Professor Niels Richard Hansen's inaugural lecture at MATH

The Department of Mathematical Sciences/UCPH invites you to a double feature: before Niels Richard Hansen, Professor Matthias Christandl will give his inaugural lecture at 14:00, also in auditorium 4. After the two lectures there is a reception at 16:00 in the E-building’s lunch room on the 4th floor (04.4.19).

Niels Richard Hansen writes about his lecture:

Statistics, dynamics and biological mechanics

"Statistics as a research subject evolves along with its applications. A classical goal for statistics is to extract essential knowledge from a limited amount of data, taking into account uncertainties in the data. Has statistics outlived its usefulness in a time with Big Data?

Larger data often means both more data and more details. Differences emerge that previously drowned in uncertainty; we find heterogeneity in the data, and the questions we seek answers to become more ambitious. Data is analyzed and interpreted through models that are becoming both more complex and computer intensive. Data is continuously pressed to the limit of what we can extract of knowledge.

In my own research I focus on dynamical systems with biological applications. In the first part of the lecture I will present different types of data from neurophysiology and systems biology. Based on the data I will explain some of the main statistical challenges. A particular challenge is to rise above descriptive modeling and determine causal and biological mechanisms with a combination of modeling, data and biological knowledge.

In the second part of the lecture, I will touch on specific mathematical and computational problems that occupy much of my time. The key question is how to formulate computationally attractive methods for selection of models based on data. I will discuss non-smooth optimization and fruitful geometric considerations of model classes."

The lecture will be in Danish.