Tristan Hodgson
Hello, I’m Tristan (he/him), a second-year mathematics student at the University of Oxford with strong knowledge in probability, linear algebra, and statistics, and hands-on experience applying Python and SQL to data analysis, simulation, and machine learning projects. I’m drawn to problems that make me stop and think; for me, the appeal lies less in the final solution than in understanding the underlying structure and learning something new along the way.
Education
BA in Mathematics, University of Oxford
(2024-2027, Expected)
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Modules Taken
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MT Year 2
- Linear Algebra
- Complex Analysis
- Probability
- Metric Spaces
- Differential Equations 1
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HT Year 2 (upcoming)
- Numerical Analysis
- Statistics
- Integration
- Topology
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MT Year 1
- Analysis I
- Linear Algebra I
- Geometry
- Introductory Calculus
- Probability
- Computational Mathematics (continued in HT1)
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HT Year 1
- Analysis II
- Linear Algebra II
- Groups and Group Actions (continued in TT1)
- Multivariable Calculus
- Dynamics
- Computational Mathematics (continued from MT1)
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TT Year 1
- Analysis III
- Groups and Group Actions (continued from HT1)
- Statistics and Data Analysis
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MT Year 2
High School
(2018-2024)
- A Levels: Mathematics A*, Further Mathematics A*, Physics A*, Chemistry A*
- AS Levels: Computer Science A
- GCSEs: 10 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 7
Projects
- Modelled performance trade-offs between in-database and client-side matrix multiplication under compute, sparsity, and bandwidth constraints
- Benchmarked performance to validate asymptotic runtime predictions across matrices of varying size and sparsity
- Derived and validated the sparsity threshold function where in-database outperforms client-side computation to inform system architecture decisions
- Implemented LSTM seq2seq models in PyTorch to perform neural cryptanalysis of Caesar and substitution ciphers on natural-language sequences
- Extended prior neural cryptanalysis work by introducing a known prefix, reducing character-level errors by 41%
- Benchmarked against a random baseline to validate that the model learned decryption structure
Real Estate Market Dashboard
- Constructed a data pipeline to ingest government statistics, transforming transaction data into time-series data
- Segmented the housing market using PCA and K-Means, revealing regional and socio-economic divides without relying on location-based data
- Visualized complex datasets, using interactive maps and graphs to enable exploratory analysis of price and returns
Presentation on Algorithmic Information Theory, Kolmogorov Complexity
- Independently studied literature on Kolmogorov complexity and compression-based similarity measures
- Implemented a simple illustrative example (Normalized Compression Distance) to support explanation of abstract concepts
- Presented core theory, motivation, and limitations to a mixed undergraduate-faculty audience
Homelab
- Designed and deployed a self-hosted environment, with virtualisation via Proxmox and containerised services using Docker, accessed remotely via SSH and reverse proxying
- Daily Linux use across desktop and server environments, solving problems independently through documentation
Relevant Experience
IT Officer, Trinity College JCR
(Oct 2025-)
- Led the migration of the JCR website from a legacy Wix setup to the University-wide Fresco platform, reducing annual IT spend by 94%
- Coordinated approval, requirements, and timelines across multiple College and University teams
- Audited and rewrote outdated site content in collaboration with JCR members, restructuring the site as a clear resource for prospective and current students
Operations Internship, It's Our Planet Too
(One Week, Summer 2025)
- Partnered directly with the business owner to redesign operational workflows, replacing legacy spreadsheets with a structured system using Power Query, User forms, and Pivot Tables
- Developed dynamic dashboards tailored to different operational tasks, simplifying the management of subscription, shipping, and sales data
- Created documentation to enable users to understand and maintain the new system
Mathematics Tutor
(Dec 2022- Jul 2024)
- Communicated concepts in clear, accessible terms, helping students to develop strong mathematical reasoning skills
- Supported classroom learning by guiding students through problem-solving and adapting explanations to different learning styles
Oxford University Student Ambassador
(Jan 2025-)
- Led sessions for prospective students and collaborated with a team of ambassadors to execute events
Awards and Certifications
London Stock Exchange Group, Financial Essentials
(Aug 2025)
- Completed a certification program covering the foundational principles of financial markets, investment, and their economic and regulatory drivers
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
(Oct 2022-Jul 2024)
- Adapted quickly to new challenges, learning navigation, and teamwork in unfamiliar environments
- Independently planned and completed an expedition, demonstrating resilience, and self-sufficiency
Audited Courses
I have completed the full program of study for the courses listed below but did not proceed with formal certification, either because it was contingent on a paid exam or because it was not a feature of the course- Databases: Relational Databases and SQL by Stanford Online (2025) Studied the theory of databases and key concepts of SQL, including subqueries and aggregate functions
- Developing Generative AI Applications with Python by IBM (2025) Focused on integrating LLMs into Python applications, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques using LangChain; and building a voice assistant using STT/TTS APIs
- PyTorch tutorial by freeCodeCamp.org (2025) Gained practical skills in building, training, and evaluating Linear and CNN models for classification tasks in PyTorch, utilising custom datasets, tensor operations, and GPU acceleration
- SQLBolt (2021) Developed practical SQL skills by completing hands-on exercises, strengthening abilities in query structure, multi-table JOINs, and aggregate functions to solve data problems
Interests
- Tennis, playing board games with my friends, eating vast quantities of chocolate
- Video games, especially strategy games such as Satisfactory and City Skylines
- I'm currently reading The Dictator's Handbook by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith, it is about how political leaders maintain power by distributing resources to key supporters. It is fascinating framework for understanding the world of politics, both in the everyday and global sense.