Kaelyn Willingham

Background

About Kaelyn Willingham

I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Minnesota and a 2021 graduate of The Ohio State University. I completed a BA in Mathematics at OSU and am currently pursuing a PhD in the same subject at UMN. My research interests lie at the intersection of geometry, topology, combinatorics, & computer science. Much of my work nowadays focuses on the application of geometric combinatorics to the study of deep learning, particularly trying to understand the functionality of deep learning architectures using tools from tropical geometry. I also have projects investigating investigating structures of high-dimensional cubical complexes using algebraic topology, investigating properties of social networks using topological data analysis, and investigating the behavior of infectious disease spread using probabilistic graph theory. When I'm not working on research (which isn't often these days), I spend my time teaching math to undergrads, playing the saxophone, watching YouTube, and pursuing other side interests.