Zhihao Gavin Tang唐志皓

Theoretical Computer Science · Economics and Computation

Zhihao Tang

Associate Professor and Associate DeanSchool of Computing and Artificial Intelligence (SCAI)Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

I am a tenured associate professor and associate dean at the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. I am also a member of the Institute for Theoretical Computer Science and the Key Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research of Computation and Economics. I received my PhD from the University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Hubert Chan. Before that, I studied Mathematics and Economics at Peking University.

My research spans theoretical computer science (TCS) and economics and computation (EconCS), with a focus on decision-making under uncertainty. A central theme of my work is online algorithms, where decisions must be made without knowing future inputs. I am particularly interested in online matching and prophet inequalities. More recently, I have been exploring beyond-worst-case models, including philosopher inequalities and order-competitive analysis, which benchmark an algorithm against the online optimum, as well as learning-augmented algorithms that use possibly imperfect predictions. I also study how to incentivize self-interested agents to reveal private information, with applications to pricing, mechanism design, and contract design. A third strand of my research concerns optimization and mechanism design with limited distributional information, including distributionally robust pricing and sample-based mechanism design.

Research record

Publications

67 publications · complete list

Unless stated otherwise, authors are sorted in alphabetical order.

W Working paperJ JournalC Conference

Working papers

  1. WRandomization and the Robustness of Linear Contracts

    Ashwin Kambhampati, Bo Peng, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Juuso Toikka, and Rakesh Vohra

    Working paper

    This paper merges two independent works, Kambhampati, Toikka, and Vohra (2024) and Peng and Tang (2024)

  2. WOptimal Competitive Ratio of Two-sided Online Bipartite Matching

    Zhihao Gavin Tang

    Working paper

  3. WOptimal Pricing with Unreliable Signals

    Zhihao Gavin Tang, Yixin Tao and Shixin Wang

    Working paper

  4. WRobust Mechanism Design with Anonymous Information

    Zhihao Gavin Tang and Shixin Wang

    Working paper

2026

  1. JProphet Secretary and Matching: The Significance of the Largest Item

    Ziyun Chen, Zhiyi Huang, Dongchen Li, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    TALG 2026 (Invited Paper)

    Preliminary version appeared in SODA 2025

  2. JOrder Selection Prophet Inequality

    Bo Peng and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SICOMP 2026

    Preliminary version appeared in FOCS 2022

  3. JIncentives for early arrival in online cooperative games

    Dengji Zhao, Yaoxin Ge, Yao Zhang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Hu Fu, and Pinyan Lu (by contribution)

    AIJ 2026

    Preliminary version appeared in AAMAS 2024

  4. JOrder-Competitive Ratio

    Liyan Chen, Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, Nick Gravin, Nuozhou Sun, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SICOMP 2026

    Preliminary version appeared in SODA 2023 and EC 2024

  5. CCombinatorial Philosopher Inequalities

    Enze Sun, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Yifan Wang

    SODA 2026

  6. CPricing with a Hidden Sample

    Zhihao Gavin Tang, Yixin Tao, and Shixin Wang

    EC 2026

2025

  1. JTight Bounds for Secretary Matching in General Graphs

    Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, Nikolai Gravin, Zhihao Gavin Tang

    MOR 2025

    Preliminary version appeared in EC 2022

  2. CRevisiting Ranking for Online Bipartite Matching with Random Arrivals: the Primal-Dual Analysis

    Bo Peng, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    EC 2025

  3. COnline Stochastic Matching with Unknown Arrival Order: Beating 0.5 against the Online Optimum

    Enze Sun, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Yifan Wang

    STOC 2025

  4. CIncentives for Early Arrival in Cost Sharing

    Junyao Zhang, Yao Zhang, Yaoxin Ge, Dengji Zhao, Hu Fu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Pinyan Lu (by contribution)

    AAMAS 2025

  5. CProphet Secretary and Matching: the Significance of the Largest Item

    Ziyun Chen, Zhiyi Huang, Dongchen Li, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SODA 2025

    Invited to special issue of TALG

2024

  1. JMax-min greedy matching problem: Hardness for the adversary and fractional variant

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Quan Xue

    TCS 2024

    Preliminary version appeared in IJTCS-FAW 2023

  2. CChoosing Behind the Veil: Tight Bounds for Identity-Blind Online Algorithms

    Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    EC 2024

  3. CSample-Based Matroid Prophet Inequalities

    Hu Fu, Pinyan Lu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Hongxun Wu, Jinzhao Wu, and Qianfan Zhang

    EC 2024

  4. COptimal Robust Contract Design

    Bo Peng, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    EC 2024

  5. CSetting Targets is All You Need: Improved Order Competitive Ratio for Online Selection

    Liyan Chen, Nuozhou Sun, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    EC 2024

  6. CImproved Bounds for Fractional Online Matching Problems

    Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Yuhao Zhang

    EC 2024

  7. CIncentives for Early Arrival in Cooperative Games

    Yaoxin Ge, Yao Zhang, Dengji Zhao, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Hu Fu, and Pinyan Lu (by contribution)

    AAMAS 2024, Best Paper Award

2023

  1. JToward a Better Understanding of Randomized Greedy Matching

    Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    JACM 2023

    Preliminary version appeared in STOC 2020

  2. COnline Ordinal Problems: Optimality of Comparison-based Algorithms and their Cardinal Complexity

    Nick Gravin, Enze Sun, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    FOCS 2023

  3. COn the Perturbation Function of Ranking and Balance for Weighted Online Bipartite Matching

    Jingxun Liang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Yixuan Even Xu, Yuhao Zhang, and Renfei Zhou

    ESA 2023

  4. COnline resource allocation in Markov Chains

    Jianhao Jia, Hao Li, Kai Liu, Ziqi Liu, Jun Zhou, Nick Gravin, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    WWW 2023

  5. CWho is Next in Line?" On the Significance of Knowing the Arrival Order in Bayesian Online Settings

    Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, Nick Gravin, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SODA 2023

  6. CBidder Subset Selection Problem in Auction Design

    Xiaohui Bei, Nick Gravin, Pinyan Lu, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SODA 2023

  7. CMax-min greedy matching problem: Hardness for the adversary and fractional variant

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Quan Xue

    IJTCS-FAW 2024, Best Paper Award

2022

  1. JProphet Matching with General Arrivals

    Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, Nick Gravin, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    MOR 2022

    Preliminary version appeared in EC 2020

  2. JThe Online Food Delivery Problem on Stars

    Xiangyu Guo, Kelin Luo, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Yuhao Zhang

    TCS 2022

  3. COptimal Prophet Inequality with Less than One Sample

    Nick Gravin, Hao Li, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    WINE 2022

  4. COrder Selection Prophet Inequality: From Threshold Optimization to Arrival Time Design

    Bo Peng, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    FOCS 2022

  5. CLookahead Auctions with Pooling

    Michal Feldman, Nick Gravin, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Almog Wald

    SAGT 2022

  6. CGeneral Graphs are Easier than Bipartite Graphs: Tight Bounds for Secretary Matching

    Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, Nick Gravin and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    EC 2022

  7. C(Fractional) Online Stochastic Matching via Fine-Grained Offline Statistics

    Zhihao Gavin Tang, Hongxun Wu and Jinzhao Wu

    STOC 2022

  8. COnline Facility Location with Predictions

    Shaofeng H.-C. Jiang, Erzhi Liu, You Lyu, Zhihao Gavin Tang and Yubo Zhang

    ICLR 2022

  9. COblivious Online Contention Resolution Schemes

    Hu Fu, Pinyan Lu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Abner Turkieltaub, Hongxun Wu, Jinzhao Wu and Qianfan Zhang

    SOSA 2022

2021

  1. CGeneralizing Complex Hypotheses on Product Distributions: Auctions, Prophet Inequalities, and Pandora's Problem

    Chenghao Guo, Zhiyi Huang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Xinzhi Zhang

    COLT 2021

  2. COnline Selection Problems Against Constrained Adversary

    Zhihao Jiang, Pinyan Lu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Yuhao Zhang

    ICML 2021

  3. CRandom Order Vertex Arrival Contention Resolution Schemes For Matching, With Applications

    Hu Fu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Hongxun Wu, Jinzhao Wu, and Qianfan Zhang

    ICALP 2021

  4. COnline Stochastic Matching with Edge Arrivals

    Nick Gravin, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Kangning Wang

    ICALP 2021

2020

  1. JTight Revenue Gaps among Simple Mechanisms

    Yaonan Jin, Pinyan Lu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Tao Xiao

    SICOMP 2020

    Preliminary version appeared in SODA 2019

  2. JFully Online Matching

    Zhiyi Huang, Ning Kang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, Yuhao Zhang, and Xue Zhu

    JACM 2020

    Preliminary version appeared in STOC 2018

  3. JRe-Revisiting Learning on Hypergraphs: Confidence Interval, Subgradient Method, and Extension to Multiclass

    Chenzi Zhang, Shuguang Hu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and T.-H. Hubert Chan (by contribution)

    TKDE 2020

    Preliminary version appeared in ICML 2017

  4. CFully Online Matching II: Beating Ranking and Water-filling

    Zhiyi Huang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    FOCS 2020

  5. COnline Stochasitc Max-Weight Matching: prophet inequality for vertex and edge arrival models

    Tomer Ezra, Michal Feldman, Nick Gravin, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    EC 2020

  6. CTowards a Better Understanding of Randomized Greedy Matching

    Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    STOC 2020

2019

  1. JOnline Vertex-Weighted Bipartite Matching: Beating 1-1/e with Random Arrivals

    Zhiyi Huang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    TALG 2019

    Preliminary version appeared in ICALP 2018

  2. CDiffusion Operator and Spectral Analysis for Directed Hypergraph Laplacian

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Chenzi Zhang

    TCS 2019

  3. CTight Approximation Ratio of Anonymous Pricing

    Yaonan Jin, Pinyan Lu, Qi Qi, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Tao Xiao

    STOC 2019

  4. CCorrelation-Robust Analysis of Single Item Auction

    Xiaohui Bei, Nick Gravin, Pinyan Lu, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SODA 2019

  5. CTight Competitive Ratios of Classic Matching Algorithms in the Fully Online Model

    Zhiyi Huang, Binghui Peng, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Runzhou Tao, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    SODA 2019

  6. CTight Revenue Gaps among Simple Mechanisms

    Yaonan Jin, Pinyan Lu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Tao Xiao

    SODA 2020

2018

  1. JSpectral Properties of Hypergraph Laplacian and Approximation Algorithms

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Anand Louis, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Chenzi Zhang

    JACM 2018

  2. JOnline Submodular Maximization with Free Disposal

    Zhiyi Huang, Ning Kang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    TALG 2018

    Preliminary version appeared in SODA 2017

  3. JOn (1,ε)-Restricted Max-Min Fair Allocation Problem

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Xiaowei Wu

    Algorithmica 2018 (Invited Paper)

    Preliminary version appeared in ISAAC 2016

  4. COnline Makespan Minimization: The Power of Restart

    Zhiyi Huang, Ning Kang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    APPROX 2018

  5. COnline Vertex-Weighted Bipartite Matching: Beating 1-1/e with Random Arrivals

    Zhiyi Huang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, and Yuhao Zhang

    ICALP 2018

  6. CHow to Match when All Vertices Arrive Online

    Zhiyi Huang, Ning Kang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, Xiaowei Wu, Yuhao Zhang, and Xue Zhu

    STOC 2018

  7. CThe Value of Information Concealment

    Hu Fu, Christopher Liaw, Pinyan Lu, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SODA 2018

2017

  1. COnline Submodular Maximization Problem with Vector Packing Constraint

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Shaofeng H.-C. Jiang, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Xiaowei Wu

    ESA 2017

  2. CRe-revisiting Learning on Hypergraphs: Confidence Interval and Subgradient Method

    Chenzi Zhang, Shuguang Hu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and T.-H. Hubert Chan (by contribution)

    ICML 2017

  3. CGraph Edge Partitioning via Neighborhood Heuristic

    Chenzi Zhang, Fan Wei, Qin Liu, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Zhenguo Li (by contribution)

    KDD 2017

  4. COnline Submodular Maximization with Free Disposal: Randomization Beats 1/4 for Partition Matroids

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhiyi Huang, Shaofeng H.-C. Jiang, Ning Kang, and Zhihao Gavin Tang

    SODA 2017

2016

  1. COn (1,ε)-Restricted Max-Min Fair Allocation Problem

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Xiaowei Wu

    ISAAC 2016

2015

  1. CCheeger Inequalities for General Edge-Weighted Directed Graphs

    T.-H. Hubert Chan, Zhihao Gavin Tang, and Chenzi Zhang

    COCOON 2015