[FM-India] Post-doc position in Mons and Brussels

[Madhavan Mukund]

    Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 13:12:50 +0200
    From: Gilles Geeraerts <gilles.geeraerts at ulb.ac.be>
 Subject: Post-doc position in Mons and Brussels
      To: Gilles Geeraerts <gigeerae at ulb.ac.be>
 
 Dear colleagues,
 
 Please find hereunder an announcement for a post-doc position in Mons  
 and Brussels, on the topic of games. Do not hesitate to forward to  
 anyone you know who could be interested.
 
 Many thanks for your attention.
 
 Gilles and Thomas
 
 --------------------------------
 
 [Apologies for multiple posting]
 
 Post-doctoral position
 
 FP7 CASSTING: Collective Adaptive Systems SynThesIs using Non-zero sum Games
 
 * PROJECT *
 
 Collective adaptive systems (CAS) are distributed systems, with  
 heterogeneous components interacting continuously among each other and  
 with their environments, whose components may work collaboratively or  
 as adversaries. They have to adapt over time, are dynamic in the sense  
 that components can come into existence or vanish, and their  
 specification usually involves multi-dimensional quantitative  
 objectives. Such systems occur routinely in the domains of home  
 automation, health care, and many scenarios of mobile communication.  
 The design of CAS raises fundamental challenges and available methods  
 (such as model-based verification and quantitative model-checking)  
 only address selected aspects of those systems.
 
 The aim of CASSTING is to develop a novel approach for analyzing and  
 designing collective adaptive systems in their totality, by setting up  
 a game theoretic framework. Here components are viewed as players,  
 their behavior is captured by strategies, system runs are plays, and  
 specifications are winning conditions. The approach ranges from the  
 theoretical foundations of the study of such systems (developing  
 formalisms for reasoning about complex computerized systems  
 interacting with each other and pursuing their own objectives) to the  
 development of efficient algorithms for synthesizing such systems, and  
 to the practical issues related to the implementation of the  
 synthesized models. The position will be concerned with the  
 investigation of case studies related to the Cassting project. The aim  
 of the case studies is to demonstrate the applicability of the  
 specific methods developed in the Cassting project. Therefore the  
 candidate is expected to be sufficiently proficient with formal  
 methods and game theory.
 
 Three case studies have already been identified by the project. In the  
 first one, the aim is to optimize the flow of hot water in a  
 floor-heating system in order to optimize energy consumption and meet  
 the requirements of the users. The second is about optimizing the  
 behaviour of several energy-production, energy-storage and  
 energy-consumption devices within a single house. Finally, the third  
 one aims at optimizing the behaviour of a group of eight houses  
 equipped with photovoltaic panels. Here the control and the  
 optimization can be understood at various levels (single house, group  
 of houses, energy provider, …).
 
 
 The CASSTING project is an FP7 EU project. The members of the project are:
        • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
        • Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
        • Université de Mons, Belgium
        • Aalborg Universitet, Denmark
        • Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Germany
        • Seluxit APS, Denmark
        • Energinord, Denmark
 
 Website: http://www.cassting.eu/
 
 * CANDIDATE *
 
 Candidates should hold a PhD thesis (or expect to defend it soon) and  
 have a strong background in theoretical computer science. In  
 particular they should have proficiency in game theory and/or computer  
 aided verification.
 
 The successful candidate will be required to develop research  
 questions within the context of the project, conduct individual  
 research, interact with the other members of the local groups  
 (including PhD students) and of the other researcher groups that are  
 participating to the project. In particular, the successful candidate  
 will be expected to work on the case studies (but will have the  
 opportunity to contribute to the other areas of the projects including  
 game theoretic foundations for CAS and development of efficient  
 algorithms)
 
 * FUNDING *
 
 The monthly wages are about 2,200 euros, after all taxes. Enrollment  
 to the Belgian national health insurance scheme is included.
 
 * LOCATIONS *
 
        • Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium. Effective Mathematics
          group (http://math.umons.ac.be/me/en/) and Theoretical
          Computer Science (http://staff.umh.ac.be/Bruyere.Veronique/)

        • Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. Formal
          methods and verification group
          (http://www.ulb.ac.be/di/verif/).

 The two locations are easily reachable from each other (45 minutes by  
 train or car).
 
 * STARTING DATE AND DURATION *
 
 The starting date of the position is to be decided with the applicant.
 The duration is one year, also subject to discussion.
 
 * APPLICATION PROCEDURE *
 
 The applicants should send in electronic form:
        • a Curriculum Vitae
        • title and summary of the PhD
        • list of publications
        • the names and contact details (postal and e-mail addresses  
          and telephone number) of two referees.
        • a covering letter explaining how the candidates meets the  
          requirements
 
 The applications should be sent by e-mail to both Thomas Brihaye  
 (thomas.brihaye at umons.ac.be) and Gilles Geeraerts  
 (gilles.geeraerts at ulb.ac.be).
 
 --
 Gilles GEERAERTS
 Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
 
 Home Page: http://www.ulb.ac.be/di/verif/ggeeraer
 
 Federated Center in Verification: http://cfv.ulb.ac.be