Broadly speaking, and motivated by foundational questions, I try to connect the world (or what happens in it) to information and computation. I seek applications of algorithmc complexity and information theory.
I am also interested in the foundations and applications of computation, and in the dynamic behaviour of simple computer programs with special attention to trade-offs among complexity measures.
I have held various visiting positions in the U.S. While a graduate student I was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during the Summer of 2007; I was a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon (CMU) in Pittsburgh during the Spring semester of 2008, and an R&D Fellow from 2006 to 2009 at Wolfram Research in Boston, MA. I have also been a regular faculty member of the Wolfram Science Summer School.
Algorithmic Biology - Applications of Finite Algorithmic Randomness - Complex Behaviour from Simple Programs - Physics of Computation and Information - Thermodynamics of Computation - Computational Physics - Algorithmic Economics - Philosophy of Algorithmic Information.
From left to right:
Hector Zenil, Stephen Wolfram, Paul Davies, Ugo Pagallo, Greg Chaitin, Cris Calude, Karl Svozil, Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic and John Casti. University of Vermont, USA. 2007.
(Picture by Sally McCay)
Media Coverage
The French edition of Scientific American (Pour La Science) N°405 has devoted the Logic and Computation (Logique et Calcul) section of its July 2011 issue to my work on algorithmic complexity under the title "Le défi des faibles complexités" (The challenge of the weak complexities). Full article here.
My paper "An Algorithmic Approach to Information and Meaning" received a special mention from the Prix Jeunes Chercheurs (Young Researcher Prize) as a runner-up awarded by the Societé de Philosophie des Sciences, France.
Selected Papers
K. Dingle, H. Zenil, J.A.R. Marshall and A.A. Louis, Simplicity Bias in Genotype-Phenotype Maps, In Preparation.
H. Zenil and J.A.R. Marshall, Some Aspects of Computation Essential to Evolution and Life, ACM Ubiquity, Symposium on "Evolutionary Computation and the Processes of Life", forthcoming. [PDF]
H. Zenil, On the Dynamic Behaviour of Turing Universal Machines, Ninth ICNAAM-ISCS, Complex Systems, Vol. 20, No. 3, 2012. [PDF]
J.-P. Delahaye and H. Zenil, Numerical Evaluation of the Complexity of Short Strings: A Glance Into the Innermost Structure of Algorithmic Randomness, Applied Mathematics and Computation, 2012. [PDF] [Additional Material]
H. Zenil, F. Soler-Toscano and J. Joosten, Empirical Encounters With Computational Irreducibility and Unpredictability, Minds and Machines, vol. 21, 2011. [PDF].
H. Zenil, J.-P. Delahaye and C. Gaucherel, Image Information Content Characterization and Classification by Physical Complexity, Complexity, vol. 17--3, pages 26–-42, 2012. [PDF]
J. Joosten, H. Zenil and F. Soler-Toscano, Fractal Dimension as an Indication of the Terminating Runtime of Discrete Dynamical Systems, (abstract p. 214) in S. Thurner M. Szell (eds), Löcker Verlag, Vienna 2011.
J. Joosten, F. Soler-Toscano and H. Zenil, Program-size Versus Time Complexity, Speed-up and Slowdown Phenomena in Small Turing Machines, Int. Journ. of Unconventional Computing, special issue on Physics and Computation, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 353--387, 2011. [PDF]
N. Gauvrit, J.-P. Delahaye and H. Zenil, The Sloane Gap: On the Distribution of Integers in the OEIS (French version), Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines - Mathematics and Social Sciences n° 194, 2011. [PDF]
H. Zenil, Compression-based Investigation of the Dynamical Properties of Cellular Automata and Other Systems, Complex Systems, Vol. 19, No. 1, pages 1-28, 2010. [PDF]
J. Joosten, F. Soler-Toscano and H. Zenil, Complejidad descriptiva y computacional en máquinas de Turing pequeñas, Actas de las V Jornadas Ibéricas, Lógica Universal e Unidade da Ciência, CFCUL, 2010. [PDF]
N. Gauvrit, H. Zenil, J.-P. Delahaye, Assessing Cognitive Randomness: A Kolmogorov Complexity Approach, arXiv:1106.3059v1 [cs.CC], 2011. [PDF]
Book Chapters
G.J. Martinez, J.C. Seck Tuoh Mora and H. Zenil, Universality in Cellular Automata a Short Review: Class IV versus Class III. In H. Zenil (ed), Irreducibility and Computational Equivalence: Wolfram Science 10 Years After the Publication of A New Kind of Science, In preparation.
H. Zenil, From Computer Runtimes to the Length of Proofs: With an Algorithmic Probabilistic Application to Waiting Times in Automatic Theorem Proving. In M.J. Dinneen, B. Khousainov, and A. Nies (Eds.), Computation, Physics and Beyond Theoretical Computer Science and Applications, WTCS 2012 (Calude's Festschrift), LNCS 7160, pp. 223-240, Springer, 2012. [PDF]
L. Ma, O. Brandouy, J.-P. Delahaye and H. Zenil, Algorithmic Complexity of Financial Motions. In S. Kinsella, New Directions in Modeling International Finance, Routledge Advances Series on Experimental and Computable Economics, forthcoming 2012. [PDF]
H. Zenil, and J.-P. Delahaye, Un método estable para la evaluación de la complejidad algorítmica de cadenas cortas (A Stable Method for the Evaluation of the Algorithmic Complexity of Short Strings). In G.J. Martinez, H. Zenil and C.R. Stevens (eds), Complex Systems as Computing Models, Luniver Press, 2011. [PDF]
H. Zenil and J.-P. Delahaye, An Algorithmic Information-theoretic Approach to the Behaviour of Financial Markets. In S. Zambelli, D.A.R. George (eds.) Nonlinearity, Complexity and Randomness in Economics: Towards Algorithmic Foundations for Economics, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. [PDF]
J.J. Joosten, F. Soler-Toscano, H. Zenil, Complejidad descriptiva y computacional en máquinas de Turing pequeñas, en Lógica Universal e Unidade da Ciência, Centro de Filosofia das Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, pp. 11--32, 2011.[PDF]
H. Zenil (ed), Irreducibility and Computational Equivalence: Wolfram Science 10 Years After the Publication of A New Kind of Science, forthcoming in 2012.
L'approche algorithmique de l'aléatoire et les fondements d'une théorie algorihmique du monde, thesis fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor in Philosophy under the advice of J. Mosconi, IHPST (Paris 1/ENS Ulm/CNRS). (in progress)
Une approche experimentale à la théorie algorithmique de la complexité, dissertation Doctor in computer science, under the advice and guidance of J.-P. Delahaye and Cris Calude (aditional jury members: Greg Chaitin, Serge Grigorieff, Mathieu Philippe and Hervé Zwirn), University of Lille 1, 2011. All chapters have been published and are available from previous sections above. [jury evaluation report]
Calcul et hyper calcul, (mémoire) fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the degree of the Master in logic (LoPHISS) under the advice of Jacques Dubucs at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 2006. thesis awarded a 16/20.
Encaje de las Redes Neuronales Recurrentes Analógicas en la Jerarquía Aritmética fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the (licenciatura) Bachelor in Science (Mathematics) degree, under the advice of F. Hernández-Quiroz, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, 2005.
Essays
H. Zenil, The World is Either Algorithmic or Mostly Random, FXQi Contest: Is Reality Digital or Analog? 3rd Prize winner, February 2011. [PDF]
H. Zenil, A Rambling Walk Through Randomness, In preparation.
Program Committee Member: Complex Behaviour in Discrete Synamical Systems, 2012 European Conference on Complex Systems (Brussels, Belgium); Symposium on Computational Philosophy, AISB/IACAP World Congress, University of Birmingham, UK, 2012; Symposium on Natural/Unconventional Computing and its Philosophical Significance, AISB/IACAP World Congress, University of Birmingham, UK, 2012; 3rd. Symposium on Computing and Philosophy, University of York, England; IEEE ALIFE 2011, (Paris, France). Interdisciplinary Symposium on Complex Systems, (Kos Island, Greece). 2011 Interdisciplinary Symposium on Complex Systems, ICNAAM (Halkidiki, Greece).
Evaluator for the CONICYT (Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Gobierno de Chile) in2009.
Peer reviewer: Theoretical Computer Science; Fundamenta Informaticae; Complex Systems; Nonlinearity; Information Processing Letters; Discrete Applied Mathematics; International Journal of Unconventional Computing; and Natural Computing, New Journal of Physics.
Selected Demonstrations
Demonstrations are small pieces of peer-reviewed dynamical programs written in Mathematica illustrating, in my case, a computer science or a mathematical logic concept.
If you do not have Mathematica in order to run these Demonstrations you can download the Wolfram CDF Player for free.
The Algorithmic Approach to Information and Meaning, at the Faculty of Informatics, July 7, 2011. Interdisciplinary Workshop: Ontological, Epistemological and Methodological Aspects of Computer Science (with Javier Blanco), Philosophy of Simulation (SimTech Cluster of Excellence), Institute of Philosophy, University of Stuttgart, Germany.
The Algorithmic Footprint in Empirical Data, October 27, 2009. Workshop on Nonlinearity, Complexity and Randomness, Department of Economics, CIFREM, University of Trento, Italy.
On the possible computational power of the human mind, The Centre for Complexity Research, Society and Complexity Conference, September 2005, University of Liverpool, England, UK.
Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi) mini-grant awarded by way of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation for the project "Computation and Biology", 2012-2013.
Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi) mini-grant awarded by way of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation for the project "Computation and Time", 2011-2012.
Winning scientific image of the "2011 Kroto Institute Image Competition" with the image entitled "Runtime Space in a Peano Curve" in the category of Computational Imagery, 2011.
Postulated to theMIT's Technology Review's (Spanish version) annual list of 35 INNOVATORS UNDER 35, 2012.
Bourse aux jeunes chercheurs Comité National Français d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences, 2011.
Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche (bourse de mobilité aires culturelles), 2007,University of Paris.
Association for Symbolic Logic (ASL) Travel Grant Award(CiE 06, Swansea UK)
NSF and the New England Complex Institute (NECSI) (ICCS06-Boston, USA)
Université de Lille III, Kurt Gödel: The Writings, Maison de la Recherche 2006, Lille, France.
Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge University, UK (Visiting fellow, Workshop LAAW04, Wolfson Court, Girton College, UK), 2006.
CONACYT, Mexico (Masters and PhD Scolarships from the Mexican and French governments), 2005.
Shareholder and CEO
1998-2003 (having as customers companies such as Telcel, Maxcom, Nextel, Unefon, ADT, Alestra (AT&T), among others) Enterprise Business Solutions (EBS), Mexico City, Mexico.
IT consultant 1996-2000
CNBV (the Mexican banking regulatory commission), KPMG and other TELCOs. Mexico City, Mexico.
Volunteering & Internships Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Summer 2007 Mars Gravity Biosatellite team
Supporting member of the software engineering team for the program, in charge of assembling, reviewing and enhancing software requirements and flowdown. Project co-sponsored by the NASA.
The International Wikimania Conference
Summer 2006
for the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (the Wikipedia Foundation) Wikimedia Organization Team, July-August, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Summer 2006
Artificial Gravity Project (test subject)
Man-Vehicle Laboratory, August, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Mexican Consulate in Seattle, WA.
December 2003-January 2004
Documentation and Consular Activities
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-123 liftoff (video by H. Zenil on March 11, 2008)
This video recording was made from the vantage point of the Banana river, 6 miles from the Shuttle platform in a restricted area inside the Kennedy Space Center. The STS-123 was the 25th. flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and delivered a Japanese module and the Canadian Dextre robot.
NKS School trip to San Gimignano, Italy (Summer, 2009)
From left to right the school instructors: Hector Zenil, Jamie Williams, Paul-Jean Letourneau,
Tommaso Bolognesi, Jean Baetens. Among the participants: Ray Aschheim.
My paper "An Algorithmic Approach to Information and Meaning" received a 
