Richard Cole is the Silver Professor of Computer Science in the Computer Science Department at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. He received his B.A. in Mathematics from University College, Oxford University in 1978 and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell University in 1982. Cole's research centers on the design and analysis of algorithms, with current focus on algorithmic economics and game theory, as well as algorithms in nature and society. His previous contributions include work on string and pattern matching, amortization techniques, parallel algorithms, and network and routing problems. He has also explored the use of visualization for explaining algorithms and teaching. Throughout his tenure at New York University, Cole has taught graduate and undergraduate courses such as Fundamental Algorithms (Fall 2020), Randomized Algorithms (Spring 2023), Basic Algorithms (Spring 2014), Theory of Computation (multiple semesters including Spring 2020, 2019, 2016), and Algorithmic and Economic Aspects of the Internet (co-taught in Spring 2014 and 2012).

Cole was elected an ACM Fellow in 1998. He has advised numerous Ph.D. students, including Ishan Agarwal (2023), Yixin Tao (2020), Yun Kuen Cheung (2014), Vasilis Gkatzelis (2013), Ashish Rastogi (2008, co-advised), and Lee-Ad Gottlieb (2008). His influential publications include 'Stable Matching: Choosing which proposals to make' (ICALP 2023, with Ishan Agarwal), 'On the Existence of Pareto Efficient and Envy Free Allocations' (Journal of Economic Theory 193, 2021, with Yixin Tao), 'A Truthful Cardinal Mechanism for One-Sided Matching' (SODA 2020, with Rediet Abebe, Vasilis Gkatzelis, and Jason Hartline), 'Amortized Analysis of Asynchronous Price Dynamics' (ESA 2018, with Yun Kuen Cheung), 'Dictionary matching and indexing with errors and don’t cares' (STOC 2004, with Lee-Ad Gottlieb and Moshe Lewenstein), and 'Faster approximate string matching' (SODA 1998, with R. Hariharan). These works have advanced theoretical computer science, particularly in algorithmic game theory and matching problems.

Professional Email: cole@cs.nyu.edu