Geometric Models for Musical Audio Data

I am a mathematician whose main research focus lies in adapting theory from ostensibly pure areas of mathematics, such as topology, geometry, and abstract algebra, into tools that can be broadly used in many data-centered applications.

My initial training was in a recently-emerging field called topological data analysis (TDA). I have been responsible for several essential and widely-used elements of its theoretical toolkit, with a particular focus on building TDA methodology for use on stratified spaces. Some of this work involves the creation of efficient algorithms, but much of it centers around theorem-proof mathematics, using proof techniques not only from algebraic topology, but also from computational geometry, from probability, and from abstract algebra.

Recently, I have done foundational work on TDA applications in several areas, including to neuroscience, to multi-target tracking, to multi-modal data fusion, and to a probabilistic theory of database merging. I am also becoming involved in efforts to integrate TDA within deep learning theory and practice.

I typically teach courses that connect mathematical principles to machine learning, including upper-level undergraduate courses in topological data analysis and more general high-dimensional data analysis, as well as a sophomore level course (joint between pratt and math) that serves as a broad introduction to machine learning and data analysis concepts.

Professor Harer's primary research is in the use of geometric, combinatorial and computational techniques to study a variety of problems in data analysis, shape recognition, image segmentation, tracking, cyber security, ioT, biological networks and gene expression.