under construction 2026.07.06
Research and public activities
This page contains the same information on my past and current activity as on my homepage, research an otherwise, arranged by topic. Publications and events are grouped together, to give a more complete picture of what I do in these areas. Order within each topic is mostly by date, but also by importance to the topic. Some publications and events repeat, as they fall into more than one theme.
Persistent homology
Persistence is my main area of interest, in particular the algorithms for computing persistence diagrams, and the possibility to modify them given a change in the underlying data.
- 2026-05-20: Standardization in computational topology, ICERM topical workshop (open problem session, site)
- 2026-05-19: Dynamic persistent homology: Computation and implementation, ICERM topical workshop (poster, site)
- 2026-03-23: Pruning vineyards: updating barcodes and representative cycles by removing simplices, with Barbara Giunti. Published in Foundations of Data Science (journal, arxiv, video, software)
- 2026-02-26: Deconstructing Reeb graphs, SUNY Albany Algebra/Topology seminar (notes, site)
- 2026-01-26: Stability of 0-dimensional persistent homology in enriched and sparsified point clouds, ATMCS 12 (flash talk slide, site)
- 2025-12-03: Stability of 0-dimensional persistent homology in enriched and sparsified point clouds, with Ran Levi, Juliano Morimoto. Preprint (arxiv, software "TopoAware")
- 2025-10-27: Persistent homology updates on dynamic data, TopTime: Topological methods for time-varying data (slides, site)
- 2025-10-14: Pruning vineyards, ComPer 2025: Workshop on Computational Topology (slides, site)
- 2025-08-18: Pruning vineyards: Updating barcodes and representative cycles, AATRN conference (poster, site)
- 2025-08-12: Dynamic cycle representatives, BIRS workshop "Cycle Representatives in Applied homological Algebra" (slides and files, site)
- 2025-07-15: Minimal updates for dynamic barcodes and representative cycles, Applied Topology in Poznań (slides, video, site)
- 2023-11: DONUT - Creation, development, and opportunities of a database, with Barbara Giunti, Bastian Rieck. Published in Notices of the American Mathematical Society (journal, arxiv, database)
- 2023-10: Combinatorial Exploration of Morse–Smale Functions on the Sphere via Interactive Visualization, with Youjia Zhou, Michael J. Catanzaro, Matthew Zabka, Bei Wang. Published in Topological Data Analysis and Visualization 2023 (proceedings, arxiv, software "MSF Designer")
- 2020-06-27: Moduli spaces of morse functions for persistence, with Michael J. Catanzaro, Justin Curry, Brittany Terese Fasy, Greg Malen, Hans Riess, Bei Wang, Matthew Zabka. Published in Journal of Applied and Computational Topology (journal, arxiv)
- 2019-06-28: Stability of universal constructions for persistent homology, advised by Ben Antieau and Shmuel Weinberger, defended at the University of Illinois at Chicago (PhD thesis)
Topological data analysis in functional ecology
This area of research started a few years ago after meeting Juliano Morimoto (link), a biologist and mathematician. The context is a fairly classical use case of interpeting biological data as topological spaces, though the implications seem quite significant, as the shape of ecological data has already been a central topic of dicussion before the application of topology.
- 2026-05-28: The Evolution of Hutchinsonian Climatic Niche Hypervolumes in Gymnosperms, with Fernanda S. Caron, David F. R. P. Burslem, Juliano Morimoto. Published in Global Ecology and Biogeography. (journal)
- 2026-06-03: Topological methods for computational ecology, Inria DATASHAPE seminar (slides, site)
- 2026-02-27: Topological methods for computational ecology, SUNY Albany Applied Topology in Albany seminar (slides, site)
- 2026-01-26: Stability of 0-dimensional persistent homology in enriched and sparsified point clouds, ATMCS 12 (flash talk slide, site)
- 2025-12-03: Stability of 0-dimensional persistent homology in enriched and sparsified point clouds, with Ran Levi, Juliano Morimoto. Preprint (arxiv, software "TopoAware")
- 2025-02-27: Topological methods in computational ecology, European Conference of Tropical Ecology (slides, site)
Topological data analysis in diagnostic imaging
The most recently added area of my research, directly linked to my current postdoctoral grant (link).
- 2025-04-22: Lietišķā topoloģija, Latvijas Universitātes KPMI seminārs (slaidi)
Topological data analysis in computational neuroscience
My first postdoc was with the neuro-topology group at the University of Aberdeen, as part of a joint UKRI / EPSRC grant with EPFL, the aim of which was to analyze neuronal activity using topology. This period of my career was extremely fruitful in creating new collaborations and developing new ideas, whose impact continues to feature heavily in my research.
- 2025-01-17: Heterogeneous and non-random cortical connectivity undergirds efficient, robust and reliable neural codes, with Daniela Egas Santander, Christoph Pokorny, András Ecker, Matteo Santoro, Jason P. Smith, Kathryn Hess, Ran Levi, Michael W. Reimann. Published in iScience (journal, biorxiv, software "Connectome analysis")
- 2024-11-26: Modeling and Simulation of Rat Non-Barrel Somatosensory Cortex. Part I: Modeling Anatomy, with Michael W. Reimann, Sirio Bolaños-Puchet, Daniela Egas Santander, András Ecker, Cristoph Pokorny, Jason P. Smith, Vishal Sood, Ran Levi, Kathryn Hess, Henry Markram, and others. Published in eLife Neuroscience (journal, biorxiv)
- 2023-02-22: Continuous and discrete dynamic topology, TU Graz Institute of Geometry seminar (slides)
- 2022-06-01: An application of neighbourhoods in digraphs to the classification of binary dynamics, with Pedro Conceição, Dejan Govc, Ran Levi, Henri Riihimäki, Jason P. Smith. Published in Network Neuroscience (journal, arxiv, software "TriDy")
- 2022-01-12: Topology of synaptic connectivity constrains neuronal stimulus representation, predicting two complementary coding strategies, with Michael W. Reimann, Henri Riihimäki, Jason P. Smith, Christoph Pokorny, Ran Levi. Published in PLOS ONE (journal, biorxiv)
Configuration spaces and stratifications
Individual configuration spaces and their gluings into a topological space of finite subsets were of interest to me during my PhD studies, and were central to my thesis. I enjoy them and find myself returning to them from time to time, because of the way they blend combinatorics, topology, and higher algebra.
- 2026-05-31: A constructive proof for the simple connectedness of finite subset spaces, preprint (arxiv)
- 2021-06-11: Stratifications on the Ran space. Published in Order (journal, arxiv)
- 2019-06-28: Stability of universal constructions for persistent homology, advised by Ben Antieau and Shmuel Weinberger, defended at the University of Illinois at Chicago (PhD thesis)
Mathematics education
Guest lectures to undergrads or masters students, introductory talks and events for students and specialists, special public education events. Some of these are in English, some are in Latvian.
- 2026-03-19: Algebriskā un skaitliskā topoloģija no galīgām metriskām telpām, LU Matemātikas nodaļas seminārs
- 2025-12-18: Algebriskā topoloģija, LU Matemātikas nodaļas kursa "Topolģija" lekcija (piezīmes)
- 2025-11-25: Computational topology over finite metric spaces, LU Datorikas nodaļas seminārs (notes)
- 2025-04-22: Lietišķā topoloģija, Latvijas Universitātes KPMI seminārs (slaidi)
- 2025-03-11: Topological structures and biological settings, Université Côte d'Azur, Laboratoire J.A.Dieudonné seminar (slides)
- 2024-10-16: Matemātika un datu zinātne, LU studentu zinātniskais seminārs (slaidi)
- 2023-04-18: Introduction to Visualization, RBS Taster day (slides)
- 2023-01-19: Datu analīze ar Python, LU SZF doktorantu seminārs (slaidi)
- 2023-01-16: Mathematics and IT in BITL, RBS Greenhouse talk (part 1, part 2)
Non-formal education
These activities are mostly about enriching the communities in which I live and to which I belong, in non-traditional and non-formal ways. This involves summer camps and youth seminars, in Latvia and abroad.
- 2026-06-28: Normāla ģimene, ar Madaru Mazjāni. Ievirze 3x3 saietā Bebrenē (saite)
- 2023-12-26: Vēstures kartēšana digitālā laikmetā, ar Loru Egli. Ievirze 2x2 seminārā "Strāvojums" (saite)
- 2023-08-26: Dati un stereotipi, Liepājas Jauniešu Festivāls (piezīmes)
- 2019-06-26: 2x2 Kanādā. 2x2 seminārs Saulainē (saite)
Public outreach
These events are mostly in Latvian, often public discussions on the radio, or other events with an expected non-scientific audience.
- 2026-04-08: Pētījums: Veiksmīgi apgūt matemātiku traucē nespēja mācīties no savām kļūdām, Latvijas Radio 1 diskusija (ieraksts)
- 2026-03-24: No laboratorijas līdz risinājumam: jauno zinātnieku pieredze, TVNET raidieraksts "Redzi tālāk!" (ieraksts)
- 2026-01-29: Cik brīvs savās izvēlēs, ko pētīt, ir mūsdienu zinātnieks? Latvijas Radio 1 diskusija (ieraksts)
- 2025-11-10: Vientuļākais zinātnieks Latvijā, LU Alma Mater intervija (raksts, pārpublicēts, pastāvīga saite)
- 2025-10-17: Eiropas Savienība manā skolā, Latvijas Zinātnes Padomes pasākums (saite, uzdevumi, video)
- 2025-09-25: Matemātikas elegance, Radio NABA raidījums "Zinātnes vārdā" (ieraksts)
- 2025-06-21: Domā lēni par cipariem, Sarunu festivāls LAMPA (intervija, panelis)
- 2025-05-28: ASV aptur finansējumu pētniecībai: kuras zinātņu nozares varētu ciest visvairāk, Latvijas Radio 1 diskusija (ieraksts)
- 2025-01-06: Sācies Starptautiskais Kvantu zinātnes un tehnoloģiju gads, Latvijas Radio 1 komentārs (ieraksts, plašāki komentāri)
- 2024-05-21: Prāts izglābs pasauli, Radio SWH radījums (ieraksts)
- 2023-11-01: DONUT - Creation, development, and opportunities of a database, with Barbara Giunti, Bastian Rieck. Published in Notices of the American Mathematical Society (journal, arxiv, database)
Other events and activities
Things that I have participated in and which do not fit into any of the other categories on this page.
- 2024-09-25: Turning Waste into Treasure, Printful Knowledge Week
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