Kiril Ratmanski
National Origin
Ukraine
Current Location
Arlington, MA
Industry
Telecommunications, mathematics
Educational Background
Ben-Gurion University, B.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering; Columbia University, M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering with focus in systems biology and mathematics
What factors brought you to the Advanced Study Program?
After obtaining my B.Sc., I spent many years working in signal processing, including algorithm development, for a major videoconferencing technology company. Along the way, I became interested in applications of signal processing, and mathematics in general, in computational biology. Many of these (including molecular networks) figured into my master’s work; I also conducted biology-inspired research into the geometry of graphs, and late in the process explored other aspects of geometry, like differentiable manifolds and algebraic curves, that were relevant to my interests. I returned to telecommunications work, but retained a strong interest in broadening and deepening my knowledge in geometry. When my professional life brought me to the Boston area, I was delighted to discover that the Advanced Study Program would allow me to take any MIT graduate math class. It’s been a tremendous experience – MIT has unparalleled strength in math and a large choice of classes, the quality of the teaching is incredible, and the location near my workplace made scheduling much more convenient.
What's different about your professional life post-ASP?
Because of my ASP studies, which I concluded in the spring of 2017, I am much more well-versed in math and have new analytical and abstract abilities. This in turn makes it easier for me to quickly understand research papers that utilize advanced mathematics, and to work and contribute in many fields that involve mathematical applications. I’m currently working independently and deciding on the right opportunity for my next career step; I’m confident that my classes will prove to be an excellent long-term investment, because math is used everywhere and will never become outdated. On a more personal level, this new knowledge will enable me to apply powerful, beautiful methods to the types of problems that I’ve found fascinating for many years, which is a very exciting prospect.