Nathaniel Houk

Nathaniel J. Houk

Hi, I'm Nate 👋

I'm an Italian-American mathematician, computer engineer, derivatives trader, entrepreneur, and music enthusiast.

I'm interested in computers, programming, machine learning, options, old electronics, eurorack, techno music, and traveling. I currently reside in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

In June 2023, I led my team from ideation to execution, winning first place at the Flow Traders AI Hackathon. My expertise in generative AI and prompt engineering fuels my passion for this field.

In 2015, I founded Epsilon Records, a boutique record label specializing in Techno, Acid, and Deep House. I also pioneered Beautiful Techno, a genre fusing techno's intensity with melodic, emotive, and atmospheric elements for an immersive experience. Check out our latest releases on Bandcamp!

From 2008 to 2015 I worked as a derivatives trader at several high-frequency trading firms including IMC Financial Markets and Wolverine Trading.

I did my bachelors at the University of Southern California where I graduated in 2008 summa cum laude with a 4.0 major GPA in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. I worked as a teaching assistant for EE106 taught by Professor Mark Redekopp.

In 2006 I founded the USC Chapter of Engineers Without Borders and served as the President through 2008. The EWB-USC club is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to improving lives through sustainable water and related engineering projects.

In Fall 2005 I won the USC Programming Contest writing my solutions in C++. My EE459 senior design project involved writing embedded C and reverse engineering the Apple 30-pin connector to build an alarm clock called iSnooze.

I grew up on Bainbridge Island, WA and graduated from Bainbridge High School in 2004.

Email / CV / Transcript / Biography / GitHub

Research

Academic papers and research work.

Title	Publication Date	Status	Links
The Computational Emergence of Consciousness: Oracle-Based Sentience and Probabilistic Truth	February 2025	Submitted for consideration	PDF
Mathematical Timeproof: Probabilistic Verification of Unproven Theorems	February 2025	Submitted for consideration	PDF

P=NP is True: A Non-Constructive Proof

Planned: 2027

Affiliation: Independent Researcher

P=NP is a fundamental question in computer science, with implications for complexity theory and computational complexity. This paper presents a non-constructive proof of P=NP, which is true. The proof leverages the Mathematical Assertion Delay (MAD) Paradox, which introduces a probabilistic model of truth verification over time. The verification function V(Δt) = 1 - exp(-λΔt) provides a framework for understanding how temporal persistence can establish probabilistic truth in computational complexity theory. The paper also explores the cosmological and cryptographic implications of this result.

Research Interests: Computational complexity theory, mathematical proofs, probabilistic verification

References:

Electronics

Electronic engineering projects and hardware designs I've developed.

iSnooze
Tony Chen, Nathaniel J. Houk, Ashwin Sathe
EE459, Spring 2008
course page / project page / pdf / code

Reverse engineering the Apple 30-pin connector. Wake easier—one song at a time.

Code

Software projects and programming achievements throughout my career.

USC Programming Contest
Nathaniel J. Houk 1st place
Computer Science Dept., Fall 2005
home page / contest page / code

The USC Programming Contest is an event organized once per semester for undergraduate and beginning graduate students. It is a programming contest for individual participants.

Snake
Nathaniel J. Houk, David Reeve
CS101, Spring 2001
school page / project page / readme / download

Navigate the snake around the screen and try to eat the apples to gain points. Once you have eaten all of the apples on the level, you will advance to the next level. Try to get the highest points possible to make the scoreboard. You die by running into a wall, or running into yourself. (Windows only)

Mastermind
Nathaniel J. Houk
CS101, Spring 2001
school page / project page / download

Mastermind challenges you by randomly picking four pegs, each with six different color possibilities. Your goal is to guess the order and color of those four pegs, in only ten tries, while receiving clues from the computer in the form of black and white pegs. Based off the original board game. (Windows only)