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Zachary Porat

PhD Candidate in Mathematics
Wesleyan University

zporat@wesleyan.edu


About Me

My name is Zachary (Zack) Porat. I am currently a PhD candidate in mathematics at Wesleyan University. My advisor is David Pollack.

My research interests lie in number theory and arithmetic geometry. I particularly enjoy the computational aspects of these subjects. Currently, I am studying automorphic forms for congruence subgroups of SL(3, Z).

Before Wesleyan, I obtained my B.S. in Mathematics from Union College. Outside of math, I enjoy bouldering and playing trumpet. I also occasionally blog about my travels as a grad student.

Here is a copy of my CV, last updated in May 2025:   PDF

Papers

(Note that preprints may differ from the final published version.)

  1. Heuristics for (Ir)reducibility of p-Rank Strata of the Moduli Space of Hyperelliptic Curves (with Thomas Bouchet, Erik Davis, Steven Groen, and Benjamin York), preprint.
     
      arXiv   Code
  2. Computations Directly on the Cuspidal Cohomology of Congruence Subgroups of SL(3, Z), preprint.
     
      arXiv   Code
  3. Family Sizes for Complete Multipartite Graphs (with Danielle Gregg, Thomas Mattman, and George Todd), Involve, a Journal of Mathematics 15:4 (2022), 669-686.
     
      MathSciNet
  4. PIXE Analysis of Synthetic Turf (with Sajju Chalise, Morgan Clark, Skye Conlan, Scott LaBrake, and Michael Vineyard), Environment and Ecology Research 6:1 (2018), 60-65.
     

Recent and Upcoming Talks

I will be attending LuCaNT 2025 at ICERM from July 7-11.

  • Computing the Hecke Action Directly on the Cuspidal Cohomology of Congruence Subgroups of SL(3, Z) - Upcoming (June 30 - July 4, 2025)
  • Heuristics for (Ir)reducibility of Strata of the Moduli Space of Hyperelliptic Curves - May 16, 2025
    • AWM Research Symposium: Special Session on Curves and Abelian Varieties in Characteristic p (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
  • Advances in Computations on the Cohomology of Congruence Subgroups of SL(3, Z) - May 4, 2025
  • The Evolving Role of Computers in Mathematics - April 19, 2025
  • Computations Directly on the Cuspidal Cohomology of Congruence Subgroups of SL(3, Z) - October 6, 2024
  • Additional Computations of the Hecke Action on the Cuspidal Cohomology of Congruence Subgroups of SL(3, Z) - May 24, 2024
  • How Computers Are Shaping Math - November 15, 2023
    • Manhattan College Math Seminar
  • The Search for Large Prime Numbers - January 12, 2023
    • Union College Math Seminar

Teaching

I am not teaching in Spring 2025. I presented a mini-course on mathematical cryptology at SWiM@Wes 2025. I also served as a project assistant at Arithmetic Geometry at UNT.

While at Wesleyan, I have taught Calculus I and Elementary Statistics. I have also been a Teaching Assistant for several courses and worked in the Math Workshop.

Additionally, I have run several mentorship projects as part of Wesleyan’s Directed Reading Program.

Service

I am currently one of the organizers of our Directed Reading Program.

I previously served as President (Fall 2023–Spring 2025) and Vice President (Fall 2021–Spring 2023) of Wesleyan’s AMS Graduate Student Chapter. Additionally, from Spring 2022 through Fall 2023, I was a co-organizer of the departmental Graduate Student Seminar.

Expository Notes and More

Here are some notes and code that I have put together for one reason or another. Please let me know if you find any errors.

Miscellaneous

On My Bookshelf

Helpful Resources

Useful LaTeX Links

Some (Mathematical) Friends