Thursday, January 26, 2012

PhD Position - Theoretical Analysis of Evolutionary Processes

PhD Studentship
School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham
Reference : SCI1102
Closing Date : 09 February 2012

Theoretical Analysis of Evolutionary Processes

Applications are invited for PhD studentships funded by the School of
Computer Science, University of Nottingham. Studentships are available
from October 2011 for a period of three and a half years and include
payment of fees at the UK/EU rate and a postgraduate stipend of
£13,590 in year one with increments in line with Research Council
Rates.

Evolutionary algorithms and other randomised search heuristics have
been successfully applied to various industrial optimisation
domains. However, the theoretical understanding of these methods has
been limited. Recently, there has been significant progress in
analysing the runtime (also called optimisation time) of randomised
search heuristics using rigorous techniques from probability theory,
randomised algorithms, and computational complexity. Results about the
runtime give insights into how the behaviour of a randomised search
heuristic depends on its parameter-settings and on the characteristics
of the underlying optimisation problem.

The successful candidate will contribute to this exciting research
area, which lies at the interface between theoretical computer science
and computational intelligence. The aim is to develop theory that aids
in predicting and controlling the behaviour of general evolutionary
processes.

The topic is mathematically challenging and requires an excellent
degree in computer science or mathematics. In particular, the
candidate should have a strong background in probability theory,
discrete mathematics, and/or theoretical computer science.

The work will be carried out in collaboration with leading
international researchers in the area. The studentship is locally
associated with the Automated Scheduling, OptimisAtion and Planning
(ASAP) research group, one of the five main Research Groups within the
School of Computer Science at Nottingham.

For further information, please contact, Per Kristian Lehre,
email: PerKristian.Lehre@nottingham.ac.uk
http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~pkl

To apply, please access:
https://my.nottingham.ac.uk/pgapps/welcome/.
This studentship will remain open until filled.