he/him)
  • zhaoyt [at] cs.washington.edu
  • Office Hours: Wednesdays 10:30-11:20, Allen Center 4th floor breakout
  • Hi all, I'm a current BSMS on the MS side with a solid background in mathematics. In the past academic year, I have been TAing for either 421 or the non-major equivalent. Feel free to talk with me about anything and looking forward to meeting y'all!