CV

Research, education, academic and industry experience, advising, service, honors, and professional activities. The full CV is available as a PDF via the download button.

Contact Information

Name Mahir Bilen Can
Professional Title Mathematician
Email mcan@tulane.edu

Professional Summary

Mathematician specializing in algebraic geometry, coding theory, and quantum error correction. Senior Quantum Architecture Scientist at Xanadu Quantum Technologies since June 2026; Professor of Mathematics at Tulane University (on leave).

Experience

  • 2026 - present

    Toronto, Canada

    Senior Quantum Architecture Scientist
    Xanadu Quantum Technologies
    Full-time since June 2026; previously consultant.
  • 2025 - present

    Co-founder
    QSPARC Labs
  • 2020 - present

    New Orleans, LA

    Professor of Mathematics
    Tulane University
    On leave.
  • 2014 - 2020

    New Orleans, LA

    Associate Professor
    Tulane University
  • 2008 - 2014

    New Orleans, LA

    Assistant Professor
    Tulane University
  • 2006 - 2008

    London, Ontario, Canada

    Postdoctorate
    Western University

Education

  • - 2006

    Philadelphia, PA

    PhD
    University of Pennsylvania
    Mathematics
  • - 2001

    Ankara, Turkey

    BSc
    Middle East Technical University (METU)
    Mathematics

Research

  • My research investigates algebraic structures and their geometric manifestations, with emphasis on representation theory, algebraic geometry, and coding theory.
  • Algebraic groups and monoids: structure, classification, compactifications, and invariant theory.
  • Representation theory: unitary representations, harmonic analysis, and categorical methods.
  • Algebraic geometry: birational techniques and singularities tied to representation-theoretic questions.
  • Coding theory and security: algebraic and geometric constructions for reliable communication.
  • A growing part of this work connects mathematical structure with computational and communication problems, including quantum technologies, error-correcting codes, and secure information processing. See the complete publication list for research output and references.

Industry and Ventures

Visiting Positions

  • NOVA FCT, Portugal (as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar), May to August 2024.
  • Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, June to September 2023.
  • Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India, January 2023 and December 2023.
  • NOVA FCT, Portugal, December 2021.
  • University of California, San Diego, Spring 2017.
  • Yale University, 2012 to 2013.
  • The Chinese University of Hong Kong, February 2013.

Patents

  • Quantum Error Correcting Codes from Higher Grassmann Codes. International (PCT) Application PCT/US2023/018890; International Publication WO 2024/058827 (A2), published March 21, 2024. Applicant Ohio State Innovation Foundation. Inventors Mahir Bilen Can, Roy Joshua, Ravindra Girivaru.
  • Systems and Methods for Secure and Reliable Data Storage and Transmission. U.S. Provisional Application 63/783,638, filed April 4, 2025. Applicant The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund. Inventors Mahir Bilen Can, Dillon Montero.

Teaching

  • Tulane University: Calculus III (Math 2210); Consolidated Calculus (Math 1310); Linear Algebra (Math 3060/6060); Abstract Algebra I (Math 3110/6110); Abstract Algebra II; Honors Linear Algebra; Combinatorics; Topics in Algebra: Lie Groups and Representation Theory; Topics in Algebra: Lie Algebras and Representation Theory; Topics in Algebra: Coding Theory I and II; Topics in Algebra: Algebraic Geometry I and II.
  • University of California, San Diego: Vector Calculus (Math 20E).
  • Yale University: Geometry of Coxeter Groups (graduate).

Graduate Student Advising

  • Zafar Iqbal, PhD, 2024 to present. Co-advising with A. Casimiro (NOVA FCT).
  • Naufil Sakran, PhD, 2021 to present.
  • Dillon Montero, PhD, 2021 to 2025. Thesis: Analogs of NRT Reed Solomon Codes in Bottleneck Metrics.
  • Nestor Diaz Morera, PhD, 2018 to 2024. Thesis: Torus Actions, Spherical Varieties, Dyck Paths, and Shellability.
  • Hayden Houser, PhD, 2017 to 2024. Thesis: Signature Quantization of the Classical Groups.
  • Corey Wolfe, PhD, 2017 to 2024. Thesis: On the Borel Submonoid and Nilpotent Subsemigroup of a Symplectic Monoid.
  • Aram Bingham, PhD, 2015 to 2021. Thesis: Clans, Sects, and Symmetric Spaces of Hermitian Type.
  • Yiyang She, PhD, 2016 to 2021. Thesis: Strong Gelfand Subgroups of wreath products of cyclic groups with symmetric groups.
  • Tien Le, PhD, 2015 to 2020. Thesis: Orbits in Double Flag Varieties.
  • Dejun Zhang, MS, 2020. Thesis: Topological Galois Theory of Riemann Surfaces.
  • Özlem Uğurlu, PhD, 2013 to 2018. Thesis: Counting Borel Orbits in Classical Symmetric Varieties.
  • Tim Twelbeck, PhD, 2008 to 2013. Thesis: Shellability of Bruhat Order on Borel Orbit Closures.

Undergraduate Student Advising

  • Batu El, 2022, honor’s thesis (co-advised): Parametrizing Chains in Generalized FPFIs.
  • Alex Caione, 2022, senior thesis: Moment Map.
  • Ellen Calais, 2020, senior thesis: Count Your Conics.
  • Rachel Ryley, 2014, senior thesis: Affine Coxeter Groups and Applications.
  • Melanie Jensen, 2013, honor’s thesis: Combinatorial Interpretations of Lucas Polynomials.
  • Jordan Martin, 2012, senior thesis: Properties and Applications of Involutions Under Bruhat Order.

University-Level Service

  • Promotion and Tenure Committee.
  • Curriculum Committee.
  • Honors and Awards Committee.

Editorial Service

Conference Organization

  • 2025 — Coding Theory and Cryptography, AMS Sectional Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana. Co-organized with Henry Chimal Dzul and Emily McMillon.
  • 2024 — Generalized Numerical Semigroups, thematic session at the Conference on Theoretical and Computational Algebra, Aveiro, Portugal. Session organizer.
  • 2023 — Southern Regional Algebra Conference, Tulane University. Co-organized with Kalina Mincheva and Naufil Sakran.

Recent Professional Activities

  • 2025: Visited IIT Bombay for the conference on Combinatorics, Geometry, and Representation Theory at ICTS.
  • 2025: Recipient of Tulane’s Provost’s Proof of Concept award.
  • 2024: Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Portugal, hosted by Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
  • 2023: Research visits to IIT Bombay and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

Honors and Awards

  • 2025
    Provost's Proof of Concept (SPARC)
    Tulane University

    Shortest Path and Antichain Metrics.

  • 2024
    GSSA Faculty Mentor Award
    Tulane University
  • 2024
    Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
    Fulbright Program

    Scientific visit to Portugal (NOVA FCT), May to August 2024.

  • 2023
    Applications of Representation Theory to Quantum Error Correction
    Louisiana Board of Regents

    Research grant, 2023 to 2025.

  • 2021
    Targeted Enhancement Research Grant
    Louisiana Board of Regents

    Co-PIs Tai Huy Ha, Rafal Komendarczyk, Kalina Mincheva. 2021 to 2022.

  • 2014
    Algebra and Combinatorics of Symmetric Varieties and Their Embeddings
    NSA

    Co-PI Michael Joyce. 2014 to 2015.