2 POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS IN DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE (COMPLEX SYSTEMS)

Title:  A Framework for Analysis and Control of Complex System-of-Systems

(SoS)

A complex network-centric system, or system-of-systems (SoS), can be defined as a collection of interacting, autonomous or semi-autonomous sub-systems that together must interact to accomplish a task. This representation describes many important systems, including air traffic control, electric power grids, the internet, intelligent transportation systems and biological systems.

In many instances, e.g., transactions on the internet, these systems operate in a purely decentralized, asynchronous fashion; however, we focus on applications in which an SoS needs to optimize the performance of a particular task. One example of a task-oriented system is a power grid, where a collection of power companies wants to supply consumers in a particular region with power while maximizing profit.

 This project aims to make contributions to a number of areas, including multi-paradigm modeling and simulation, graph grammars, model-based reasoning (especially constraint-based reasoning), decision/game theory, and hierarchical hybrid systems.

 In particular, we are examining a SoS in terms of its structure and functionality. In terms of structure, we have adopted the structure that has been found common across all complex systems, that of a small-world graph. This structure is characterized by short paths separating any two nodes in the network, as well as a high degree of node clustering.

 In terms of functionality, we plan to explore an extended constraint-based representation for the higher levels, and hierarchical hybrid systems for the lower levels.

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 Position 1: Multi-Formalism, Multi-Scale Modeling and Analysis

 We are looking for someone with a PhD in Computer Science or a cognate discipline who has expertise in multi-formalism modeling, graph grammars, or multi-scale hybrid-systems modeling.

 Project Objectives: This project aims to develop a formal model for analysing a SoS, and apply this to a domain such as a power grid or the internet. Our approach aims to provides the following capabilities:

 (a) Methods for consistently modeling an SoS across multiple time/physical scales

-Multi-Formalism, Multi-Scale Modeling

-Modeling representations, e.g, Hierarchical hybrid control

 (b) Methods for system verification.
 (c)Rewrite rules and formal verification for multi-formalism models.

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 Position 2: Complex System Modeling and Analysis using Random-Graph Methods

We are looking for someone with a PhD in Computer Science or a cognate discipline who has expertise in computational graph theory or random graphs.

 Project Objectives: This project aims to extend existing random-graph models for complex systems. The extensions include:

 (a) developing models with a closer correspondence with real-world system topology.

 (b) incorporating functionality into random-graph topological frameworks.

 (c) developing algorithms that can exploit the small-world graphtopology. Such algorithms include Constraint-based algorithms, or

algorithms for diagnosis, scheduling, resource allocation.

Salary within range €35,000 – €50,000 p.a. depending on qualifications and experience.

Closing date: Wednesday, 1 August 2007

Application by way of CV, including names & email address of two academic referees should be forwarded to:

Professor Gregory Provan,
Dept. of Computer Science,
University College Cork, Ireland.

Email: gprovan@cs.ucc.ie