Hey, I'm Ethan!
My name is Ethan Phan! I'm an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech studying Math and Computer Science. In my free time, I enjoy creating and solving puzzles, practicing piano, cooking, juggling, crocheting, and climbing.
academics
I am interested in low-dimensional topology and knot theory.
My graduate-level coursework includes Real Analysis 1 (MATH 6337), Real Analyis 2 (MATH 6338), Algebraic Topoology (MATH 6441), Set Theory (MATH 8803), Differential Topology (MATH 6452), and MATH 6121 (Algebra 1). I am currently taking a class in knot concordance and homology cobordism (MATH 8803).
I'm comfortble using Java, Python, HTML/CSS, Javascript, SQL, LaTeX, and am familiar with other tools referenced in the next section.
Writings:
things i've made
A Seifert surface of a trefoil that I crocheted!
Projects:
- Diffuse: A presentation tool to help share links and content to the audience, made with Firebase.
- Ranking Chart: A score tracker for the game Puzzle & Dragons, made with Firebase and Chart.js.
- TsubakiBot: A Red (Python) Discord bot related to the game Puzzle & Dragons. I have contributed to various cogs and created a few cogs including Padle, Score listener, and Twitter listener. Future contributes are private however.
- Pinanle: A Heardle clone for classical piano pieces, made with React (no longer maintained).
- Jordle: A Wordle clone made with JavaFX.
- House o' Flavor: A recreation of the game Overcooked, made with Java AWT.
Tools & scripts:
- Handle Reduction: A program to perform the handle reduction algorithm on (mathematical) braids, written in Java.
- puzz.link Stats: A website and script to check your stats on the logic puzzle database, puzz.link.
- Anagrams: Quickly detect if two strings are anagrams.
- Cut Into Parts: Cut a YouTube video into segmented MP3 parts.
- Hatify: Place a hat on an image (i.e. for profile pictures).
teaching
I've been a Teaching Assistant at Georgia Tech since Fall 2022. My duties include leading recitation, grading, holding office hours, and proctoring.
- MATH 1552: Integral Calculus (Spring 2025)
- MATH 1552: Integral Calculus (Fall 2024)
- MATH 1552: Integral Calculus (Spring 2024)
- MATH 1552: Integral Calculus (Fall 2023)
- MATH 1552: Integral Calculus (Spring 2023)
- MATH 1113: Precalculus (Fall 2022)
puzzles
I like to create and solve puzzles.
In July 2021, I organized and hosted the Hunt20 Puzzlehunt (what is a puzzlehunt?). I wrote 19/20 of the puzzles in the hunt and set up the website (modified from gph-site).
You can check out some of the logic puzzles I have written (and other puzzly things) on my puzzle blog.
piano
I am a classically trained pianist and have been playing for years. By far, my favorite composer is Franz Liszt. Here are some of my favorite pieces that I've played:
- Tchaikovsky/Pletnev - Pas de deux
- Ravel - Jeux d'eau
- Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit No. 1 (Ondine)
- Liszt - Réminiscences de Lucrezia Borgia (Part 1)
- Chopin - Ballade No. 1
- Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
- Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op. 23 No. 2
- Liszt - Réminiscences de Norma
- Liszt - Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude
- Liszt - Waldesrauschen
- Liszt - Liebestraum No. 3
Here are some of my favorite Piano Concertos:
- Bortkiewicz Piano Concerto No. 1 - underrated!
- Mowszkowski Piano Concerto No. 2
- Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 - specifically played by Yunchan Lim.
- Scriabin Piano Concerto - specifically played by Daniil Trifinov.
- Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major
- Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1
And here are the pieces that I'm currently working on:
- Liszt - Dante Sonata
juggling
I first learned how to juggle with the Georgia Tech Juggling Club in September 2022, and I am now the GT Juggling Club president. I've learned 4 balls and 3 clubs and am now mainly working on 5 balls and 4 ball Mills' Mess, as well as some other fun tricks with clubs.
ambigrams
Ambigrams are designs of words that can be read in different directions (sometimes with different meanings with different perspectives). Here a few that I've designed.
contact me
I can be reached by email at [firstname]@ethanphan.me and you can also find me on Github.