Thursday, December 15, 2016

[DMANET] PhD positions in TCS at KTH Royal Institute of Technology

The Theory Group at KTH Royal Institute of Technology invites applications for up to four PhD positions in theoretical computer science.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology is the leading technical university in Sweden. The Theoretical Computer Science Group at KTH (www.csc.kth.se/tcs) offers a strong research environment spanning a wide range of research topics such as complexity theory and approximation algorithms, computer and network security, cryptography, formal methods and natural language processing. We have one of Europe's most prominent groups in algorithms and complexity theory, and the research conducted here has attracted numerous international awards and grants in recent years.

The PhD positions are in the area of computational complexity theory, focusing on questions at the intersection of approximation algorithms, subexponential algorithms, and proof complexity. Examples of topics of particular interest are the use of linear and semidefinite programming to solve hard combinatorial problems, or of proof complexity to prove that the problems are beyond the reach of such methods. Exciting recent developments have identified the so-called sums of squares hierarchy as a unifying theme for these questions, and one aim of our research is to build and expand on this theme. However, we will also freely explore whatever other methods turn out to be helpful for attacking these and other topics of interest in algorithms and complexity theory. The overarching goal is to understand fundamental properties of efficient computation by proving mathematical theorems about the power and limitations of different computational models.

This research project is led by Johan Hastad, Per Austrin, and Jakob Nordstrom, and is financed by grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the European Research Council, and the Swedish Research Council.

In addition to the PIs and the announced PhD positions, the research project will also involve 2-3 existing PhD students and 3-4 postdocs. Thus, this will be a unique opportunity to explore new connections between different subareas of complexity theory within a vibrant and growing research environment.

These are a four-year full-time employed position, but PhD positions usually (though not necessarily) include 20% teaching, in which case they are prolonged for one more year. The successful candidates are expected to start at the latest in August-September 2017, although this is to some extent negotiable. The positions are fully funded and come with a competitive salary.

The application deadline is January 15, 2017. See http://apc.csc.kth.se/D-2016-0832-Eng.php for the full announcement with more information and instructions how to apply. Informal enquiries about this position are welcome and may be sent to apc@csc.kth.se .


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