Computer Science (PhD) – (Ph.D.)

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Research Groups The Department of Computer Science has a large programme of research supported by industry, the European Union, and UK government research establishments and public corporations. The academic research programme is organised into the following groups:

The HARE group is a collective of researchers who are all interested in the challenges of increasing the scale and the speed of computer systems. Some HARE researchers are tackling the problem of designing microchips with millions of transistors on them, and then ensuring that they will work as expected. They are particularly interested in systems handling sound, graphics and images, in which data needs to be transferred and processed at greater and greater speeds in order to meet the demands of new applications and appliances; other HARE researchers are working on issues in ultra-largescale networked IT systems, involving hundreds of thousands of computers (and users). HARE is also home to the Bristol Algorithms Group, who look at various aspects of the theory and practice of algorithms: the goal of their research is both to provide scalable solutions to existing problems and to understand the limits of what is possible; the quantity of data available in digital form continues to increase at an exponential rate, so the need for faster and more accurate algorithms is now more important than ever before.

In Computer Vision we are exploring new techniques for manipulating, analysing and synthesising images, video and audio. This ranges from algorithms which enable computers to recognise objects in images, to efficient methods for generating realistic computer graphics and animation. The work has numerous applications, including security systems based on face recognition, medical screening systems, virtual reality devices and new ways of speeding up and improving animation and games production.

Our Cryptography group looks at the more mathematical aspects of the subject. Of particular interest is the potentially revolutionary research which is being carried out by our researchers in Quantum Computing, who are looking at new ways of building computers, based on the interactions of atoms and the principles of quantum mechanics. In addition we have a team looking at cryptography, which specialises in new forms of cryptography for small, low power computing devices such as chip-and-pin cards and mobile phones. This work is vital if the growth of e-commerce is to continue at the rate seen in recent years, in which consumer confidence in the security of electronic systems is important.

The Intelligent Systems group investigates how computers can automatically learn things from data. For example, it develops data mining algorithms, which allow a computer to discover what a group of things have in common, be they documents or protein sequences, and then to recognise them automatically when analysing new data. It also works in the interface between computer science and the biological sciences, finding links which not only help to make computers more intelligent but also to provide a deeper understanding of human intelligence as well. This research will allow sophisticated new information systems to be developed, enabling us to manage and make full use of the vast amounts of data that can now be collected easily and at an unprecedented rate.

Our Interaction and Graphics group explores creative interdisciplinary research topics spanning human-computer interaction, visual and tactile perception, imaging, visualisation and computer-supported collaboration. We design and evaluate novel interfaces to computer systems, including hardware and software components. We are interested in new forms of practical application and device that you can wear or carry with you incorporating sensing mechanisms and imaging techniques. This work will enable us to take advantage of the continuing miniaturisation and increased portability of computing devices. In addition to our experimental work, we conduct a number of projects to investigate novel uses of intelligent devices in the real world.

We are also involved in a number of research centres spanning across different parts of the University. For example, the pioneering Centre for IT and Law looks at the new legal challenges presented by the rapid changes in information technology. It is a cross-disciplinary venture between the Law and Computer Science Departments and is supported by a group of international business and legal experts.