Publications

Much of my current research involves the design and analysis of efficient machine learning algorithms that are tailor-made for scientific and other types of continuum data. I study ways to achieve better accuracy with fewer training data and develop principled uncertainty quantification techniques for operator learning. My work is motivated by scientific computing tasks that involve complex physical systems or inverse problems, where the data is often heterogeneous, noisy, incomplete, and limited in number. I deploy the methodologies arising from my research in several application areas, including medical imaging, climate modeling, and materials science. Please refer to my curriculum vitae to learn more about my background and research experience.

In addition to my published work below, my Google Scholar profile may be found here and my ORCID iD here

Preprints

 2. Hyperparameter optimization for randomized algorithms: a case study for random features

Oliver R. A. Dunbar, Nicholas H. Nelsen, and Maya Mutic

Submitted June 2024.

[arXiv:2407.00584 cs.LG] [Code 1] [Code 2] [Code 3]


 1. An operator learning perspective on parameter-to-observable maps

Daniel Zhengyu Huang, Nicholas H. Nelsen, and Margaret Trautner

Submitted February 2024, revised June 2024.

[arXiv:2402.06031 cs.LG] [Code] [Data]

Journal Articles

 3. Convergence rates for learning linear operators from noisy data

Maarten V. de Hoop, Nikola B. Kovachki, Nicholas H. Nelsen, and Andrew M. Stuart

SIAM/ASA Journal on Uncertainty Quantification, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 480–513, 2023.

[Download .pdf] [Official Version] [arXiv:2108.12515 math.ST] [Video]


 2. The random feature model for input-output maps between Banach spaces

Nicholas H. Nelsen and Andrew M. Stuart

SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. A3212–A3243, 2021. 

[Download .pdf] [Official Version] [arXiv:2005.10224 math.NA] [Code] [Data] [Short Video] [Long Video] [Poster]


1. Diastolic vortex alterations with reducing left ventricular volume: an in vitro study

Milad Samaee, Nicholas H. Nelsen, Manikantam G. Gaddam, and Arvind Santhanakrishnan

Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 142, No. 12, 2020. 

[Download .pdf] [Official Version]

Peer Reviewed Conference Papers

 1. Error bounds for learning with vector-valued random features

Samuel Lanthaler and Nicholas H. Nelsen

Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, Vol. 36, pp. 71834--71861, 2023 (NeurIPS 2023 spotlight paper).

[Download .pdf] [Official Version] [arXiv:2305.17170 stat.ML] [Code] [Video] [Poster]

Lecture Notes

 1. Operator-valued kernels

Nicholas H. Nelsen

Chap. III.3, pp. 286–297, in ACM 204: Matrix Analysis by Joel A. Tropp, Caltech CMS Lectures Notes Winter 2022.

[Download .pdf] [Official Version]

Theses

 3. Statistical foundations of operator learning

Nicholas H. Nelsen

Ph.D. Thesis, California Institute of Technology, 2024.

W.P. Carey and Co. Prize for Best Thesis in Applied & Computational Mathematics and Centennial Prize for Best Thesis in Mechanical & Civil Engineering

[Download .pdf] [Official Version]


2. On partial differential equations modified with fractional operators and integral transformations

Nicholas H. Nelsen

Bachelor's Honors Thesis, Oklahoma State University, Department of Mathematics, 2018. 

[Download .pdf] [Official Version]


 1. A reduced order framework for optimal control of nonlinear partial differential equations

Nicholas H. Nelsen

Bachelor's Honors Thesis, Oklahoma State University, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 2018. 

[Download .pdf] [Official Version

Miscellaneous

2. Lagrangian particle methods for the shallow water equations in varied geometries

Nicholas H. Nelsen and Peter A. Bosler

Sandia National Laboratories Center for Computing Research Summer Proceedings 2018, pg. 163-182, SAND2019-5093R, 2019. 

[Download .pdf] [Official Version]


 1. Advanced and exploratory shock sensing mechanisms

Nicholas H. Nelsen et al.

Sandia National Laboratories Technical Report SAND2017-10221, 2017. 

[Download .pdf] [Official Version]