[Proof Complexity] PhD opening in TCS and/or combinatorial optimization in Lund

[Jakob Nordström]

Dear colleagues,

I would be most grateful for any assistance in spreading the information 
below regarding a PhD opening in theoretical computer science and/or 
combinatorial optimization at Lund University. In particular, we will be 
happy to receive applications from strong candidates interested in proof 
complexity.

Best regards,
Jakob Nordstrom

**********

*PhD opening in TCS and/or combinatorial optimization in Lund
*
The Department of Computer Science at Lund University invites 
applications for a PhD position in theoretical computer science and/or 
combinatorial optimization.

The PhD student will be working in the /Mathematical Insights into 
Algorithms for Optimization (MIAO) /group headed by Jakob Nordstrom 
(www.jakobnordstrom.se), which is active at both the University of 
Copenhagen and Lund University on either side of the Oresund Bridge. We 
are closely affiliated with the Basic Algorithms Research Copenhagen 
(BARC) centre, and are part of a world-leading environment in algorithms 
and complexity theory encompassing also the IT University of Copenhagen 
and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). We aim to attract top 
talent from around the world to an ambitious, creative, collaborative, 
and fun environment. Using the power of mathematics, we strive to create 
fundamental breakthroughs in algorithms and complexity theory. While the 
focus in on foundational research, we do have a track record of 
surprising algorithmic discoveries leading to major industrial applications.

The MIAO research group has a unique profile in that we are doing 
cutting-edge research both on the mathematical foundations of efficient 
computation and on state-of-the-art practical algorithms for real-world 
problems. This creates a very special environment, where we do not only 
conduct in-depth research on different theoretical and applied topics, 
but where different lines of research cross-fertilise each other and 
unexpected and exciting synergies often arise. Much of the activities of 
the group revolve around powerful algorithmic paradigms such as, e.g., 
Boolean satisfiability (SAT) solving, Groebner basis computations, 
integer linear programming, and constraint programming. This leads to 
classical questions in computational complexity theory—though often with 
new, fascinating twists—but also involves work on devising clever 
algorithms that can exploit the power of such paradigms in practice.

Our most recent new line of research is on how to verify the correctness 
of state-of-the-art algorithms for combinatorial optimization. Such 
algorithms are often highly complex, and even mature commercial solvers 
are known to sometimes produce wrong results. Our work on designing a 
new generation of /certifying /combinatorial solvers, which output not 
only an answer but also a machine-verifiable mathematical proof that 
this answer is correct, has already received several international 
awards, but many more exciting problems are still waiting to be solved!

With this call, we are mainly looking for a mathematically gifted PhD 
student with excellent programming skills to continue our 
ground-breaking work on certifying algorithms. There is some flexibility 
as to what kind of research PhD students in the group pursue, though, 
and all candidates are welcome, both those who want to go deep into 
either theory or practice and those who are inspired by the challenge of 
bridging the gap between the two.

This is 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 starting date is negotiable, 
but should ideally be during the autumn of 2024 or in early 2025. All 
positions in the research group are fully funded, employed positions 
(including travel money) that come with an internationally competitive 
salary.

The *application deadline *is *September 6, 2024. *Please see 
https://jakobnordstrom.se/openings/PhD-Lund-240906.html for more 
information and instructions how to apply. Informal enquiries are 
welcome and may be sent to jakob.nordstrom at cs.lth.se.


Jakob Nordström, Professor
University of Copenhagen and Lund University
Phone: +46 70 742 21 98
http://www.jakobnordstrom.se