Project description

Third-cycle subject: Applied and Computational Mathematics

With the increasing integration of intelligent systems in human life, it’s urgent to investigate control, optimization, and learning systems coupling with strategic/human agents. Examples of such systems range from transportation systems to human-robot teaming, smart grids, and federated learning. In these mixed-autonomy systems, the human agents, rational and self-interest, actively participate in and significantly influence the operations and dynamics of the systems. To ensure the accuracy and efficiency of these systems, it needs an incentive-driven scheme to motivate and regulate the strategic agents, such that they behave in a voluntary, authentic, and non-malicious way. This doctoral project will target this challenge by studying games and mechanism design in control, optimization, and data exchange among a network of strategic agents. The project will span theory, algorithms, as well as applications in the related fields.

The doctoral student will be actively involved in and access to the resources of the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP).

The successful candidate will be also enrolled in the WASP graduate school, simultaneously. Through an ambitious program with research visits, partner universities, and visiting lecturers, the graduate school actively supports forming a strong multi-disciplinary and international professional network between Ph.D. students, researchers, and industry.

Supervision: Silun Zhang is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Work and study in Stockholm, close to nature and the water.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.
• Access to the resources of WASP and Digital Futures, offering opportunities such as seminars, conferences, and research exposure in both industry and academia.
• Collaboration with leading experts in control and optimization at KTH, providing a unique chance for hands-on learning and research engagement.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master’s degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

The master’s degree should be in the field of applied mathematics, automation control, optimization, learning, economics, or other closely related disciplines.

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyse and work with complex issues.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ‘ time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. 

Union representatives

You will find contact information for union representatives on KTH’s website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

You will find contact information for doctoral section on the section’s website.

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH’s recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

The position may include security-sensitive activities. To become authorized, you therefore need to pass a security check.

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.