PhD in efficient inference for knowledge-based systems

We are looking for a PhD student within the DTAI research unit, part of the Department of Computer Science, and the EAVISE research group, a KU Leuven research group in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, to conduct research on improving the efficiency of inference tasks in knowledge-based systems.
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Project

Knowledge-based systems offer highly explainable and trustworthy inferences, which are crucial properties in many industrial applications. At the same time, however, they suffer from scaling issues when the size of the problem domain increases, making them too slow to use for some applications.

This PhD focuses on researching ways to make modern reasoning engines more efficient, furthering the state of the art in techniques such as (lazy) grounding, SMT solving, constraint optimization, and more. The exact scope of this PhD will be determined along the way, based on the scientific tendencies and your own interests. You will become a member of the EAVISE group in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, centrally located in Flanders and easily accessible by train or car. 

Profile

• You have a master’s degree in computer science, AI, informatics, or a similar field.
• You possess hands-on experience with formal systems and reasoning engines, and are well-versed in logic.
• You have excellent knowledge of Rust, the programming language of our internal reasoning engine is written.
• You speak and write English fluently. Knowledge of Dutch is a nice plus.
• You are able to collaborate smoothly with others.

Offer

• We offer a full-time PhD position for 1 year, extendable to 4 years after a first positive evaluation.
• You conduct research in a driven research environment, leading to a doctoral degree.
• You will become part of a dynamic research group, with access to computer infrastructure and travel budgets.
• You will have the opportunity to attend international conferences and build a scientific network.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Simon Vandevelde, mail: [email protected].

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