Hi, I'm Bharatha Rankothge

Ph.D. Candidate in Mathematics | Teaching Assistant | Researcher

Passionate about applying mathematical knowledge and training to solve interesting problems. Experienced in communicating mathematical concepts to diverse audiences.

Bharatha Rankothge

About Me

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Mathematics at the University of California San Diego, working in number theory and representation theory under the guidance of Prof. Claus Sorensen. My research focuses on stratifying the derived category of mod-p representations of p-adic lie groups.

I am also interested in applications of mathematics in different fields, with graduate coursework in probabilistic machine learning and mathematical finance.

I have taught or served as a teaching assistant for various undergraduate courses including Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, and Cryptography. I am passionate about mathematical pedagogy, having directly worked with high school students and having been involved in training high school educators.

Work Experience

Instructor of Record

Department of Mathematics, UCSD Summer 2023
  • Designed the course materials (syllabus, lecture notes, exams etc.) for an accelerated pre-calculus course
  • Taught a class of 35 students over 5 weeks using those materials
  • Saw good performance from the students and received excellent teaching reviews

Lead Teaching Assistant

Department of Mathematics, UCSD Fall 2022, Spring 2023
  • Coordinated with the lead instructor and managed 7 TAs for a Multivariable Calculus course with 600+ students
  • Oversaw the implementation of a new education model for the course
  • Designed the weekly problem sets and other activities for the discussion sections to facilitate active learning

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Department of Mathematics, UCSD Fall 2019-Now
  • Led weekly discussion sections and held weekly office hours; Graded the midterms and the finals
  • Courses: Mathematical Reasoning, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, Abstract Algebra, and Cryptography

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

Department of Mathematics, Columbia University Fall 2017-Spring 2019
  • Held weekly office hours and graded the homework assignments

Outreach & Other Activities

Graduate Mentor

UCSD Math RTG Directed Reading Program for Undergraduates Spring 2022, Spring 2023

Co-led undergraduate reading groups in Elliptic Curves and Representation Theory.

Graduate Mentor

UCSD Summer Math Program for High School Students Summer 2022, Summer 2023

Designed and led reading courses in Elementary and Algebraic Number Theory.

Geometry Tutor

Columbia Tutoring and Learning Center Fall 2018-Spring 2019

Provided geometry tutoring for the students in public high schools in the Harlem neighborhood in New York.

Awards & Honors

James B. Ax Graduate Fellowship

University of California San Diego 2019

Awarded by the UCSD Department of Mathematics to incoming Ph.D. students for academic excellence and research potential.

Columbia Undergraduate Summer Enhancement Fellowship

Columbia University Summer 2016, Summer 2018

Creative Project: Studied the socio-cultural impact of mythology and folklore in Sri Lanka.

John Jay Scholar

Columbia University 2015-2019

Awarded by the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program in recognition of academic excellence, extracurricular achievements, and promise for future growth.

EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Grant

US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission 2014

Scholarship awarded by US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission and US Department of State to facilitate college applications.

International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO)

Sri Lankan Team Member 2012

Selected as a member of the Sri Lankan team for the 2012 International Mathematics Olympiad (could not attend).

Education

Ph.D. in Mathematics

University of California San Diego 2019 - Present

Research focus: Stratifying the derived category of mod-p representations of a p-adic lie group. Advisor: Prof. Claus Sorensen. Currently pursuing advanced research in representation theory.

James B. Ax Graduate Fellowship Research in Representation Theory Advisor: Prof. Claus Sorensen

M.A. in Pure Mathematics

University of California San Diego 2022

Completed Master's degree in Pure Mathematics as part of the Ph.D. program. Focused on advanced mathematical theory and research methods.

Pure Mathematics Focus Advanced Mathematical Theory

B.A. in Mathematics (with Departmental Honors)

Columbia University 2015 - 2019

Graduated with Departmental Honors in Mathematics. Studied advanced mathematical concepts and participated in research opportunities during undergraduate studies.

Departmental Honors John Jay Scholar Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program

Skills & Technologies

Mathematics

Representation Theory Number Theory Linear Algebra Calculus Probability Cryptography

Teaching & Education

Course Design Curriculum Development Student Mentoring Grading & Assessment Active Learning

Programming & Technical

Python Mathematical Software LaTeX Research Tools Data Analysis Problem Solving

Languages & Communication

English (Fluent) Sinhala (Native) Academic Writing Presentation Skills Cross-cultural Communication

Get In Touch

Let's Connect

I'm always interested in new opportunities and collaborations. Whether you have a question or just want to say hi, feel free to reach out!

brankoth@ucsd.edu
La Jolla, CA