Events
Past Event
WED@NICO WEBINAR: Maksim Kitsak, Delft University of Technology
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
Details
Speaker:
Maksim Kitsak, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delft University of Technology
Title:
Geometric Representations of Complementarity-Driven Networks
Abstract:
Similarity is one of the key principles underlying the formation of social networks: the more similar individuals are the higher is the chance for a social interaction between them. Latent geometry provides an elegant way to model similarity in social networks. Network nodes are viewed as points in underlying latent or hidden space, such that distances between them quantify node similarities: the smaller the distance between the two nodes the more similar they are. It is the similarity interpretation of latent distances that lies at the origin of many applications of network embeddings, including link prediction, soft community detection and clustering, network navigation, and search.
In my talk, however, I will focus on another class of networks that are shaped not only by similarity but also by the complementarity principle. Examples of complementarity-driven networks include interdisciplinary collaboration networks, networks of interacting proteins, and, possibly, food webs. Indeed, individuals with complementary expertise are more likely to solve an interdisciplinary problem of interest, and interactions often take place between proteins with complementary chemical properties and/or complementary binding interfaces. One of the most popular food web network models, the niche model, is based not on the similarity but on the complementarity principle, as I will demonstrate.
I will argue that existing network embedding methods are not readily applicable to complementarity-driven networks. I will then deduce a proper framework for the representations of complementarity-driven networks and demonstrate its efficiency in network reconstruction tasks.
Speaker Bio:
Maksim Kitsak is an assistant professor in the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at the Delft University of Technology. Dr. Kitsak earned his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Boston University. Dr. Kitsak has held postdoctoral positions at the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), UC San Diego; and the Center for Complex Network Research (CCNR), Northeastern University. His research focuses on the development of theoretical and computational approaches to networked systems, with diverse applications ranging from systems biology to civil infrastructure. Results of his research have been published in top cross-disciplinary journals, such as Nature, Nature Physics, Science, and Science Advances, and have received broad media coverage.
Webinar:
Webinar link: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/91064172482
Passcode: nico
ID: 910 6417 2482
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems and data science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Mayank Agrawal, Proof of Human "The Invisible Turing Test for the Internet"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Speaker:
Mayank Agrawal, Co-founder and CEO, Proof of Human
Title:
Proof of Human: the Invisible Turing Test for the Internet
Abstract:
This presentation introduces the Process Turing Test, a new framework for distinguishing humans from AI that goes beyond linguistic output to analyze behavioral dynamics. As LLMs routinely pass text-based Turing Tests, we need methods that probe the underlying architecture of intelligence through perception, control, and decision-making patterns. Using process tracing data from canonical cognitive tasks, we demonstrate how behavioral embeddings capture computational signatures unique to human cognition. This provides robust proof-of-personhood that resists adversarial attacks while revealing fundamental principles about how humans and machines process information differently.
Speaker Bio:
Mayank Agrawal is the co-founder and CEO of Proof of Human, a research and deployment company building the proof-of-human layer in digital identity. The company develops high-impact research and translates that work into systems for bot detection, fraud prevention, and continuous authentication. Mayank’s work focuses on new approaches to distinguishing humans from AI through behavioral and cognitive signals. He earned his PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Princeton University, where he studied computational models of human decision-making with Jonathan Cohen, Tom Griffiths, and Nathaniel Daw. His research spans cognitive science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with work published in Science, PNAS, and Psychological Review. He previously studied Computer Science and Philosophy at Swarthmore College.
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96392420891
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, networks, and artificial intelligence. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)