Paulis Kikusts
Technical Advisor
Tom Sawyer Software
Role at Tom Sawyer Software
Before his time at Tom Sawyer Software, Paulis was a well-respected professor at the University of Latvia, working in the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. He was also a leading researcher of the university, working in the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science. Paulis is an expert in graph theory and computational geometry. Paulis began developing graph drawing algorithms as early as 1991. In 1994, he was involved with the GRADE project, which was originally built for Siemens but continued its life as a tool for students at the University of Latvia. The GRADE system was one of the most sophisticated graph layout and diagramming projects ever built. In the 1990s, Paulis got involved in the graph drawing community by publishing papers and winning prizes in graph drawing contests. During his collaboration with Tom Sawyer Software, Paulis built the new Hierarchical Layout, which would remain his main area of work for several years. He also developed the Polyomino Packing algorithm to lay out disconnected components and isolated nodes. Paulis’ work is recognized through numerous publications. Paulis was instrumental in training Tom Sawyer Software’s new generation of layout engineers as well. Retired now, Paulis has returned to the University of Latvia and continues to teach classes.
Education
Paulis earned his university graduation diploma in Mathematics at the Latvia State University. He also has a Candidate degree of Science and a doctorate degree in Mathematics.