Operator Algebras Research Group & Thesis Supervision @ IIT Kanpur
Our research group investigates Vaughan Jones’ subfactor theory, planar algebras, Connes–Størmer relative entropy, quantum symmetries, and finite-index inclusions of C*- and von Neumann algebras. Prospective Ph.D. scholars and postdoctoral fellows interested in operator algebras are welcome to write to keshab@iitk.ac.in.
Postdoctoral Fellows
(1) Dr. Indrajit Ghosh — Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, IIT Kanpur (March 2026 – present) · Joint preprints: arXiv:2609.10118 & arXiv:2608.04572
(2) Dr. Sumit Kumar — ANRF Project Postdoctoral Fellow, IIT Kanpur (July 2026 – present) · Joint preprint: arXiv:2608.04572
(3) Dr. Rahul Kumar R. (Ph.D., IIT Madras) — Former Research Associate & Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at IIT Kanpur · Currently Postdoctoral Researcher at Michigan State University, USA
Doctoral (Ph.D.) Supervision at IIT Kanpur
(1) Guruprasad (joint supervision with Prof. Satyajit Guin) — Ph.D. Thesis Submitted · Co-author on 4 papers in J. Operator Theory (2025), J. Aust. Math. Soc. (2026), Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (2025), and arXiv:2607.13822
(2) Biplab Pal (joint supervision with Prof. Satyajit Guin) — Ph.D. Thesis Submitted · Co-author on 5 papers in IMRN (2026), J. Noncommut. Geom. (2024), Int. J. Math. (2025), arXiv:2605.12221, and arXiv:2607.13822
(3) C. Silambarasan — Ongoing Ph.D. Scholar · Co-author on 3 papers in Linear Algebra Appl. (2026), arXiv:2605.12221, and arXiv:2608.23125
(4) Mounadeep Saha — Ongoing Ph.D. Scholar, IIT Kanpur
(5) Sunil Kumar Chauhan — Ongoing Ph.D. Scholar, IIT Kanpur
Master’s Thesis & Directed Reading Supervision (CMI, Chennai)
(1) Utsab Raj Sarkar (M.Sc., Chennai Mathematical Institute, 2019) — Master’s Thesis on Path Algebras (Thesis Link) & Directed Reading Course on Perron–Frobenius Theory (2018)
(2) Writabrata Bhattacharya (M.Sc., Chennai Mathematical Institute, 2022) — Master’s Thesis on Kazhdan’s Property (T)
Teaching & Graduate Instruction
@ Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur (2022 – Present)
• Complex Analysis — Odd Semester 2026–27 (Current), IIT Kanpur
• Entropy and Dynamics of Group Actions — Even Semester 2025–26, IIT Kanpur
• Ergodic Theory — Odd Semester 2025–26, IIT Kanpur
• Analysis-I (MTH 301A) — Even Semester 2024–25 & Even Semester 2022–23, IIT Kanpur
• An Introduction to von Neumann Algebras — Odd Semester 2024–25 & Odd Semester 2022–23 (Aug–Nov 2022), IIT Kanpur
• Topology — Even Semester 2023–24 (Jan–April 2024), IIT Kanpur
• Analysis-II: Measure Theory (MTH 404A) — Odd Semester 2023–24, IIT Kanpur
@ Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) (2018 – 2022)
• An Introduction to von Neumann Algebras — Jan–May 2022 (Credit course for M.Sc. & B.Sc. final-year students, CMI)
• An Introduction to Ergodic Theory — Sep–Dec 2021 (Credit course for M.Sc. & B.Sc. final-year students, CMI)
• Hilbert Spaces and Linear Operators — Aug–Nov 2020 (Credit course for M.Sc. & B.Sc. final-year students, CMI)
• C*-Algebras and W*-Algebras — Aug–Nov 2019 (Credit course for M.Sc. students, CMI)
• An Introduction to Operator Algebras — Aug–Nov 2018 (Credit course for M.Sc. students at CMI; also credited by a Ph.D. scholar from IIT Madras)
• Directed Reading Course on Perron–Frobenius Theory — 2018 (Credit course for Utsab Raj Sarkar, M.Sc. student at CMI)
Featured Online Lecture Series
• WOTOA Mini-Course on Planar Algebras — 5-Lecture Video Series on Jones’ Planar Algebras and Subfactors · Watch on YouTube