•  105
    In Epistemic Networks, is Less Really More?
    Philosophy of Science 84 (2): 234-252. 2017.
    We show that previous results from epistemic network models showing the benefits of decreased connectivity in epistemic networks are not robust across changes in parameter values. Our findings motivate discussion about whether and how such models can inform real-world epistemic communities. As we argue, only robust results from epistemic network models should be used to generate advice for the real-world, and, in particular, decreasing connectivity is a robustly poor recommendation.
  •  68
    On Einstein Algebras and Relativistic Spacetimes
    Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 52 (Part B): 309-316. 2015.
    In this paper, we examine the relationship between general relativity and the theory of Einstein algebras. We show that according to a formal criterion for theoretical equivalence recently proposed by Halvorson and Weatherall, the two are equivalent theories.
  •  52
    A classic result in the foundations of Yang-Mills theory, due to J. W. Barrett ["Holonomy and Path Structures in General Relativity and Yang-Mills Theory." Int. J. Th. Phys. 30, ], establishes that given a "generalized" holonomy map from the space of piece-wise smooth, closed curves based at some point of a manifold to a Lie group, there exists a principal bundle with that group as structure group and a principal connection on that bundle such that the holonomy map corresponds to the holonomies …Read more
  •  46
    Why Be regular?, part I
    Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 65 (C): 122-132. 2019.
  •  26
    Learning from the Shape of Data
    Philosophy of Science 88 (5): 1033-1044. 2021.
    To make sense of large data sets, we often look for patterns in how data points are “shaped” in the space of possible measurement outcomes. The emerging field of topological data analysis offers a toolkit for formalizing the process of identifying such shapes. This article aims to discover why and how the resulting analysis should be understood as reflecting significant features of the systems that generated the data. I argue that a particular feature of TDA—its functoriality—is what enables TDA…Read more
  •  14
    The coordination dilemma for epidemiological modelers
    Biology and Philosophy 36 (6): 1-17. 2021.
    Epidemiological models directly shape policy responses to public health crises. We argue that they also play a less obvious but important role in solving certain coordination problems and social dilemmas that arise during pandemics. This role is both ethically and epistemically valuable. However, it also gives rise to an underappreciated dilemma, as the features that make models good at solving coordination problems are often at odds with the features that make for a good scientific model. We ex…Read more
  •  9
    This manuscript is intended as a technical supplement to Rosenstock and O'Connor. Calculations are presented for the expected return for strategic players of an iterated prisoner's dilemma which includes guilt-prone grim trigger players, who apologize when they accidentally defect, as well as fake apologizers who in fact act as defectors. See Rosenstock and O'Connor for a discussion of how the results presented here can be interpreted, using ESS analysis and exploring basins of attraction under …Read more