2 PhD positions in Rigorous Analysis of Local Search

Two PhD Position at University of Twente (UT) and Maastricht University (UM) are available within an NWO project on probabilistic analysis of algorithms, called "Rigorous Analysis of Local Search".

The positions are at the group Discrete Mathematics and Mathematical Programming (DMMP) of UT and at the Operations Research group of the Quantitative Economics department of MU. DMMP currently consists of 12 faculty members. The Department of Quantitative Economics of UM consists of over 20 faculty members, of which 6 are part of the Operations Research group.

About the project

Large-scale optimization problems appear in many areas, ranging from engineering over scheduling to the sciences. Unfortunately, for many optimization problems it is unlikely that we can find optimal solutions efficiently. Still, in practice often quite simple local search heuristics succeed in finding close-to-optimal solutions surprisingly quickly. As this is at stark contrast to their theoretically predicted performance, which is usually very poor, the goal of this project is to prove rigorous bounds on the performance of heuristics in the framework of smoothed analysis. Smoothed analysis is a paradigm to analyze algorithms where classical worst-case analysis fails. Although this is still a young field, it has proved to be a successful tool to analyze a variety of algorithms. Therefore, it will be the right framework to understand why simple local search heuristics show such a remarkable performance. We will not only analyze “pure” local search algorithms, but we go one step further towards rigorously analyzing algorithms used in practice by considering hybrid heuristics and metaheuristics.

•You have, or will shortly acquire, a M.Sc. degree in the field of Mathematics, Computer Science or a closely related field.
•A solid background in Discrete Optimization, Theoretical Computer Science, or the Analysis of Algorithms is highly appreciated but not a must as you will have the opportunity to follow courses of the LNMB PhD program during the first two years.
•You have good team spirit and like to work in an internationally oriented environment where many cultures meet.
•You are proficient in English

We offer an exciting research position in a dynamic and international environment. We offer excellent working conditions and good secondary conditions.
•The position is fulltime and for four years, with a qualifier in the first year.
•You'll have a full status as an employee at the UT or UM, including pension and health care benefits.
•The salary ranges from EUR 2.395,- (1st year) to EUR 3.061,- (4th year) per month, plus holiday allowance (8%) and end-of-year bonus (8.3%).
•You can make use of excellent facilities for professional and personal development.
•You have to be willing to move to (the vicinity of) Enschede or Maastricht. A relocation allowance or temporary housing allowance may be part of the offer.