Songtao Mao


Email: smao13@jhu.edu


Hi, I'm Songtao Mao. I'm currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, advised by Prof. Xin Li. Prior to this, I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Zhiyuan College at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. My primary research focus is on theoretical computer science. Previously, I worked on pseudorandomness and coding theory. More recently, my research interests have shifted toward average-case complexity, cryptographic hardness, and the theory of AI safety.

Publications and Manuscripts

Author lists are in alphabetical order unless otherwise specified.

Near Optimal Algorithms for Noisy k-XOR under Low-Degree Heuristic
Songtao Mao
arXiv, 2026
When Relaxation Does Not Help: RLDCs with Small Soundness Yield LDCs
Kuan Cheng, Xin Li, Songtao Mao
arXiv, 2026
Hardness and Algorithms for Batch LPN under Dependent Noise
Xin Li, Songtao Mao, Zhaienhe Zhou
ePrint, 2025
Improved Explicit Near-Optimal Codes in the High-Noise Regimes
Xin Li, Songtao Mao
Proceedings of the ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA), 2025
Random Shortening of Linear Codes and Applications
Xue Chen, Kuan Cheng, Xin Li, Songtao Mao
International Computing and Combinatorics Conference (COCOON), 2023
Nonexistence Results of Generalized Bent Functions from \( \mathbb{Z}_2^n \) to \( \mathbb{Z}_m \)
Ka Hin Leung, Shuxing Li, Songtao Mao
Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A, 2023
Nilpotent Category of Abelian Category and Self-Adjoint Functors
Zhiwei Bai, Xiang Cao, Han Zhang, Songtao Mao, Yuehui Zhang
Frontiers of Mathematics in China

Teaching

Teaching Assistant

Theory of Computation
Teaching Assistant, Fall 2023, 2024, 2025
Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science
Teaching Assistant, Spring 2026

Welcome to get in touch with me anytime!