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# Introduction: Michael Hong

in Chat

Hey everybody!

My name is Michael but people call me Mickey so if it ever recalls in your future memory feel free to call me by my less formal name. I am a physician currently practicing in Seoul, Korea where I specialize in metabolic recovery, nutrition, and psychology. I studied chemical engineering as an undergrad so always had an interest in applied mathematics but working on open ended problems eventually got me into pure mathematics.

I first started learning category theory couple years ago but being a non-math major, I didn't understand a single bit of this wild abstraction. Then after reading through John Baez and Bartosz Milewsky's website and Youtube lectures with a little bit of my own thinkering, I have been able to grasp the basics but learning without interaction is not only boring but also dangerous! So I am greatly honored and excited to partake in this course with all of you and hopefully I will be able to keep up and maybe even contribute.

My current fields of study are : complex adaptive systems, information theory, nonlinear dynamics, combinatorics, and cycle analysis of physiological processes

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Hello, Michael! Thanks for drawing that picture. I think it will really help people understand what I'm talking about.

I'm trying to apply category theory to open chemical reaction networks. I recently visited Wisconsin to talk to Gheorghe Craciun, the expert who proved the Global Attractor Conjecture, to recruit his help. We made some interesting progress on understanding nonequilibrium steady states of open chemical reaction networks. Next week I'll be going to Leiden to help some students work on a project relating open reaction networks to ATP coupling.

What I just said might not make much sense - and I'm not trying to force you to read all this stuff to understand me! I just want to let you know that I believe there's an interesting connection between category theory and "nonlinear dynamics, combinatorics, and the cycle analysis of physiological processes".

Comment Source:Hello, Michael! Thanks for drawing [that picture](https://forum.azimuthproject.org/discussion/comment/17164/#Comment_17164). I think it will really help people understand what I'm talking about. I'm trying to apply category theory to [open chemical reaction networks](https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.02051). I recently visited Wisconsin to talk to Gheorghe Craciun, the expert who proved the [Global Attractor Conjecture](https://sinews.siam.org/Details-Page/discussing-the-proof-of-the-global-attractor-conjecture-1), to recruit his help. We made some interesting progress on understanding nonequilibrium steady states of open chemical reaction networks. Next week I'll be going to Leiden to help some students work on a project relating open reaction networks to [ATP coupling](http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4393006). What I just said might not make much sense - and I'm not trying to force you to read all this stuff to understand me! I just want to let you know that I believe there's an interesting connection between category theory and "nonlinear dynamics, combinatorics, and the cycle analysis of physiological processes".
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@John

No problem at all! I'm kind of slow without pictures so I'm always drawing pictures. That's how I learn LOL. I know I understood something if I can draw a good picture that captures all of its essence.

So if you ever think some concept is important and think a picture would give a good explanation, feel free to ask. I am already probably drawing it for myself and if not I'd be happy to draw it especially if it helps others understand it better. :)

The links you sent me are super interesting and right up my alley of study. Cannot wait to learn some Category Theory to make the connections! I was a chemical engineering major during my undergrad years so have some background on the reaction networks but have so much to learn and fine tune!

BTW this line from ATP Coupling, "The role of ATP in coupling is not that it provides an increase in the equilibrium constants of thermodynamically unfavorable reactions but that the unfavorable reactions are replaced by other reactions which kinetically are more favorable and give rise to the same products. " makes me smile.

Thank you again for giving us this opportunity to learn category theory. Cheers.

Comment Source:@John No problem at all! I'm kind of slow without pictures so I'm always drawing pictures. That's how I learn LOL. I know I understood something if I can draw a good picture that captures all of its essence. So if you ever think some concept is important and think a picture would give a good explanation, feel free to ask. I am already probably drawing it for myself and if not I'd be happy to draw it especially if it helps others understand it better. :) The links you sent me are super interesting and right up my alley of study. Cannot wait to learn some Category Theory to make the connections! I was a chemical engineering major during my undergrad years so have some background on the reaction networks but have so much to learn and fine tune! BTW this line from ATP Coupling, "The role of ATP in coupling is not that it provides an increase in the equilibrium constants of thermodynamically unfavorable reactions but that the unfavorable reactions are replaced by other reactions which kinetically are more favorable and give rise to the same products. " makes me smile. Thank you again for giving us this opportunity to learn category theory. Cheers.
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edited May 21

I've moved a comment of yours to the new version of Puzzle 66, since the old version was problematic and I'm going to delete it. (You'll see what I mean.)

Thanks again for all the nice pictures!

Comment Source:I've moved a comment of yours to the [new version of Puzzle 66](https://forum.azimuthproject.org/discussion/1918/exercise-66-chapter-1-poset/p1), since the old version was problematic and I'm going to delete it. (You'll see what I mean.) Thanks again for all the nice pictures!