Hong Kun Zhang

Hong Kun Zhang is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on dynamical systems, ergodic theory, chaotic billiards, and financial mathematics. He holds a PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2005) under Nikolai Chernov's supervision. His work includes studies on statistical properties of hyperbolic systems, random billiards, and quantum billiards.

Education:

• PhD in Mathematics (2005), University of Alabama at Birmingham
• M.S. in Mathematics (2001), University of Alabama at Birmingham
• M.S. in Mathematics (1998), University of Inner Mongolia, China
• B.S. in Mathematics (1993), University of Inner Mongolia, China

Research Interests: His primary interests span billiard dynamics, statistical properties of chaotic systems, financial time series analysis, and applications of deep learning to dynamical systems. He has contributed to understanding mixing rates, entropy production, and spectral gaps in billiard systems.

Awards and Grants:

• NSF CAREER Award (DMS-1151762)
• Simons Fellowship (2015–2016)
• NSF Grant (DMS-0901448)
• Dean’s Award (UAB, 2005)

Key Contributions: Zhang has organized international conferences on statistical properties of dynamical systems and co-authored influential papers on Lorentz gases, spectral analysis of billiards, and applications of GARCH models in financial markets. His work bridges pure mathematics with applied fields like financial engineering and data science.