Boris Yamnitsky


Boris Yamnitsky is a Soviet-American computer scientist, researcher, and software developer. He is the founder of Boris FX, a company that develops software for visual effects and compositing. He co-authored a polynomial-time algorithm for linear programming with Leonid A. Levin.

Early life and education

Yamnitsky emigrated from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. He earned an M.A. in Mathematics from Boston University in 1982, where he studied theoretical computer science and linear programming.

Research and career

In 1982, Yamnitsky co-authored a paper with Leonid A. Levin titled "An Old Linear Programming Algorithm Runs in Polynomial Time". The paper introduced an n-dimensional simplex-splitting technique, known as the Yamnitsky–Levin algorithm. The authors demonstrated that the number of splits required, denoted q, equals 1, which establishes polynomial-time behavior under certain conditions. The algorithm has been cited in studies on convex optimization, approximation algorithms, and linear programming methods. Yamnitsky documented the algorithm in his Master’s thesis.
Yamnitsky founded Boris FX in 1995 to develop software for visual effects, compositing, and post-production. He oversaw the development of software tools incorporating machine learning and AI for rotoscoping, object detection, motion estimation, image restoration, and audio denoising.

Awards and recognition

2017: Digital Video Industry Innovator Award from NewBay Media2019: Engineering Emmy Awards for Sapphire, Mocha Pro, and Silhouette2025: Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for Continuum

Selected publications