Federico Ardila (born 1977) is a Colombian mathematician and DJ. He researches combinatorics and specializes in matroid theory. Ardila is currently a professor at Queen Mary University of London, and has also held roles at San Francisco State University and the University of the Andes.
Ardila was born in Bogotá, Colombia. While attending Colegio San Carlos, Ardila twice represented Colombia in the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning bronze in 1993 and silver in 1994.
Ardila attended MIT. He first obtained a degree in mathematics in 1998, before completing a PhD in 2003 under the supervision of Richard P. Stanley.
Outside of mathematics, Ardila is a co-founder of the DJ collective, La Pelanga.
Ardila advocates for increased representation in mathematics through a framework he calls "The Axioms," which outlines principles for fostering inclusive learning environments.
He established the SFSU-Colombia Combinatorics Initiative, a collaborative program between San Francisco State University and the Universidad of the Andes, and "Todos Cuentan," a community-based project aimed at supporting mathematicians from underrepresented backgrounds. To improve global access to advanced education, he has published over 200 hours of free mathematical lectures and resources online. He has also made several appearances in the mathematical YouTube video series Numberphile.