Visiting Complexity Postdoctoral Fellow Jacob Calvert has joined the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) to further his research on collective behaviors in physical and biological systems. Calvert, a mathematician and data scientist, is focused on identifying which intuitive ideas about nature can be precisely defined using mathematics.
“I’m interested in simple, direct questions about nature that are difficult to answer precisely,” Calvert said. “I try to see which analogies actually hold up to the microscope of precise mathematics.”
Calvert's work examines structural similarities among collectives across different scientific domains and scales. He employs methods from probability theory, statistical physics, and collective behavior studies to clarify concepts that often start as metaphors. In addition to his academic pursuits, Calvert previously worked as a data scientist at Dascena, where he led the development of a sepsis prediction algorithm that was shown to improve patient outcomes during clinical trials.
At SFI, Calvert is investigating questions related to entropy production in non-equilibrium systems and how collective behaviors change with scale. He is also interested in linking his probabilistic approach with recent advances in stochastic thermodynamics and collaborating with SFI researchers whose expertise may complement his current projects.
