The Amsterdam Theoretical Physics Institute is part of the Faculty of Science and is a vibrant leading institute. The group's research interests are diverse and extend across condensed matter theory, high energy physics, and computational physics. The institute's website: https://iop.uva.nl/itfa/itfa.html ;

The project lies on the boundary between AI and theoretical physics. Physics has been a source of inspiration for innovation since the early days of machine learning. In particular, building on recent developments on VAE and diffusion models, we focus on the role of physics in generative models. In generative AI, images, text or other data such as molecules are generated by learning to invert the coarse graining steps in a diffusion process. This is to be compared with the emergence of new physics at different scales that can be well modeled using the Renormalization Group. We aim at exploiting this analogy further to gain a deeper understanding of generative models on the one hand, and to improve the computational aspects of RG flows on the other. The project will be supervised by Dr. Miranda Cheng and partially co-supervised by Prof. Max Welling. 

An MSc. in Physics or Computer Science or an equivalent degree is required to be considered for this position. The candidate needs to possess excellent written and oral English communication skills. Further information General questions regarding the program can be directed to: Dr. Miranda C. N. Cheng. mcheng@uva.nl 

https://sites.google.com/site/mcheng0606/ The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a period of 4 years (initial appointment will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it can be extended for a total duration of 4 years) and should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). An educational plan will be drafted that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. The PhD candidate is also expected to assist in teaching of undergraduates. The starting date for this position is 1 September or 1 October 2024. 

Applications can be submitted through Academic Jobs Online or at through the UvA vacancy portal until 01 April 2024. All applications should include a cover letter where you present yourself briefly, a research statement where your background and potential research interests are described, a CV, grade transcripts from bachelor and masters studies, and 2 recommendation letters (sent directly by your recommenders). Furthermore, preselected candidates will be interviewed.