economics - Erika Barker — Miami-Based AI, Data Science, and Tech Journalism

Markov Chains and Predicting the Future

June 21, 2024May 14, 2024 by Erika Barker

Markov Chains, named after mathematician Andrey Markov, are models used to predict the future state of systems based solely on their present state. These versatile models find applications in various fields including economics, finance, biology, physics, and computer science, notably underpinning Google’s PageRank algorithm and aiding in stock market analysis and speech recognition.

About Erika Barker | Data Scientist,& Investigative Storyteller

I’m Erika Barker, a Miami-based data scientist, Navy veteran, journalist, and investigative storyteller. My career began in combat journalism for the U.S. military and evolved through graduate-level teaching, creative direction in New York, and advanced study in business and data science. Today, I focus on how machine learning, AI, and data analysis can reveal hidden patterns in human systems, and how those insights can be translated into stories that drive understanding and action.

I specialize in predictive analytics, machine learning, and data visualization, I build models and narratives that explore the trajectories shaping our society, from technology and finance to culture and governance. My work spans from creating dashboards and decision frameworks to producing investigative media like The Gray Files podcast, where I examine the human impact of emerging technologies through a data-driven lens.