Ryka Chopra
Mission San Jose High School
Fremont, CA
A Dynamic Graph-Game-RL Framework for Incentive-Compatible Conservation in the Arctic Global Commons
Ryka Chopra, 17, of Fremont, developed a math model to explore how nations’ conservation decisions change Arctic ice for her Regeneron Science Talent Search social sciences project.
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CryoSat-2 data show Arctic ice thickness declining by 12.5% per decade, contributing 0.43°C to global warming. Existing models quantify ice melt but treat human actions as external. Ryka used a two-graph model to show nations’ actions and environmental impacts and link them together. She simulated nations’ potential actions using game theory.
She included reinforcement learning to let them iterate on their conservation strategies for the best economic payoffs. Ryka’s simulations covered interactions among 25 Arctic-related nations and regions over many time periods. Her model showed that, with the right incentives, countries can work together to reduce ice loss.
The child of Rajesh and Suparna Chopra, Ryka attends Mission San Jose High School, where she is president of the history club.
Beyond the Project
Ryka is president of her high school’s history club. She is also a pianist and music composer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Pre-College division.
FUN FACTS: Ryka helps arrange concerts as the conservatory’s student council secretary. She is also on the editorial team for the yearbook, chronicling student activities as a photographer.
