Nicole Wein

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Nicole Wein is a theoretical computer scientist whose research centers on combinatorial optimization, graph algorithms, and the complexity of rearrangement problems. Her most-cited work, "Hardness of Token Swapping on Trees" (2021, 4 citations), tackles a fundamental algorithmic puzzle: given a graph where each vertex holds a unique labeled token, find the shortest sequence of edge swaps to permute tokens into a target configuration. Wein’s contribution lies in proving that even on trees—a seemingly simple structure—the token swapping problem remains NP-hard, settling a long-standing open question in the field. This result has significant implications for understanding the computational limits of routing and scheduling in networks, with connections to robotics, logistics, and DNA computing. Beyond this landmark paper, Wein’s research explores the fine-grained complexity of graph problems, often revealing tight lower bounds under standard hardness hypotheses. Her work is characterized by elegant reductions that bridge discrete mathematics and algorithm design, making her a rising voice in complexity theory. For students and researchers, Wein’s results offer a compelling example of how seemingly playful puzzles can illuminate deep computational truths.