hi, i’m khyathi

i’m a sophomore majoring in math at caltech, where i study on a full scholarship made possible by the generosity of an emergent ventures benefactor. this summer, i was a visiting researcher at topos institute in oxford, uk, where i thought about double categories, AQFTs, coloring operads, and much more. i’ll be presenting some of this work at JMM 2026.

i’ve been fascinated by the idea of applying category theory to understand the world better, from quantum physics to social relationships. i’m a strong believer in making abstract mathematical ideas accessible to all, especially people from a humanities background. to this end, my mathematical thinking has been greatly influenced by eugenia cheng and john baez. apart from my interest in math and physics, i enjoy thinking about different cultures, visual media, music, contemporary philosophy, true crime, drug legalization, and so much more — some of my thoughts can be found at my blog. i’m currently working on a screenplay about invisibility.

mathematically, i currently enjoy thinking about: fusion categories, TQFTs, wild knots (and knot theory in general), catcolab, persistent homology, homotopy type theory, double operadic theory of systems. here’s a fairly accessible talk on what i’ve been thinking about lately (double categorical AQFTs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kMZ8P0hNJo.

when it comes to travel and exploration, i love big cities. my favourite part of exploring a new area is trying out new restaurants. i’m on the beli app. i’m a huge fan of los angeles, i’m not a great photographer by any means, but i’ve collected some of my favourite photos.