Prof. Dr. Semih Cayci

Research Interests

Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning, Deep Learning Theory, Reinforcement Learning, Applied Probability, Optimization Theory

Curriculum Vitae

Since 2022: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor for Mathematics of Machine Learning, RWTH Aachen University

2020-2022: NSF TRIPODS Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2014-2020: Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Ohio State University

Teaching

Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning - Winter 2025/26

Mathematical Foundations of Reinforcement Learning - Winter 2022/23, Summer 2024/25

Stochastic Analysis - Winter 2024/25

Mathematical Foundations of Deep Learning - Winter 2023/24

Seminar: Mathematical Learning - Summer 2023

Graduate Students

PhD Students

Reza Zolnouri

MSc Students

Jiaan Xing

Steve Meiter

Mariia Krasilnikova

News

22.01.2026 - Two papers got accepted to AISTATS 2026: Non-Asymptotic Generalization and Optimization Bounds for Stochastic Gauss-Newton in Deep Neural Networks [Paper] and Finite-Time Analysis of Gradient Descent for Shallow Transformers [Paper].

29.11.2025 - Optimal Rates of Convergence for Entropy Regularization in Discounted Markov Decision Processes was accepted to Information and Inference: A Journal of the IMA. [Paper]

09.10.2025 - Recurrent Natural Policy Gradient for POMDPs was published in Transactions on Machine Learning Research. [Paper][Slides]

26.07.2025 - Budgeted-Bandits with Controlled Restarts with Applications in Learning and Computing was published in Transactions on Machine Learning Research. [Paper]

23.06.2025 - Convergence of Gradient Descent for Recurrent Neural Networks: A Nonasymptotic Analysis was published in SIAM Journal on Math of Data Science. [Paper]

15.05.2025 - Fisher–Rao Gradient Flows of Linear Programs and State-Action Natural Policy Gradients was published in SIAM Journal on Optimization. [Paper]

24.01.2025 - I gave a talk on Recurrent Natural Policy Gradient for POMDPs at McGill University. [Link]

11.04.2024 - Convergence of Entropy-Regularized Natural Policy Gradient with Linear Function Approximation was published in SIAM Journal on Optimization. [Paper]

11.04.2025 - I gave a talk titled A Non-Asymptotic Analysis of Gradient Descent for Recurrent Neural Networks as part of the Math Machine Learning Seminar MPI MIS and UCLA. [Link]

20.03.2024 - Finite-Time Analysis of Natural Actor-Critic for POMDPs was published in SIAM Journal on Mathematics of Data Science. [Paper]

Contact Options and Office Hours

Office: Room 202, Pontdriesch 14

Phone: +49 241 80-97828

E-mail: cayci@mathc.rwth-aachen.de

Office Hours:
by arrangement

RWTH Aachen University

Chair of Analysis and its Applications

Attn: Prof. Dr. Semih Cayci

Pontdriesch 14

52062 Aachen

Germany