David Harvey

Student supervision

Please contact me if you are interested in doing an Honours project or postgraduate work in number theory, computational number theory, etc.

Current students

Chris Ahn (Honours)
Harrison Graham (Honours)

Former students

Madeleine Kyng (PhD 2025)
Computing zeta functions of algebraic curves using Harvey's trace formula (pdf)
Max Xiong (Honours 2025)
A quasi-quadratic algorithm for generalized Bernoulli numbers
Thomas Arblaster (Honours 2024)
Cubic and biquadratic reciprocity
Victoria Gu (Honours 2020)
Elliptic curves over the complex field
Matthew Di Meglio (Honours 2019)
Chebotarev's density theorem
Ramanan Rajkumar (Masters 2019)
Searching for a counterexample to Kurepa's conjecture in average polynomial time
Madeleine Kyng (Honours 2018)
Computing zeta functions of smooth projective curves
Dan Altman (Honours 2017)
Deterministically factorising integer polynomials modulo many primes simultaneously
Peter Bradshaw (Honours 2016)
Algebraic function fields and the Riemann–Roch theorem
Ramanan Rajkumar (Honours 2015)
An extension of Kummer's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem to the Gaussian integers
Michael Carr (Honours 2015)
Elliptic curves over quadratic fields
Dean Garden (Honours 2012)
Rationality of the zeta function of a hypersurface over a finite field
Joel Beeren (Honours 2012)
Elliptic curves and factorisation

Lectures, tutorials etc

UNSW current term (2026 T1)

Not currently teaching any courses.

UNSW past courses

2025 T2: Higher Mathematics 1B (MATH1241), tutor
2025 T1: Higher Algebra / Modern Algebra (MATH3711 / MATH5706), lecturer
2024 T3: Galois Theory (MATH5725), lecturer
2024 T1: Higher Mathematics 1A (MATH1141), lecturer and tutor (x3)
2023 T3: Discrete Mathematics (MATH1081), tutor (x2)
2023 T1: Higher Mathematics 1A (MATH1141), lecturer (x2) and tutor (x4)
2022 T3: Galois Theory (MATH5725), lecturer
2022 T3: Higher Mathematics 1A (MATH1141), tutor
2022 T3: Mathematics 1A (MATH1131), tutor
2022 T1: Higher Mathematics 1A (MATH1141), lecturer and tutor
2022 T1: Mathematics 1A (MATH1131), tutor
2022 T1: Mathematics for Actuarial Studies and Finance 1A (MATH1151), tutor
2018 s1: Higher Algebra / Modern Algebra (MATH3711 / MATH5706), lecturer
2017 s1: Higher Algebra / Modern Algebra (MATH3711 / MATH5706), lecturer
2017 s1: Higher Mathematics 1A (MATH1141), tutor
2017 s1: Mathematics for Actuarial Studies and Finance 1A (MATH1151), tutor
2016 s2: Higher Mathematics 1B (MATH1241), tutor (x2)
2016 s2: Algebra and Analysis (MATH2701), lecturer
2016 s1: Higher Algebra / Modern Algebra (MATH3711 / MATH5706), lecturer
2016 s1: Mathematics 1A (MATH1131), tutor
2016 s1: Mathematics for Actuarial Studies and Finance 1A (MATH1151), tutor
2015 s1: Higher Algebra (MATH3711), lecturer
2015 s1: Mathematics 1A (MATH1131), tutor (x4)
2013 s2: Mathematics for Actuarial Studies and Finance 1B (MATH1251), tutor
2013 s1: Advanced Science: Professional Perspective and Practice (SCIF1121), tutor
2012 s1: Elliptic Curves (MATH5535), lecturer
2011 s2: Discrete Mathematics (MATH1081), tutor
2011 s2: Mathematics for Actuarial Studies and Finance 1B (MATH1251), tutor
2011 s2: Algorithmic Number Theory (MATH5645), lecturer

New York University

Spring 2011: Graduate Number Theory (G63.2210), lecturer
Fall 2010: Linear Algebra (V63.0140), lecturer
Fall 2009: Calculus I (V63.0121), lecturer
Spring 2009: Graduate Algebra II (G63.2140), lecturer
Fall 2008: Algebra and Calculus (V63.0009), lecturer

Harvard University

Spring 2008: Calculus, Series, and Differential Equations (Math 1b), teaching fellow
Fall 2007: Calculus, Series, and Differential Equations (Math 1b), teaching fellow
Fall 2006: Multivariable Calculus (Math 21a), teaching fellow
Fall 2005: Calculus, Series, and Differential Equations (Math 1b), teaching fellow
Fall 2004: Introduction to Functions and Calculus I (Math Xa), teaching fellow

Postgraduate mini-courses

2022: PCMI (IAS/Park City Mathematics Institute), Park City, Utah.
Four-hour lecture series Counting points on hyperelliptic curves over finite fields as part of the Number Theory Informed by Computation program.
Click here for a draft version of the lecture notes.
2026: AWS (Arizona Winter School), University of Arizona at Tucson.
Four-hour lecture series Counting points on hyperelliptic curves over finite fields as part of Computational Aspects of Arithmetic Geometry and Cryptography program.

National Mathematics Summer School

NMSS is a two-week residential school for mathematically gifted and talented senior high school students held each January at The Australian National University.

2015–2017, 2019, 2023: Number Theory and Algebra (main group course), lecturer
2012–2014, 2024, 2026: Prime Numbers and Quadratic Forms (experienced group course), lecturer
2000–2003: tutor