Jonathan Chaika
Graduate Student
Mathematics
Research Project: Interval Exchange Transformations
Jon Chaika is a graduate student in Rice’s Mathematics department. Originally from Barrington, Rhode Island, Jon received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa. At Rice, Jon is currently conducting research on interval exchange transformations. In mathematics, an interval exchange transformation is a kind of dynamical system that generalizes the idea of a circle rotation. The phase space consists of the unit interval, and the transformation acts by cutting the interval into several subintervals, and then permuting these subintervals.
Why Rice? Jon answers, “I chose Rice due to its small Math department with accessible faculty.”
His affinity for Rice faculty is mutual. Dr. David Damanik, Associate Professor of Mathematics, states, “Jon's most apparent strengths include problem solving skills, drive, and determination. Coupled with his mathematical talent, these strengths should allow him to have an excellent shot at a successful career in an academic environment. Since I arrived at Rice, Jon has constantly broadened his own horizon as well as that of his fellow students.He regularly gives talks and organizes informal seminars. Working with him is a great pleasure as he is eager to learn, understands new concepts quickly and deeply, and produces interesting original research at an excellent rate.”
When not on campus, Jon says he is “either reading, cooking, or eating.” You may also find him at the Angelika Film Center. One day, Jon hopes to be a professor in Ergodic Theory, a branch of mathematics that studies dynamical systems with an invariant measure and related problems.
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