Publications

See also my Google Scholar profile.

Preprints

  1. Recovery of Latent Inner Products from an Anisotropic Gaussian Random Geometric Graph

    Cheng Mao and Vidya Muthukumar

    arXiv:2607.23723, 2026

  2. Scaling Limits of Constant-Stepsize SGD at Flat Minima

    Jingyi Zhang, Cheng Mao, and Debankur Mukherjee

    arXiv:2607.16384, 2026

  3. Geometric Planted Matchings in High Dimensions: The Power of Multiple Views

    Timothy L. H. Wee, Kaylee Y. Yang, Zhou Fan, and Cheng Mao

    arXiv:2607.09026, 2026

  4. Resolution of the Detection Threshold Conjecture for Random Geometric Graphs in the d > n Regime

    Hang Du, Cheng Mao, Nike Sun, Yihong Wu, and Jiaming Xu

    arXiv:2607.02013, 2026

  5. Random Geometric Graphs with Smooth Kernels: Sharp Detection Threshold and a Spectral Conjecture

    Cheng Mao, Yihong Wu, and Jiaming Xu

    arXiv:2602.14998, 2026

  6. Cluster Expansion of the Log-Likelihood Ratio: Optimal Detection of Planted Matchings

    Timothy L. H. Wee and Cheng Mao

    arXiv:2512.14567, 2025

Publications

  1. Spectral Recovery of a Planted Triangle-Dense Subgraph

    Sam van der Poel, Cheng Mao, and Benjamin McKenna

    Conference on Learning Theory, PMLR 336:6410–6457, 2026

  2. Random Graph Matching at Otter’s Threshold via Counting Chandeliers

    Cheng Mao, Yihong Wu, Jiaming Xu, and Sophie H. Yu

    Operations Research, Vol. 74, No. 1 (2026), 430–445

    Conference version: Random Graph Matching at Otter’s Threshold via Counting Chandeliers (STOC 2023).

  3. Optimal Spectral Recovery of a Planted Vector in a Subspace

    Cheng Mao and Alexander S. Wein

    Bernoulli, Vol. 31, No. 2 (2025), 1114–1139

  4. Detection of Dense Subhypergraphs by Low-Degree Polynomials

    Abhishek Dhawan, Cheng Mao, and Alexander S. Wein

    Random Structures & Algorithms, Vol. 66, No. 1 (2025), e21279

  5. Information-Theoretic Thresholds for Planted Dense Cycles

    Cheng Mao, Alexander S. Wein, and Shenduo Zhang

    IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. 71, No. 2 (2025), 1266–1282

  6. Testing Network Correlation Efficiently via Counting Trees

    Cheng Mao, Yihong Wu, Jiaming Xu, and Sophie H. Yu

    Annals of Statistics, Vol. 52, No. 6 (2024), 2483–2505

  7. Impossibility of Latent Inner Product Recovery via Rate Distortion

    Cheng Mao and Shenduo Zhang

    60th Annual Allerton Conference on Communication, Control, and Computing, 1–8, 2024

  8. Spectral Graph Matching and Regularized Quadratic Relaxations I: Algorithm and Gaussian Analysis

    Zhou Fan, Cheng Mao, Yihong Wu, and Jiaming Xu

    Foundations of Computational Mathematics, Vol. 23, No. 5 (2023), 1511–1565

    Conference version: Spectral Graph Matching and Regularized Quadratic Relaxations: Algorithm and Theory (ICML 2020).

  9. Spectral Graph Matching and Regularized Quadratic Relaxations II: Erdős–Rényi Graphs and Universality

    Zhou Fan, Cheng Mao, Yihong Wu, and Jiaming Xu

    Foundations of Computational Mathematics, Vol. 23, No. 5 (2023), 1567–1617

  10. Detection-Recovery Gap for Planted Dense Cycles

    Cheng Mao, Alexander S. Wein, and Shenduo Zhang

    Conference on Learning Theory, PMLR 195:2440–2481, 2023

  11. Sharp Analysis of EM for Learning Mixtures of Pairwise Differences

    Abhishek Dhawan, Cheng Mao, and Ashwin Pananjady

    Conference on Learning Theory, PMLR 195:4384–4428, 2023

  12. Exact Matching of Random Graphs with Constant Correlation

    Cheng Mao, Mark Rudelson, and Konstantin Tikhomirov

    Probability Theory and Related Fields, Vol. 186, No. 1 (2023), 327–389

  13. Learning Mixtures of Permutations: Groups of Pairwise Comparisons and Combinatorial Method of Moments

    Cheng Mao and Yihong Wu

    Annals of Statistics, Vol. 50, No. 4 (2022), 2231–2255

  14. Random Graph Matching with Improved Noise Robustness

    Cheng Mao, Mark Rudelson, and Konstantin Tikhomirov

    Conference on Learning Theory, PMLR 134:3296–3329, 2021

  15. Optimal Rates for Estimation of Two-Dimensional Totally Positive Distributions

    Jan-Christian Hütter, Cheng Mao, Philippe Rigollet, and Elina Robeva

    Electronic Journal of Statistics, Vol. 14, No. 2 (2020), 2600–2652

  16. Estimation of Monge Matrices

    Jan-Christian Hütter, Cheng Mao, Philippe Rigollet, and Elina Robeva

    Bernoulli, Vol. 26, No. 4 (2020), 3051–3080

  17. Towards Optimal Estimation of Bivariate Isotonic Matrices with Unknown Permutations

    Cheng Mao, Ashwin Pananjady, and Martin J. Wainwright

    Annals of Statistics, Vol. 48, No. 6 (2020), 3183–3205

    Conference version: Breaking the 1/√n Barrier: Faster Rates for Permutation-based Models in Polynomial Time (COLT 2018).

  18. Worst-Case versus Average-Case Design for Estimation from Partial Pairwise Comparisons

    Ashwin Pananjady, Cheng Mao, Vidya Muthukumar, Martin J. Wainwright, and Thomas A. Courtade

    Annals of Statistics, Vol. 48, No. 2 (2020), 1072–1097

  19. Optimal Rates of Statistical Seriation

    Nicolas Flammarion, Cheng Mao, and Philippe Rigollet

    Bernoulli, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2019), 623–653

  20. Scaling Limits for the Critical Fortuin–Kasteleyn Model on a Random Planar Map I: Cone Times

    Ewain Gwynne, Cheng Mao, and Xin Sun

    Annales de l’Institut Henri Poincaré, Vol. 55, No. 1 (2019), 1–60

  21. Minimax Rates and Efficient Algorithms for Noisy Sorting

    Cheng Mao, Jonathan Weed, and Philippe Rigollet

    Algorithmic Learning Theory, PMLR 83:821–847, 2018

  22. Inventory Accumulation with Multiple Products

    Cheng Mao and Tianyou Zhou

    ALEA, Vol. 14 (2017), 947–965