[agents] PhD position on machine learning for sequential decision making

[Matthijs Spaan]

Dear colleagues and students,

The Algorithmics research group of Delft University of Technology offers 
a funded 4-year PhD position on combining machine learning and model 
checking to learn and evaluate models for sequential decision making.

Deadline: October 15, 2017
URL: http://www.alg.ewi.tudelft.nl/vacancies/

Automated decision-making is a key capability of any intelligent system. 
Intelligent systems (e.g. for traffic planning, energy systems, robots, 
automated negotiation) must plan ahead, which is particularly 
challenging when either the future is uncertain, or they interact with 
many other agents. To tackle such problems, the Algorithmics group 
focuses on two lines of research.

We develop new algorithms and solvers for automated planning and 
scheduling, improve upon existing techniques such as reinforcement 
learning, Markov decision processes, and mathematical programming, and 
integrate our results in working prototypes and toolboxes to be used by 
other researchers and industry.

Furthermore, we develop game-theoretical mechanisms which govern the 
interaction between multiple self-interested systems or users, and 
provide computationally efficient algorithms to compute equilibria in 
these interactions.

By tackling these fundamental challenges at the intersection of 
sequential decision-making, machine learning, and algorithmic mechanism 
design, we contribute to more efficient energy use, reducing highway 
congestion, and reducing the cost of asset maintenance in various 
industries. Our results are published in the internationally leading 
conferences and journals in planning and scheduling, multi-agent 
systems, and artificial intelligence.

Regards,
Matthijs Spaan

PS: Please forward this email to potential candidates.