Mei Wang

Department of Statistics
The University of Chicago

Research interests

My research focuses on probabilistic-mathematical models and related statistical methods with applications in biological sciences. In particular, I am interested in models that require mathematical and probabilistic formulation to describe biological mechanisms. I am also into certain mathematical aspects of theoretical statistics and probability. The following are the topics that I have worked on recently.
  • Probabilistic-mathematical models with applications in biology.
    • formulation of probabilistic models and simulations characterizing inheritance mechanism for a non-Mendelian species.
    • construction of a mathematical procedure based on graph theory to introduce an algorithm useful for life cycle analysis in population biology.
    • probabilistic formulation and statistical analysis using matrix projection models to characterize a ecological population with complex life stage structures.
  • Statistical inference with non-commutative probability.
    Another research interest of mine is quantum statistical inference. My colleague and I constructed inferential prior measures for parametric probability families using group theoretic methods that involve spectral theory, operator approaches and coherent states (as termed in quantum mechanics).
  • Properties of analytical functions in probability.
    I am also involved in the study of analytical properties of functions that have important role in probability using methods in classical potential theory.
  • Environmental statistics and massive data sets.
    In addition, I am generally interested in environmental statistics and some of the challenges in statistical modeling of large data sets.

Recent publications and manuscripts

  • Pan, Y. and Wang, M. (2008)   Some properties of positive harmonic functions
  • Pan, Y. and Wang, M. (2008)   On higher order angular derivatives - an application of Faà di Bruno's formula, Complex Variables and Elliptic Equations 53 (2): 159-175.
  • Pan, Y. and Wang, M. (2008)   When is a function not flat?   Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications 340 (1): 536-542.
  • Pan, Y. and Wang, M. (2007)   Monotonicity of Harnack inequality for positive invariant harmonic functions, Journal of Applied Mathematics and Stochastic Analysis 2007 doi:10.1155/2007/39171.
  • Heller, B. and Wang, M. (2007) Posterior distribution for negative binomial parameter p using a group invariant prior (publication DOI) (author's pdf) Statistics and Probability Letters 77: 1542-1548.  
  • Sun, L. and Wang, M. (2007)   An algorithm for a decomposition of weighted digraphs --- with applications to life cycle analysis in ecology (original publication) (author's pdf) Journal of Mathematical Biology 54: 199-226.
  • Heller, B. and Wang, M. (2006)   Group invariant inferred distributions via noncommutative probability. Institute of Mathematical Statistics, Lecture Notes and Monograph Series 50: 1-19.
  • Bever, J. and Wang, M. (2005)   Hyphal fusion and multigenomic structure. Nature 433 (7022): E3-E4.
  • Pfister, C. and Wang, M. (2005)   Beyond Size: matrix projection models for populations where size is an incomplete descriptor. Ecology 86 (10): 2673-2683.