2 postdoctoral positions available

[Martin Brown]

                   UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

        DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

                       RESEARCH FELLOWS

Two postdoctoral positions are currently available on an EPSRC grant entitled
Neurofuzzy Construction Algorithms and their Application in Non-Stationary
Environments.

Links to the groups, personnel and industrial companies can be obtained from
the project's homepage at:
    http://www-isis.ecs.soton.ac.uk/research/projects/osiris.html

Two postdoctoral researchers are required to investigate the development and
application of advanced network construction algorithms and training rules
for neurofuzzy systems operating in a time-varying environment.  The
candidates should possess skills in applied mathematics and computer science
and have experience in such areas as numerical analysis, Visual C++
programming, neural/fuzzy learning theory, dynamical systems and optimisation
theory. This research will be undertaken in association with Neural Computer
Sciences http://www.demon.co.uk/skylake/ who produce an object oriented, 32
bit MS windows-based neural networks package called NeuFrame and benchmarking
data sets will be collected from GEC and Lucas.  In addition, Eurotherm
controls are supplying tools to investigate the possibility of developing
embedded devices.


Post One - One researcher is required for 3 years to investigate and further
develop the neurofuzzy construction algorithms that have been proposed by the
ISIS group.  They will be based at Southampton under the supervision of
Martin Brown and Chris Harris. The neural+fuzzy approach allows vague, expert
knowledge to be combined with numerical data to produce systems that make the
best use of both information sources. However, for ill-defined,
high-dimensional systems it would be useful to configure a network's
structural parameters directly from the data. Recent research has shown that
B-spline-based neurofuzzy systems are suitable for use in such algorithms due
to their direct fuzzy interpretation, numerical conditioning and ease of
implementation, and by considering an ANalysis Of VAriance (ANOVA)
representation, the B-spline neurofuzzy networks can be shown to overcome the
curse of dimensionality for many practical problems. A good background in
numerical analysis and modelling theory (additive, neural/fuzzy) is required,
and as the algorithms will be developed within a Visual C++, Microsoft
Foundation Classes environment, hence knowledge about these products would
also be useful.

Informal enquiries for this post should be made to Dr Martin Brown in the
ISIS research group, Department of Electronics and Computer Science,
University of Southampton, UK (Tel +44 (0)1703 594984,
Email: mqb at ecs.soton.ac.uk).

Salary will be in the range of 15,986 - 18,985 per annum.

Applicants for post one should send a full curriculum vitae (3 copies from UK
applicants and 1 from overseas), including the names and addresses of three
referees to the Personnel Department (R), University of Southampton, 
Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, telephone number (01703 592750) by no later
than 25 August 1995.  Please quote reference number R/553.


Post Two - A second researcher is required for 2 years (with the possibility
of it being extended for an extra year) to investigate on-line learning for
non-stationary data. They will be based at Brighton University under the supervision of Steve Ellacott. This work will investigate several aspects of
training neurofuzzy systems on-line such as:

     * learning algorithms for large, redundant training sets
     * recurrent training rules
     * high-order instantaneous learning algorithms
     * aspects of data excitation and on-line regularisation

The ideal candidate would be a mathematician or mathematically oriented
engineer with a background in numerical analysis and/or dynamical systems.
Familiarity with neural network algorithms would be an advantage, but is not
essential. The post will involve some programming in C or C++. 

All enquiries and applications for post two should be made to Dr Steve
Ellacott in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Brighton,
UK (Tel +44 (0)1273 642544, Email: s.w.ellacott at brighton.ac.uk).


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