{"676336":{"#nid":"676336","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Mathematics of Connection: Cheng Mao awarded CAREER Grant for Unraveling Information Hidden in Networks","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENetworks can be found everywhere: in our daily social exchanges, the food webs that connect every living thing on Earth, and the interactions between proteins in the living body. From the global scale to the cellular level, they are a way of mapping and understanding the interactions within and between systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhile many connections are immediately apparent in a network, these systems also contain a large amount of hidden information. For example, a social network might connect the last 15 people you interacted with, but hidden in that network could be information about age, ethnicity, location, and more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhen scientists are given a network, their interest is typically to extract some information or structure hidden in the network,\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cmao35.math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECheng\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMao\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E, explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo do so, scientists engage in network analysis, leveraging mathematics and statistics. Now, a new $450,000 NSF CAREER grant will help Mao research and develop new mathematical methods and models to facilitate this work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award is a five-year grant designed to help promising researchers establish a foundation for a lifetime of leadership in their field. Known as CAREER awards, the grants are NSF\u2019s most prestigious funding for untenured assistant professors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe award, for \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=2338062\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003EStatistical Inference on Random Graphs and Hypergraphs: Geometry, Combinatorics, and Computation\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d will also support Mao as he integrates the research into his teaching, with an emphasis on supporting students from diverse backgrounds. \u201cI taught a topics course on Statistical Inference on Random Graphs at Georgia Tech and look forward to further developing the course,\u201d he adds. \u201cI aim to expand the lecture notes into a long-form text that can be used by students and junior researchers interested in this area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReading between the lines\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cStatistics are playing an increasingly significant role in network analysis by providing a toolbox for extracting information from noisy network data.\u201d Mao explains. \u201cThis project aims to develop statistical models and computational methods for uncovering such hidden information so that we can make sense of large complex networks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EImagine a network of researchers, where each person is represented as a dot on a page \u2014 a node on a graph, in mathematical terms. Every researcher who has co-authored a paper might be connected with a line, creating a web, or network of collaborators. And while this graph does immediately convey some information, additional information is hidden within it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhat information is hidden in this network?\u201d Mao asks. \u201cOne example is the geographic locations of these researchers. Researchers based in the same institution or the same country may collaborate more often, so there may be more links between them in the network.\u201d This is where Mao\u2019s research comes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUsing tools from statistics and information theory, Mao aims to leverage mathematical models to characterize these connections in order to decode them \u2014 and reveal information that might not be immediately available. \u201cThis part of research is closely connected to the areas of theoretical computer science and machine learning, where a major task is to develop fast algorithms and then rigorously analyze their performance,\u201d he explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMathematics, and beyond\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMao underscores the intersectionality of his research: networks are studied by economists and ecologists, psychologists, and mathematicians. \u201cIt is common that researchers in different scientific and engineering fields study a similar problem but develop their own ways to solve it,\u201d he says, adding that\u0026nbsp;\u201cwe aim to widely disseminate the research results to statisticians, computer scientists, and any researchers who study or use network analysis.\u201d He hopes the research can facilitate the analysis of social and biological networks, leading to discoveries and innovations across many fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn turn, these real-word applications could lead to theoretical breakthroughs on the mathematical side of things. \u201cWhile mathematical research can evolve on its own, real-world problems can also provide guidance for developing theoretical mathematics,\u201d Mao explains. \u201cSo our goal is to make this research impactful for everyone \u2014 both theorists and practitioners.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESchool of Physics Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EZeb Rocklin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ehas also been awarded a CAREER grant for his research on flexible metamaterials and deformable solids. Read \u201c\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/smart-solids-zeb-rocklin-awarded-nsf-career-flexible-metamaterials-research\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESmart Solids: Zeb Rocklin Awarded NSF CAREER for Flexible Metamaterials Research\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u201d to learn more.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMao will use the $450,000 grant to develop new statistical techniques and models for extracting information hidden in networks, with applications spanning biology, economics, engineering, and beyond. The five-year award is NSF\u2019s most prestigious funding for untenured assistant professors.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mao will use the $450,000 grant to develop new mathematical techniques and models for extracting information hidden in networks."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2024-08-28 16:03:15","changed_gmt":"2024-09-03 12:50:44","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-08-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674752":{"id":"674752","type":"image","title":"Photo by Clint Adair, Unsplash","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhoto by Clint Adair, Unsplash\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1724861427","gmt_created":"2024-08-28 16:10:27","changed":"1724861427","gmt_changed":"2024-08-28 16:10:27","alt":"Photo by Clint Adair, Unsplash","file":{"fid":"258312","name":"clint-adair-BW0vK-FA3eg-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/08\/28\/clint-adair-BW0vK-FA3eg-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/08\/28\/clint-adair-BW0vK-FA3eg-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1873077,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/08\/28\/clint-adair-BW0vK-FA3eg-unsplash.jpg?itok=48BOqMKA"}},"674751":{"id":"674751","type":"image","title":"Cheng Mao","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECheng Mao\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1724861340","gmt_created":"2024-08-28 16:09:00","changed":"1724861340","gmt_changed":"2024-08-28 16:09:00","alt":"Cheng Mao","file":{"fid":"258311","name":"ChengMao.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/08\/28\/ChengMao_1.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/08\/28\/ChengMao_1.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":253225,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/08\/28\/ChengMao_1.jpeg?itok=GLXHfG7J"}}},"media_ids":["674752","674751"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/smart-solids-zeb-rocklin-awarded-nsf-career-flexible-metamaterials-research","title":"Smart Solids: Zeb Rocklin Awarded NSF CAREER for Flexible Metamaterials Research"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193733","name":"_for_math_site_manual_feed_"},{"id":"193356","name":"cos-math"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}