HAVE AT IT FOLKS!<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Lee Spector</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:lspector@hampshire.edu">lspector@hampshire.edu</a>></span><br>
Date: Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 9:15 AM<br>Subject: [compsci] PhD Studentship on AI for "Magic:The Gathering" card game<br>To: Computer Science and related topics discussion list <<a href="mailto:computerscience@lists.hampshire.edu">computerscience@lists.hampshire.edu</a>><br>
<br><br><br>
Awfully cool that they have funding for this!<br>
<br>
-Lee<br>
<br>
Begin forwarded message:<br>
<br>
> From: None <<a href="mailto:P.I.Cowling@bradford.ac.uk">P.I.Cowling@bradford.ac.uk</a>><br>
> Date: June 9, 2010 10:32:03 AM EDT<br>
> To: Computational Intelligence and Games <<a href="mailto:cigames@googlegroups.com">cigames@googlegroups.com</a>><br>
> Subject: EPSRC PhD Studentship (Univ. Bradford): Monte Carlo Tree Search in Uncertain Environments - Application to the Magic:The Gathering Card Game<br>
> Reply-To: <a href="mailto:cigames@googlegroups.com">cigames@googlegroups.com</a><br>
><br>
> University of Bradford: School of Computing, Informatics and Media.<br>
><br>
> Supervisor: Professor Peter Cowling (<a href="http://www.scim.brad.ac.uk/~picowlin" target="_blank">www.scim.brad.ac.uk/~picowlin</a>).<br>
><br>
> Financial Information: This studentship will pay PhD fees (UK/EU or<br>
> worldwide) and a tax-free stipend of £13,290 per annum, for a period<br>
> of 3 years.<br>
><br>
> Start Date: 1st October 2010 (or later by agreement).<br>
><br>
> Background: The desire for better Artificial Intelligence (AI) in<br>
> board games, card games and, more recently, video games have been a<br>
> constant driver for AI research. There is considerable current<br>
> excitement over the potential of Monte Carlo Tree Search algorithms<br>
> (particularly UCT (<a href="http://senseis.xmp.net/?UCT)" target="_blank">http://senseis.xmp.net/?UCT)</a>), which have produced<br>
> professional-level computer Go players in the past year, a significant<br>
> step towards addressing one of the major outstanding research<br>
> questions of Artificial Intelligence (<a href="http://oase.nutn.edu.tw/" target="_blank">http://oase.nutn.edu.tw/</a><br>
> FUZZ_IEEE_2009/result.htm). We have received substantial funding from<br>
> EPSRC to investigate the full potential of Monte Carlo Tree Search<br>
> (see <a href="http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/H049061/1" target="_blank">http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/H049061/1</a>), in<br>
> a collaboration between the University of Bradford, Imperial College<br>
> London, the University of Essex, the University of Reykjavik<br>
> (Iceland), AI Factory Ltd., Introversion Software Ltd. and Nestorgames<br>
> Ltd.<br>
><br>
> Project: For the majority of problems where game/decision tree models<br>
> are appropriate, particularly real-time video games and industrial<br>
> decision problems, the tree is nondeterministic, with both hidden<br>
> information and randomness. This PhD project will investigate Monte<br>
> Carlo Tree Search in a situation of hidden information and randomness,<br>
> focussing specifically on one of the most popular card games in the<br>
> world, Magic: The Gathering (<a href="http://www.magicthegathering.com" target="_blank">www.magicthegathering.com</a>). The student<br>
> will investigate how to design AI to handle uncertainty in card draws<br>
> and opponent plays, and the hidden information of the opponent's cards<br>
> in hand, using Monte Carlo Tree Search, starting from simple sets of<br>
> cards and increasing in complexity to deal with the fact that many of<br>
> the rules of Magic:The Gathering are only introduced as cards are<br>
> played (making Magic in some sense an exercise in General Game Playing<br>
> (see <a href="http://games.stanford.edu/)" target="_blank">http://games.stanford.edu/)</a>).<br>
><br>
> The PhD student: The PhD student will work closely with Prof Peter<br>
> Cowling and a post-doctoral research assistant (to be appointed), as<br>
> well as another PhD student already in post, to read and synthesise<br>
> research papers, design algorithms, write computer codes, conduct<br>
> experiments, present their work to other consortium members and at<br>
> international scientific conferences, and write high-quality journal<br>
> and conference papers.<br>
><br>
> Good programming skills are required, preferably in a range of<br>
> languages including C# or C++, as well as good training (and<br>
> preferably research/project experience and publications) in artificial<br>
> intelligence, discrete mathematics and the design of algorithms and<br>
> data structures. An enthusiasm for games and a knowledge of game tree<br>
> search is desirable. Knowledge of parallel programming techniques is<br>
> also desirable.<br>
><br>
> The University, School and City: The School of Computing Informatics<br>
> and Media at the University of Bradford has a strong research focus,<br>
> as evidenced by our population of over 100 PhD students and the fact<br>
> that 45% of our research was rated "Internationally Leading" or "World<br>
> Class" by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. In 2010, all research<br>
> staff and students were relocated to purpose-built facilities within<br>
> the University's city-centre campus. One of the UK's largest cities,<br>
> set amongst some of the most spectacular countryside in England and<br>
> yet one of the most affordable places to live in Britain, Bradford's<br>
> wonderful paradoxes create a student city that is hard to beat.<br>
> Bradford also has excellent transport links via Leeds/Bradford airport<br>
> to London, Europe and the rest of the world, and via excellent UK road<br>
> and rail connections.<br>
><br>
> General Information<br>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
> Eligibility: This studentship is open to all nationalities (UK/EU and<br>
> worldwide).<br>
><br>
> Academic Requirements: A First class or 2.1 honours degree or<br>
> equivalent in a scientific discipline with substantial experience of<br>
> discrete mathematics and programming.<br>
><br>
> English Language Requirements: Candidates whose first language is not<br>
> English need to have IELTS 7.0 or equivalent.<br>
><br>
> Start Date: 1 October 2010 (or later by agreement).<br>
><br>
> Duration: 3 years.<br>
><br>
> For informal enquiries: Contact Prof Peter Cowling (email:<br>
> <a href="mailto:p.i.cowling@bradford.ac.uk">p.i.cowling@bradford.ac.uk</a>, tel.: +44 (0) 1274 234005).<br>
><br>
> To Apply: The following documents should be sent in a single email to<br>
> Prof Peter Cowling (<a href="mailto:p.i.cowling@bradford.ac.uk">p.i.cowling@bradford.ac.uk</a>) before the application<br>
> deadline (7th July 2010):<br>
> • Covering statement (500 words maximum) outlining your suitability<br>
> and motivation for the PhD position.<br>
> • Academic CV including marks transcript.<br>
> • Two academic references.<br>
> • Evidence of English language ability for candidates whose first<br>
> language is not English (IELTS 7.0 or equivalent).<br>
><br>
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><br>
<br>
--<br>
Lee Spector, Professor of Computer Science<br>
School of Cognitive Science, Hampshire College<br>
893 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002-3359<br>
<a href="mailto:lspector@hampshire.edu">lspector@hampshire.edu</a>, <a href="http://hampshire.edu/lspector/" target="_blank">http://hampshire.edu/lspector/</a><br>
Phone: 413-559-5352, Fax: 413-559-5438<br>
<br>
Check out Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines:<br>
<a href="http://www.springer.com/10710" target="_blank">http://www.springer.com/10710</a> - <a href="http://gpemjournal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://gpemjournal.blogspot.com/</a><br>
<br>
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</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Best,<br><br>Zachary<br>