Dr. Fushing Hsieh (UC Davis)

Tittle: Data mechanics based coupling geometry for network analysis: An introduction.

Abstract: I would illustrate how to analyze two network data sets and resolve corresponding unsolved biological issues. The first analysis is on Case’s (1983) lizard vs island data from community ecology. Geometric validations of Diamond’s (1975) community assembly rules would be discussed. The second analysis is on Prochlorococcus’ gene content vs. phylogenetic tree from genetics. Multiscale interactions of gene content and species would be argued being the foundation of phylogeny. Along the illustrations I would demonstrate the ideas underlying the “data mechanics” from statistical physics perspective, and ideas behind the algorithmic developments of coupling geometry from perspectives of computational geometry and combinatorial optimization. Particularly the Gromov-Wasserstein distance and network bootstrapping would be discussed as well.