Alex Cowan

Email: alex.cowan@uwaterloo.ca

About

I'm a postdoc working with Michael Rubinstein and Jerry Wang. I'm interested in analytic number theory, computational number theory, and arithmetic statistics.

Previously, I was a research scientist at Harvard, working with Noam Elkies and the Simons Collaboration on Arithmetic Geometry, Number Theory, and Computation. I did my PhD with Dorian Goldfeld.

I'm on the job market. Here is my CV, my research statement, and my teaching statement.

Teaching

Papers and preprints

  1. The relative entropy of primes in arithmetic progressions is really small. [arXiv]
  2. On the mean value of GL1 and GL2 L-functions, with applications to murmurations. [arXiv]
  3. Murmurations and ratios conjectures. [arXiv] Slides 1 Video 1, Slides 2 Video 2 (passcode: #^35#N3Lrq)
  4. Conductor distributions of elliptic curves. [arXiv]
  5. Generic models for genus 2 curves with real multiplication, with Frengley and Martin [arXiv]
  6. Murmurations and explicit formulas. [arXiv]
  7. A twisted additive divisor problem. [arXiv] Journal of Number theory 2025
  8. Paired comparisons for games of chance. [arXiv]
  9. Counting modular forms by rationality field, with Martin [arXiv]
  10. Moduli for rational genus 2 curves with real multiplication for discriminant 5, with Martin [arXiv] Journal de Théorie des Nombres de Bordeaux 2024
  11. Computing modular forms using supersingular isogeny graphs. Data and code [arXiv] Research in Number Theory 2022
         Data on the LMFDB, Video Slides
  12. Non-random behaviour in sums of modular symbols. [arXiv] International Journal of Number Theory 2022
  13. Conjecture: 100% of elliptic surfaces over Q have rank zero. [arXiv] Arithmetic Geometry, Number Theory, and Computation 2021
  14. The distribution of multiples of real points on an elliptic curve. [arXiv] Journal of Number theory 2020
  15. Constants in Titchmarsh divisor problems for elliptic curves, with Bell, Blakestad, Cojocaru, Jones, Matei, Smith, and Vogt [arXiv] Research in Number theory 2020

This page was last updated 2025/07/29.