Research In Computer Science at Durham University

1. Research In Computer Science atDurham University Hajo Broersma Director of Postgraduate Research

2. What exactly does a PhD consist of? • Essentially, a PhD consists of 3.5-4 years of individual and original research under the guidance of a (main) supervisor, and culminates in a written doctoral thesis. • It is • hard work • risky • exciting • rewarding. • It may or may not be the first step on the path to financial rewards; but doing a PhD does provide significant generic benefits to any individual in his or her subsequent chosen career path. • It is essential if you want to start an academic career here or abroad. • Many students who have successfully completed a PhD think of this as the best period in their life.

3. Who should consider a PhD? • The fundamental qualities any prospective PhD student needs to have is • intellectual curiosity, • a drive for doing original research and a • deep interest in (certain aspects of) Computer Science. • Some talent is required too! • At times it requires a strong sense of perseverance. • If you don’t have these qualities then perhaps a PhD may not be right for you.

4. What sort of topics can you study? • The Department of Computer Science has undergone a dramatic transformation in terms of personnel and its research portfolio. • Over the past couple of years, 13 new staff have arrived at Durham, all of whom have exceptional research records. • There are four research groups that can be found on our web pages: • Algorithms and Complexity Group • Interactive Media Technology Group • Software Engineering Group • Technology-Enhanced Learning Group • To find out more, have a look at the web pages and go and have a chat with appropriate members of staff after this presentation.

5. Funding • There are various sources of funding available: • the Department’s doctoral training account (DTA) arising through successful EPSRC research grant applications • Durham University’s postgraduate fellowship scheme • research grant proposals • other sources. • Most sources are competitive. • It is important that the Department knows of your interest in a PhD as soon as possible so as to maximise the likelihood of securing funding. • So start to talk to staff members as soon as possible or follow the official route of applying through the Graduate School. • The necessary information and links can be found on our research web pages.

6. Research Clusters • Algorithms and Complexity Group • Interactive Media Technology Group • Software Engineering Group • Technology-Enhanced Learning Group

7. Algorithms and Complexity Group Leader: Hajo Broersma • The Algorithms and Complexity group in Durham (ACiD) is a world-leading research group and the largest UK group in this area of Theoretical Computer Science. • All research in ACiD is about the foundations of computers and the fundamental limitations of computation.

8. Hajo Broersma • structural graph theory • algorithmic graph theory • computational complexity • applications, mainly in telecommunication

9. Stefan Dantchev • computational complexity • proof complexity • mathematical logic • integer programming • constraint satisfaction • satisfiability (SAT) solving

10. Tom Friedetzky • randomised algorithms • probabilistic analysis • sub-linear time algorithms • Monte Carlo Markov chains • communication networks (in particular load balancing)

11. Matthew Johnson • combinatorics • graph theory, including factorizations, cycle decompositions, list colouring, hypergraphs • applications to dynamic communications networks

12. Andrei Krokhin • algebra • logic • discrete mathematics • constraint satisfaction • computational complexity • temporal reasoning

13. Daniel Paulusma • graph theory • graph algorithms • computational complexity • game theory

14. Iain Stewart • computational complexity • finite model theory • descriptive complexity • graph theory and algorithms • interconnection networks for parallel and distributed computing • theoretical aspects of artificial intelligence • group theory • e-Science

15. Stefan Szeider • design and analysis of algorithms • proof complexity • parameterized and exact computation • propositional satisfiability • graph theory and combinatorics

16. Interactive Media Technology Group The Interactive Media Technology group investigates novel technologies that are changing the way people interact with computers. The aim is to demonstrate, through rigorous research, how new technology can provide humans with a better experience and understanding of the information around them.

17. Nick Holliman • digital imaging • 3D computer graphics • computer vision • visualisation technologies with a specific focus on software issues for advanced display systems • theory and application of auto-stereoscopic 3D displays

18. Ioannis Ivrissimtzis computer graphics subdivision surfaces polygonal mesh encoding application of statistical learning methods in surface reconstruction from scan data 3D computer graphics

19. Frederick Li Computer Graphics Distributed Virtual Environment Multimedia Systems Surface Modeling Virtual Reality

20. Shamus Smith • interaction specification for interactive systems • design of virtual environments • navigation in virtual environments • tactile visualisation • hazard analysis and safety arguments • descriptive argument reuse • barrier analysis

21. Software Engineering Group Leader: Malcolm Munro The research activities in the group include: • exploring how software-based systems evolve and change over time; • exploring how evidence-based software engineering can influence software engineering in general; • developing and exploring new software-service oriented architectures and their relationships to web services and the semantic web; • exploring type-based static analysis, resource analysis and verification for O-O programs; • exploring how software systems can be visualized; • developing the Semantic Web, Semantic Grids, and e-Services;

22. David Budgen • software engineering • evidence based software engineering • software service architectures with particular emphasis upon their use in health and social care • software design

23. Keith Gallagher • software maintenance • software evolution • empirical studies • program slicing • program comprehension • software testing

24. Malcolm Munro • software maintenance • software evolution • program comprehension • reverse engineering • software and system visualisation

25. Shengchao Qin • formal methods in software engineering • specification • verification • unifying theories of programming and method integration • programming languages • type systems • program analyses

26. William Song • e-commerce and e-payment • web search techniques including metadata, XML, RDF, web document and metadata management, learning object management • conceptual database schema integration • requirements engineering • enterprise re-engineering

27. Technology Enhanced Learning Group Leader: Liz Burd The vision is to advance technology enhanced learning through research innovation and software development. Research aims: to explore ways to promote active student engagement in the learning process. to seek new ways in which learning can be supported by technology but not driven by it. to examine the suitability of existing learning environments and consider how improved design may lead to more effective learning. to ascertain how technology can be used to increase effective use of teaching resources and increase personalisation and flexibility in the learning process.

28. Liz Burd • program comprehension • software maintenance and evolution • software process improvement • software reuse • software engineering • education

29. Shamus Smith interaction specification for interactive systems design of virtual environments navigation in virtual environments tactile visualisation hazard analysis and safety arguments descriptive argument reuse barrier analysis

30. What Next? • Decide what research area you are most interested in • Contact member of academic staff for further details • Fill in an application form • Submit it through the Graduate School