Nabhonil Kar ’20, Operations Research and Financial Engineering

Nabhonil Kar ’20

Major

Operations Research and Financial Engineering

Project Title

An Application of Machine Learning to Computational Environmental Science

Certificate(s): Applications of Computing, Spanish Language and Culture, Statistics and Machine Learning

I implemented machine learning algorithms for the Earth and Space Sciences Research Group at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain for application in computational environmental science. Specialized methods are required to analyze the vast amounts of data produced in disciplines such as climatology, meteorology and atmospheric science. My task was to write an artificial neural network (ANN) to allow the lab to make sense of their large data sets. Practical uses of the ANN include predicting future climates based on historical data; estimating surface-level and atmospheric temperatures based on satellite images; and, more generally, finding non-linear relationships between environmental variables. The project was an elegant application of my theoretical understanding of various branches of mathematical and computer science. Other minor projects for the summer included helping to write research papers in English and assisting Professor Tapiador with his upcoming book on the physics of environmental science.