I’m a product-focused engineering leader with a research background in theoretical computer science. I’ve been a co-founder of two startups in recent years: Typeset (acquired by SamCart in 2023) and Twigkit (acquired by Lucidworks in 2017). Currently, I am a VP of Engineering for Typeset at SamCart.
I worked on research at the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Cambridge University with Professor Anuj Dawar. My PhD at Cambridge studied the descriptive complexity theory of linear algebra. Before that, I did Part III of the Mathematical Tripos at the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at Cambridge and a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Iceland. I’ve co-authored four textbooks on enterprise software development, writing on application design, database architecture and data processing.
You can find my full CV on LinkedIn. Based in Cambridge 🇬🇧.
If you’re wondering, the name is pronounced bee-ya-r-kh-ih 🇮🇸.
Publications
Academic
Journal papers
- A. Dawar and B. Holm. Pebble games with algebraic rules. In Fundamenta Informaticae, Volume 150, Issue 3-4, 2017.
- M. Anderson, A. Dawar and B. Holm. Solving linear programs without breaking abstractions. In Journal of the ACM (JACM), Volume 62, Issue 6, 2015.
- A. Dawar, E. Grädel, B. Holm, E. Kopczynski and W. Pakusa. Definability of linear equation systems over groups and rings. In Logical Methods in Computer Science, Volume 9, Issue 4, 2013.
Theses
- B. Holm. Descriptive complexity of linear algebra. Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge, 2010.
- B. Holm. Constructing elliptic curves with a given number of points. Essay for the Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics, University of Cambridge, 2005.
Peer-reviewed conference papers
- M. Anderson, A. Dawar and B. Holm. Linear programming and maximum matching in fixed-point logic with counting. In Proceedings of the 28th IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science (LICS), 2013.
- A. Dawar, E. Grädel, B. Holm, E. Kopczynski and W. Pakusa. Definability of linear equation systems over groups and rings. In Proceedings of Computer Science Logic (CSL), 2012.
- A. Dawar and B. Holm. Pebble games with algebraic rules. In Proceedings of the 39th International Colloquium on Automata, Languages and Programming (ICALP), 2012. Slides for my talk at ICALP.
- A. Dawar, M. Grohe, B. Holm, and B. Laubner. Logics with rank operators. In Proceedings of the 23rd IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science (LICS), 2009.
Book chapters & extended abstracts
- A. Dawar and B. Holm. Pebble games for logics with counting and rank. In Studies in Weak Arithmetics, CSLI Lecture Notes, CSLI Publications, 2010.
- A. Dawar and B. Holm. Pebble games for rank logics (extended abstract). In proceedings of Logical Approaches to Barriers in Computing and Complexity, 2010.