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Research Assistant on Counter Automata: Verification and Synthesis

Posted: 20th July 2015

Fixed term for up to 18 months (with the possibility of extension)
Grade 7: Salary £30,434 – £37,394 p.a.

We are looking to hire a Research Assistant to work with Professors Joel Ouaknine and James Worrell on the EPSRC-funded project "Counter Automata: Verification and Synthesis". The aim of this project is to enhance the algorithmic toolkit for verification and synthesis, building on connections between counter automata and extensions of Presburger arithmetic.

Presburger arithmetic is one of the most widely implemented and applied theories in SMT solvers. In this project, we are concerned with an extension of Presburger arithmetic with the binary divisibility predicate. One of the main objectives is to characterise the complexity of deciding satisfiability for quantifier-free sentences in this logic. More pragmatically we are also interested in developing practical decision procedures for this problem. A second objective of the project is to tackle verification and synthesis problems for counter automata with input and parameters, including developing connections with Presburger arithmetic with divisibility. As a Research Assistant on this project you will be expected to manage your own research and administrative activities which will include small scale project management, as well as collaborate in the preparation of research papers for publication in conferences and journals. You may also be required to assist in the supervision of post-graduate students working on related projects.

You will have a PhD or be very close to completion, in a relevant area of science (such as computer science or mathematics) together with a documented track record of completing research projects in the area of algorithms, logic, or verification, as witnessed by published peer-reviewed work. You will possess excellent communication skills and be able to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team.

The post, which is a full-time appointment, is funded by EPSRC, is available for up to 18 months (with the possibility of extension) and has a salary on the University grade 07S scale (currently £30,434 to £37,394 p.a.). This includes membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and has an annual leave entitlement of 38 days per year (inclusive of all public holidays and university closed periods).

Interviews are expected to be held on 8 September 2015.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 24 August 2015.

For further details and to apply please visit: https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=119386.