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I’m an independent researcher from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, working on two interconnected projects:
Gödel Mirror: a formal logic system that computationally models contradictions using Lean4.
Rabbit Brain: a framework exploring fractal geometry as a substrate for neural representation.
Rabbit Brain has been accepted as a poster presentation at the NeurIPS 2025 NeurReps Workshop in San Diego, marking one of the first attempts to connect formal geometry with representation learning.
I’m seeking $5,000 USD in support to cover travel costs and represent this independent work on the world stage.
Present Rabbit Brain at NeurIPS 2025 and engage with global researchers to bridge symbolic and geometric perspectives in AI.
Publish an updated post-conference report and technical summary accessible to the open research community.
Open-source the key mathematical and code components (fractal mapping and Lean4 proof structures) on GitHub.
Achievement plan: finalize poster materials, attend NeurIPS (Dec 2–7, 2025), network with researchers, and document key dialogues and findings for dissemination.
Total requested: USD $5,000
Flights (Kuala Lumpur ⇄ San Diego): $2,200
Lodging (5–6 nights): $1,800
Local transport + meals + incidentals: $1,000
(NeurIPS registration already paid personally.)
This enables physical presence at the venue, otherwise financially impossible as a self-funded researcher.
This is a solo research effort.
I previously authored:
Gödel Mirror: accepted as a Lean4 presentation at the ITP 2025 Workshop (https://jhetchan.com/presentations/itp2025/).
Rabbit Brain: accepted at the NeurIPS 2025 NeurReps Workshop (pending camera-ready to be published on OpenReview.net).
Both projects integrate formal logic, geometry, and AI — blending symbolic rigor with creative independence.
Failure cause: lack of travel funding → unable to attend NeurIPS physically → missed opportunity to present and connect with global peers.
Outcome: project visibility and momentum would stagnate temporarily, but research would continue independently.
Success outcome: community engagement, collaborations, and visibility — helping legitimize independent contributions to high-level AI research.
$0 external funding.
All work and conference registration have been self-funded from personal savings and freelance software work.