=============================================================
The algorithms group at the Eindhoven University of Technology (the
Netherlands) has an opening for a PhD student in the area of
computational geometry.
THE PROJECT
Maps help people to make decisions in, for example, navigation, spatial
planning, or risk and disaster management. Effective maps immediately
convey the relevant information and hence are as simple as possible.
Therefore, in many cases, schematized maps are best: schematization
makes maps more readable by using a simplified representation of the
original data, while omitting details that are irrelevant to the
purpose of the map.
In traditional schematized maps, features such as roads, rivers, and
the boundaries of regions are often drawn using only a few simple
curves. However, by lack of algorithms that can work with curves,
current automated schematization methods produce maps that are entirely
composed of straight line segments. This is unfortunate, since with
straight line segments alone one cannot achieve the expressive power,
clarity and aesthetic quality than can be achieved with curves.
The goal of the PhD project is to develop algorithmic methods that use
curves to produce schematic representations of region boundaries and
transportation networks. The task of the PhD student is to define
optimization criteria for curved schematization, to develop algorithms
that produce maps that are optimized according to these criteria, and
to evaluate these algorithms theoretically and experimentally. The
project will be carried out under the supervision of prof. Bettina
Speckmann and prof. Herman Haverkort.
The project will take four years and should result in a PhD thesis, in
publications in conferences and journals on computational geometry,
geographic information systems and/or information visualization, and in
interactive demonstrations of the techniques developed. There will be
opportunities for collaboration with (and visits to) computer
scientists, geographic information scientists, and psychologists in the
Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and other countries.
THE TU EINDHOVEN AND THE FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
The Eindhoven University of Technology (Technische Universiteit
Eindhoven, TU/e) was established in 1956 as a polytechnic. It has grown
into a university with nine faculties. The TU/e now has approximately
3000 employees (incl. PhD students) and 7000 BSc and MSc students. The
campus is in the center of Eindhoven. Eindhoven is located in the south
of the Netherlands, and is the fifth largest city with about 200,000
inhabitants.
The faculty of mathematics and computer science offers bachelor and
master programs, all of which are taught in English. Currently the
faculty has more than 600 BSc and MSc students and employs more than
300 scientists, including more than 100 PhD students. The faculty
contains well-established research groups in diverse areas such as
algorithms, visualization, information systems, combinatorial
optimization, model-driven software engineering, security, and
stochastics.
The algorithms group, headed by prof. Mark de Berg, focuses on
algorithms and data structures for spatial data. We perform fundamental
research in computational geometry, I/O-efficient algorithms, and graph
drawing, with applications to, for instance, geographic information
systems and automated cartography. Currently the group consists of Mark
de Berg, Kevin Buchin, Maike Buchin, Herman Haverkort, Bettina
Speckmann, and several PhD students, making it one of the largest
groups world-wide in this area. The group collaborates closely with the
visualization group headed by prof. Jack van Wijk.
For more information on the group, see: http://www.win.tue.nl/algo/
BEING A PhD STUDENT IN THE NETHERLANDS
In the Netherlands, every PhD student gets paid a salary; no additional
grants are needed. Moreover, although PhD students sometimes take
courses, there is no minimum requirement. Hence, PhD students are more
like employees than like students. Indeed, the Dutch word for PhD
student translates to "research trainee".
The work of a PhD student may include assisting in courses of BSc or
MSc programs of the department. This amounts to at most 20% of the
time; the remaining time is spent on research and research-related
activities.
Foreign PhD students need not speak Dutch: it is easy to get by with
English, not only at the university but also in everyday life.
HOW TO APPLY
Send your CV together with a list of grades of master's courses (with
an explanation of the grading scheme used), the names of one or two
references, and an accompanying letter to prof. Herman Haverkort
(h.j.haverkort@tue.nl).
Candidates for this position should have a master's degree in computer
science or mathematics, with a firm background in algorithms.
To ensure full consideration of your application, you should apply
before 14 November 2011. After 14 November we may accept more
applications until the position is filled.
MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to know more about the project or job conditions,
please contact Herman Haverkort (h.j.haverkort@tue.nl).
**********************************************************
*
* Contributions to be spread via DMANET are submitted to
*
* DMANET@zpr.uni-koeln.de
*
* Replies to a message carried on DMANET should NOT be
* addressed to DMANET but to the original sender. The
* original sender, however, is invited to prepare an
* update of the replies received and to communicate it
* via DMANET.
*
* DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AND ALGORITHMS NETWORK (DMANET)
* http://www.zaik.uni-koeln.de/AFS/publications/dmanet/
*
**********************************************************
Posts
