Project acronym BeyondMoore
Project Pioneering a New Path in Parallel Programming Beyond Moore’s Law
Researcher (PI) Didem UNAT
Host Institution (HI) KOC UNIVERSITY
Country Turkey
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2020-STG
Summary BEYONDMOORE addresses the timely research challenge of solving the software side of the Post Moore crisis. The techno-economical model in computing, known as the Moore’s Law, has led to an exceptionally productive era for humanity and numerous scientific discoveries over the past 50+ years. However, due to the fundamental limits in chip manufacturing we are about to mark the end of Moore’s Law and enter a new era of computing where continued performance improvement will likely emerge from extreme heterogeneity. The new systems are expected to bring a diverse set of hardware accelerators and memory technologies. Current solutions to program such systems are host-centric, where the host processor orchestrates the entire execution. This poses major scalability issues and severely limits the types of parallelism that can be exploited. Unless there is a fundamental change in our approach to heterogeneous parallel programming, we risk substantially underutilizing upcoming systems. BEYONDMOORE offers a way out of this programming crisis and proposes an autonomous execution model that is more scalable, flexible, and accelerator-centric by design. In this model, accelerators have autonomy; they compute, collaborate, and communicate with each other without the involvement of the host. The execution model is powered with a rich set of programming abstractions that enable a program to be modeled as a task graph. To efficiently execute this task graph, BEYONDMOORE will develop a software framework that performs static and dynamic optimizations, issues accelerator-initiated data transfers, and reasons about parallel execution strategies that exploit both processor and memory heterogeneity. To aid the optimizations, a comprehensive cost model that characterizes both target applications and emerging architectures will be devised. Complete success of BEYONDMOORE will enable continued progress in computing which in turn will power science and technology in the life after Moore’s Law.
Summary
BEYONDMOORE addresses the timely research challenge of solving the software side of the Post Moore crisis. The techno-economical model in computing, known as the Moore’s Law, has led to an exceptionally productive era for humanity and numerous scientific discoveries over the past 50+ years. However, due to the fundamental limits in chip manufacturing we are about to mark the end of Moore’s Law and enter a new era of computing where continued performance improvement will likely emerge from extreme heterogeneity. The new systems are expected to bring a diverse set of hardware accelerators and memory technologies. Current solutions to program such systems are host-centric, where the host processor orchestrates the entire execution. This poses major scalability issues and severely limits the types of parallelism that can be exploited. Unless there is a fundamental change in our approach to heterogeneous parallel programming, we risk substantially underutilizing upcoming systems. BEYONDMOORE offers a way out of this programming crisis and proposes an autonomous execution model that is more scalable, flexible, and accelerator-centric by design. In this model, accelerators have autonomy; they compute, collaborate, and communicate with each other without the involvement of the host. The execution model is powered with a rich set of programming abstractions that enable a program to be modeled as a task graph. To efficiently execute this task graph, BEYONDMOORE will develop a software framework that performs static and dynamic optimizations, issues accelerator-initiated data transfers, and reasons about parallel execution strategies that exploit both processor and memory heterogeneity. To aid the optimizations, a comprehensive cost model that characterizes both target applications and emerging architectures will be devised. Complete success of BEYONDMOORE will enable continued progress in computing which in turn will power science and technology in the life after Moore’s Law.
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2021-08-01, End date: 2026-07-31
Project acronym BioCom4SavEn
Project Bioinspired Composites Strategies for Saving Energy
Researcher (PI) Urszula STACHEWICZ
Host Institution (HI) AKADEMIA GORNICZO-HUTNICZA IM. STANISLAWA STASZICA W KRAKOWIE
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2020-STG
Summary Saving energy together with energy harvesting is demanded by increasing power consumption. The energy industry requires new materials not only for construction but also in cabling infrastructure. Moreover, the trend of portable and small devices causes a significant challenge in heat dissipation technologies. The need for sustainable technology in thermal insulation and cooling solutions to decrease power consumption requires new innovation.
My ambition is to bring novel solutions inspired by nature to the thermal management challenges such as:
- constructing light and more efficient thermal insulation;
- developing cooling system based on the fibrous membranes to dissipate effectively heat, both leading to lower power consumption;
- building mechanically robust and integrated system with conductive or piezoelectric properties, including thermal insulation and cooling system designed together for small devices and smart textiles.
The aim of the project is therefore to both comprehensively evaluate natural design strategies
and develop structural equivalents using novel composite manufacturing routes. Key to composite production is electrospinning allowing engineering the novel composites based on the porous membranes that will transform thermal energy management efficiency, allowing to increase the savings in daily life.
The novelty of the project is the combined effort of complex composite membranes that have been never performed before. The interdisciplinary team of postdocs and PhD students working in parallel on the divided but interlayered topics, will lead to break-through in engineered multifunctional thermal materials for various geometries from buildings to cables.
Summary
Saving energy together with energy harvesting is demanded by increasing power consumption. The energy industry requires new materials not only for construction but also in cabling infrastructure. Moreover, the trend of portable and small devices causes a significant challenge in heat dissipation technologies. The need for sustainable technology in thermal insulation and cooling solutions to decrease power consumption requires new innovation.
My ambition is to bring novel solutions inspired by nature to the thermal management challenges such as:
- constructing light and more efficient thermal insulation;
- developing cooling system based on the fibrous membranes to dissipate effectively heat, both leading to lower power consumption;
- building mechanically robust and integrated system with conductive or piezoelectric properties, including thermal insulation and cooling system designed together for small devices and smart textiles.
The aim of the project is therefore to both comprehensively evaluate natural design strategies
and develop structural equivalents using novel composite manufacturing routes. Key to composite production is electrospinning allowing engineering the novel composites based on the porous membranes that will transform thermal energy management efficiency, allowing to increase the savings in daily life.
The novelty of the project is the combined effort of complex composite membranes that have been never performed before. The interdisciplinary team of postdocs and PhD students working in parallel on the divided but interlayered topics, will lead to break-through in engineered multifunctional thermal materials for various geometries from buildings to cables.
Max ERC Funding
1 694 375 €
Duration
Start date: 2021-01-01, End date: 2025-12-31
Project acronym BLAST
Project Eclipsing binary stars as cutting edge laboratories for astrophysics of stellar
structure, stellar evolution and planet formation
Researcher (PI) Maciej Konacki
Host Institution (HI) CENTRUM ASTRONOMICZNE IM. MIKOLAJAKOPERNIKA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary Spectroscopic binary stars (SB2s) and in particular spectroscopic eclipsing binaries are one of the most useful objects in astrophysics. Their photometric and spectroscopic observations allow one to determine basic parameters of stars and carry out a wide range of tests of stellar structure, evolution and dynamics. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, they can also contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of (extrasolar) planets. We will study eclipsing binary stars by combining the classic - stellar astronomy - and the modern - extrasolar planets - subjects into a cutting edge project.
We propose to search for and subsequently characterize circumbinary planets around ~350 eclipsing SB2s using our own novel cutting edge radial velocity technique for binary stars and a modern version of the photometry based eclipse timing of eclipsing binary stars employing 0.5-m robotic telescopes. We will also derive basic parameters of up to ~700 stars (~350 binaries) with an unprecedented precision. In particular for about 50% of our sample we expect to deliver masses of the components with an accuracy ~10-100 times better than the current state of the art.
Our project will provide unique constraints for the theories of planet formation and evolution and an unprecedented in quality set of the basic parameters of stars to test the theories of the stellar structure and evolution.
Summary
Spectroscopic binary stars (SB2s) and in particular spectroscopic eclipsing binaries are one of the most useful objects in astrophysics. Their photometric and spectroscopic observations allow one to determine basic parameters of stars and carry out a wide range of tests of stellar structure, evolution and dynamics. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, they can also contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of (extrasolar) planets. We will study eclipsing binary stars by combining the classic - stellar astronomy - and the modern - extrasolar planets - subjects into a cutting edge project.
We propose to search for and subsequently characterize circumbinary planets around ~350 eclipsing SB2s using our own novel cutting edge radial velocity technique for binary stars and a modern version of the photometry based eclipse timing of eclipsing binary stars employing 0.5-m robotic telescopes. We will also derive basic parameters of up to ~700 stars (~350 binaries) with an unprecedented precision. In particular for about 50% of our sample we expect to deliver masses of the components with an accuracy ~10-100 times better than the current state of the art.
Our project will provide unique constraints for the theories of planet formation and evolution and an unprecedented in quality set of the basic parameters of stars to test the theories of the stellar structure and evolution.
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-12-01, End date: 2016-11-30
Project acronym BOBR
Project Decomposition methods for discrete problems
Researcher (PI) Michal Pilipczuk
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2020-STG
Summary The main goal of the project is to radically expand our understanding of decomposition methods for discrete problems, with a particular focus on the design of parameterized and approximation algorithms on graphs. We will concentrate on four topics where we see a potential for either establishing new directions, or reaching far beyond the current state of the art.
(Beyond) Sparsity: The field of Sparsity is a rapidly developing area of graph theory that studies abstract notions of uniform sparseness in graphs and provides a wealth of tools for algorithm design. While there are still many unknowns within this field, we would like to reach beyond sparse graphs by developing a theory of well-structured dense graphs, inspired by the advances in Sparsity.
Parameterized dynamic algorithms: The idea of parameterization has so far received little attention in the field of dynamic algorithms. Our goal is to establish solid foundations for the direction of parameterized dynamic algorithms by providing dynamic variants of basic decomposition tools used in parameterized complexity.
Parameterization and approximation on planar graphs: The areas of parameterized algorithms and of approximation schemes on planar graphs share a core set of decomposition techniques and benefit from extensive cross-inspiration. We will approach several intriguing questions in this area while focusing on the idea of parameterized approximation schemes, where parameterization and approximation is explicitly combined.
Forbidding induced subgraphs: Structural graph theory offers a wealth of tools for understanding structure in graph classes characterized by forbidding induced subgraphs. This structure, while elusive and difficult to exploit, often leads to surprising tractability results. Motivated by recent advances, we propose to focus on finding general-use techniques for designing subexponential-time, approximation, and parameterized algorithms in this setting.
Summary
The main goal of the project is to radically expand our understanding of decomposition methods for discrete problems, with a particular focus on the design of parameterized and approximation algorithms on graphs. We will concentrate on four topics where we see a potential for either establishing new directions, or reaching far beyond the current state of the art.
(Beyond) Sparsity: The field of Sparsity is a rapidly developing area of graph theory that studies abstract notions of uniform sparseness in graphs and provides a wealth of tools for algorithm design. While there are still many unknowns within this field, we would like to reach beyond sparse graphs by developing a theory of well-structured dense graphs, inspired by the advances in Sparsity.
Parameterized dynamic algorithms: The idea of parameterization has so far received little attention in the field of dynamic algorithms. Our goal is to establish solid foundations for the direction of parameterized dynamic algorithms by providing dynamic variants of basic decomposition tools used in parameterized complexity.
Parameterization and approximation on planar graphs: The areas of parameterized algorithms and of approximation schemes on planar graphs share a core set of decomposition techniques and benefit from extensive cross-inspiration. We will approach several intriguing questions in this area while focusing on the idea of parameterized approximation schemes, where parameterization and approximation is explicitly combined.
Forbidding induced subgraphs: Structural graph theory offers a wealth of tools for understanding structure in graph classes characterized by forbidding induced subgraphs. This structure, while elusive and difficult to exploit, often leads to surprising tractability results. Motivated by recent advances, we propose to focus on finding general-use techniques for designing subexponential-time, approximation, and parameterized algorithms in this setting.
Max ERC Funding
1 355 688 €
Duration
Start date: 2021-04-01, End date: 2026-03-31
Project acronym CepBin
Project A sub-percent distance scale from binaries and Cepheids
Researcher (PI) Grzegorz PIETRZYNSKI
Host Institution (HI) CENTRUM ASTRONOMICZNE IM. MIKOLAJAKOPERNIKA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
Country Poland
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE9, ERC-2015-AdG
Summary We propose to carry out a project which will produce a decisive step towards improving the accuracy of the Hubble constant as determined from the Cepheid-SN Ia method to 1%, by using 28 extremely rare eclipsing binary systems in the LMC which offer the potential to determine their distances to 1%. To achieve this accuracy we will reduce the main error in the binary method by interferometric angular diameter measurements of a sample of red clump stars which resemble the stars in our binary systems. We will check on our calibration with similar binary systems close enough to determine their orbits from interferometry. We already showed the feasibility of our method which yielded the best-ever distance determination to the LMC of 2.2% from 8 such binary systems. With 28 systems and the improved angular diameter calibration we will push the LMC distance uncertainty down to 1% which will allow to set the zero point of the Cepheid PL relation with the same accuracy using the large available LMC Cepheid sample. We will determine the metallicity effect on Cepheid luminosities by a) determining a 2% distance to the more metal-poor SMC with our binary method, and by b) measuring the distances to LMC and SMC with an improved Baade-Wesselink (BW) method. We will achieve this improvement by analyzing 9 unique Cepheids in eclipsing binaries in the LMC our group has discovered which allow factor- of-ten improvements in the determination of all basic physical parameters of Cepheids. These studies will also increase our confidence in the Cepheid-based H0 determination. Our project bears strong synergy to the Gaia mission by providing the best checks on possible systematic uncertainties on Gaia parallaxes with 200 binary systems whose distances we will measure to 1-2%. We will provide two unique tools for 1-3 % distance determinations to individual objects in a volume of 1 Mpc, being competitive to Gaia already at a distance of 1 kpc from the Sun.
Summary
We propose to carry out a project which will produce a decisive step towards improving the accuracy of the Hubble constant as determined from the Cepheid-SN Ia method to 1%, by using 28 extremely rare eclipsing binary systems in the LMC which offer the potential to determine their distances to 1%. To achieve this accuracy we will reduce the main error in the binary method by interferometric angular diameter measurements of a sample of red clump stars which resemble the stars in our binary systems. We will check on our calibration with similar binary systems close enough to determine their orbits from interferometry. We already showed the feasibility of our method which yielded the best-ever distance determination to the LMC of 2.2% from 8 such binary systems. With 28 systems and the improved angular diameter calibration we will push the LMC distance uncertainty down to 1% which will allow to set the zero point of the Cepheid PL relation with the same accuracy using the large available LMC Cepheid sample. We will determine the metallicity effect on Cepheid luminosities by a) determining a 2% distance to the more metal-poor SMC with our binary method, and by b) measuring the distances to LMC and SMC with an improved Baade-Wesselink (BW) method. We will achieve this improvement by analyzing 9 unique Cepheids in eclipsing binaries in the LMC our group has discovered which allow factor- of-ten improvements in the determination of all basic physical parameters of Cepheids. These studies will also increase our confidence in the Cepheid-based H0 determination. Our project bears strong synergy to the Gaia mission by providing the best checks on possible systematic uncertainties on Gaia parallaxes with 200 binary systems whose distances we will measure to 1-2%. We will provide two unique tools for 1-3 % distance determinations to individual objects in a volume of 1 Mpc, being competitive to Gaia already at a distance of 1 kpc from the Sun.
Max ERC Funding
2 360 500 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-11-01, End date: 2021-10-31
Project acronym CNTM
Project Cryptography on Non-Trusted Machines
Researcher (PI) Stefan Dziembowski
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE5, ERC-2007-StG
Summary This project is about the design of cryptographic schemes that are secure even if implemented on not-secure devices. The motivation for this problem comes from an observation that most of the real-life attacks on cryptographic devices do not break their mathematical foundations, but exploit vulnerabilities of their implementations. This concerns both the cryptographic software executed on PCs (that can be attacked by viruses), and the implementations on hardware (that can be subject to the side-channel attacks). Traditionally fixing this problem was left to the practitioners, since it was a common belief that theory cannot be of any help here. However, new exciting results in cryptography suggest that this view was too pessimistic: there exist methods to design cryptographic protocols in such a way that they are secure even if the hardware on which they are executed cannot be fully trusted. The goal of this project is to investigate these methods further, unify them in a solid mathematical theory (many of them were developed independently), and propose new ideas in this area. The project will be mostly theoretical (although some practical experiments may be performed). Our main interest lies within the theory of private circuits, bounded-retrieval model, physically-observable cryptography, and human-assisted cryptography. We view these theories just as the departing points, since the area is very fresh and we expect to soon witness completely new ideas in this field.
Summary
This project is about the design of cryptographic schemes that are secure even if implemented on not-secure devices. The motivation for this problem comes from an observation that most of the real-life attacks on cryptographic devices do not break their mathematical foundations, but exploit vulnerabilities of their implementations. This concerns both the cryptographic software executed on PCs (that can be attacked by viruses), and the implementations on hardware (that can be subject to the side-channel attacks). Traditionally fixing this problem was left to the practitioners, since it was a common belief that theory cannot be of any help here. However, new exciting results in cryptography suggest that this view was too pessimistic: there exist methods to design cryptographic protocols in such a way that they are secure even if the hardware on which they are executed cannot be fully trusted. The goal of this project is to investigate these methods further, unify them in a solid mathematical theory (many of them were developed independently), and propose new ideas in this area. The project will be mostly theoretical (although some practical experiments may be performed). Our main interest lies within the theory of private circuits, bounded-retrieval model, physically-observable cryptography, and human-assisted cryptography. We view these theories just as the departing points, since the area is very fresh and we expect to soon witness completely new ideas in this field.
Max ERC Funding
872 550 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-11-01, End date: 2013-10-31
Project acronym CoSI
Project Functional connectomics of the amygdala in social interactions of different valence
Researcher (PI) Ewelina KNAPSKA
Host Institution (HI) INSTYTUT BIOLOGII DOSWIADCZALNEJ IM. M. NENCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS5, ERC-2016-STG
Summary Understanding how brain controls social interactions is one of the central goals of neuroscience. Whereas social interactions and their effects on the emotional state of an individual are relatively well described at the behavioral level, much less is known about neural mechanisms involved in these very complex phenomena, especially in the amygdala, a key structure processing emotions in the brain.
Recent investigations, mainly on fear learning and extinction, have shown that there are highly specialized neuronal circuits within the amygdala that control specific behaviors. However, a high density of interconnections, both among amygdalar nuclei and between amygdalar nuclei and other brain regions, and the lack of a predictable distribution of functional cell types make defining behavioral functions of the amygdalar neuronal circuits challenging. Therefore, to understand how different neuronal circuits in the amygdala produce different behaviors tracing anatomical connections between activated neurons, i.e., the functional anatomy is needed.
Published data and our preliminary results suggest that within the amygdala there exist different neuronal circuits mediating social interactions of different valence (positive or negative affective significance) and that circuits controlling social and non-social emotions differ. Combining our recently developed behavioral models of adult, non-aggressive, same-sex social interactions with the methods of tracing anatomical connections between activated neurons, we plan to identify neural circuitry underlying social interactions of different emotional valence. This goal will be achieved by: (1) Characterizing functional anatomy of neuronal circuits in the amygdala underlying socially transferred emotions; (2) Examining role of the identified neuronal subpopulations in control of social behaviors; (3) Verifying role of matrix metalloproteinase-9-dependent neuronal subpopulations within the amygdala in social motivation.
Summary
Understanding how brain controls social interactions is one of the central goals of neuroscience. Whereas social interactions and their effects on the emotional state of an individual are relatively well described at the behavioral level, much less is known about neural mechanisms involved in these very complex phenomena, especially in the amygdala, a key structure processing emotions in the brain.
Recent investigations, mainly on fear learning and extinction, have shown that there are highly specialized neuronal circuits within the amygdala that control specific behaviors. However, a high density of interconnections, both among amygdalar nuclei and between amygdalar nuclei and other brain regions, and the lack of a predictable distribution of functional cell types make defining behavioral functions of the amygdalar neuronal circuits challenging. Therefore, to understand how different neuronal circuits in the amygdala produce different behaviors tracing anatomical connections between activated neurons, i.e., the functional anatomy is needed.
Published data and our preliminary results suggest that within the amygdala there exist different neuronal circuits mediating social interactions of different valence (positive or negative affective significance) and that circuits controlling social and non-social emotions differ. Combining our recently developed behavioral models of adult, non-aggressive, same-sex social interactions with the methods of tracing anatomical connections between activated neurons, we plan to identify neural circuitry underlying social interactions of different emotional valence. This goal will be achieved by: (1) Characterizing functional anatomy of neuronal circuits in the amygdala underlying socially transferred emotions; (2) Examining role of the identified neuronal subpopulations in control of social behaviors; (3) Verifying role of matrix metalloproteinase-9-dependent neuronal subpopulations within the amygdala in social motivation.
Max ERC Funding
1 312 500 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-12-01, End date: 2021-11-30
Project acronym COSMOS
Project Computational Simulations of MOFs for Gas Separations
Researcher (PI) Seda Keskin Avci
Host Institution (HI) KOC UNIVERSITY
Country Turkey
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2017-STG
Summary Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are recently considered as new fascinating nanoporous materials. MOFs have very large surface areas, high porosities, various pore sizes/shapes, chemical functionalities and good thermal/chemical stabilities. These properties make MOFs highly promising for gas separation applications. Thousands of MOFs have been synthesized in the last decade. The large number of available MOFs creates excellent opportunities to develop energy-efficient gas separation technologies. On the other hand, it is very challenging to identify the best materials for each gas separation of interest. Considering the continuous rapid increase in the number of synthesized materials, it is practically not possible to test each MOF using purely experimental manners. Highly accurate computational methods are required to identify the most promising MOFs to direct experimental efforts, time and resources to those materials. In this project, I will build a complete MOF library and use molecular simulations to assess adsorption and diffusion properties of gas mixtures in MOFs. Results of simulations will be used to predict adsorbent and membrane properties of MOFs for scientifically and technologically important gas separation processes such as CO2/CH4 (natural gas purification), CO2/N2 (flue gas separation), CO2/H2, CH4/H2 and N2/H2 (hydrogen recovery). I will obtain the fundamental, atomic-level insights into the common features of the top-performing MOFs and establish structure-performance relations. These relations will be used as guidelines to computationally design new MOFs with outstanding separation performances for CO2 capture and H2 recovery. These new MOFs will be finally synthesized in the lab scale and tested as adsorbents and membranes under practical operating conditions for each gas separation of interest. Combining a multi-stage computational approach with experiments, this project will lead to novel, efficient gas separation technologies based on MOFs.
Summary
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are recently considered as new fascinating nanoporous materials. MOFs have very large surface areas, high porosities, various pore sizes/shapes, chemical functionalities and good thermal/chemical stabilities. These properties make MOFs highly promising for gas separation applications. Thousands of MOFs have been synthesized in the last decade. The large number of available MOFs creates excellent opportunities to develop energy-efficient gas separation technologies. On the other hand, it is very challenging to identify the best materials for each gas separation of interest. Considering the continuous rapid increase in the number of synthesized materials, it is practically not possible to test each MOF using purely experimental manners. Highly accurate computational methods are required to identify the most promising MOFs to direct experimental efforts, time and resources to those materials. In this project, I will build a complete MOF library and use molecular simulations to assess adsorption and diffusion properties of gas mixtures in MOFs. Results of simulations will be used to predict adsorbent and membrane properties of MOFs for scientifically and technologically important gas separation processes such as CO2/CH4 (natural gas purification), CO2/N2 (flue gas separation), CO2/H2, CH4/H2 and N2/H2 (hydrogen recovery). I will obtain the fundamental, atomic-level insights into the common features of the top-performing MOFs and establish structure-performance relations. These relations will be used as guidelines to computationally design new MOFs with outstanding separation performances for CO2 capture and H2 recovery. These new MOFs will be finally synthesized in the lab scale and tested as adsorbents and membranes under practical operating conditions for each gas separation of interest. Combining a multi-stage computational approach with experiments, this project will lead to novel, efficient gas separation technologies based on MOFs.
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-10-01, End date: 2022-09-30
Project acronym CUTACOMBS
Project Cuts and decompositions: algorithms and combinatorial properties
Researcher (PI) Marcin PILIPCZUK
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2016-STG
Summary In this proposal we plan to extend mathematical foundations of algorithms for various variants of the minimum cut problem within theoretical computer science.
Recent advances in understanding the structure of small cuts and tractability of cut problems resulted in a mature algorithmic toolbox for undirected graphs under the paradigm of parameterized complexity. In this position, we now aim at a full understanding of the tractability of cut problems in the more challenging case of directed graphs, and see opportunities to apply the aforementioned successful structural approach to advance on major open problems in other paradigms in theoretical computer science.
The specific goals of the project are grouped in the following three themes.
Directed graphs. Chart the parameterized complexity of graph separation problems in directed graphs and provide a fixed-parameter tractability toolbox, equally deep as the one in undirected graphs. Provide tractability foundations for routing problems in directed graphs, such as the disjoint paths problem with symmetric demands.
Planar graphs. Resolve main open problems with respect to network design and graph separation problems in planar graphs under the following three paradigms: parameterized complexity, approximation schemes, and cut/flow/distance sparsifiers. Recently discovered connections uncover significant potential in synergy between these three algorithmic approaches.
Tree decompositions. Show improved tractability of graph isomorphism testing in sparse graph classes. Combine the algorithmic toolbox of parameterized complexity with the theory of minimal triangulations to advance our knowledge in structural graph theory, both pure (focused on the Erdos-Hajnal conjecture) and algorithmic (focused on the tractability of Maximum Independent Set and 3-Coloring).
Summary
In this proposal we plan to extend mathematical foundations of algorithms for various variants of the minimum cut problem within theoretical computer science.
Recent advances in understanding the structure of small cuts and tractability of cut problems resulted in a mature algorithmic toolbox for undirected graphs under the paradigm of parameterized complexity. In this position, we now aim at a full understanding of the tractability of cut problems in the more challenging case of directed graphs, and see opportunities to apply the aforementioned successful structural approach to advance on major open problems in other paradigms in theoretical computer science.
The specific goals of the project are grouped in the following three themes.
Directed graphs. Chart the parameterized complexity of graph separation problems in directed graphs and provide a fixed-parameter tractability toolbox, equally deep as the one in undirected graphs. Provide tractability foundations for routing problems in directed graphs, such as the disjoint paths problem with symmetric demands.
Planar graphs. Resolve main open problems with respect to network design and graph separation problems in planar graphs under the following three paradigms: parameterized complexity, approximation schemes, and cut/flow/distance sparsifiers. Recently discovered connections uncover significant potential in synergy between these three algorithmic approaches.
Tree decompositions. Show improved tractability of graph isomorphism testing in sparse graph classes. Combine the algorithmic toolbox of parameterized complexity with the theory of minimal triangulations to advance our knowledge in structural graph theory, both pure (focused on the Erdos-Hajnal conjecture) and algorithmic (focused on the tractability of Maximum Independent Set and 3-Coloring).
Max ERC Funding
1 228 250 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-03-01, End date: 2022-02-28
Project acronym EmergingWelfare
Project The New Politics of Welfare: Towards an “Emerging Markets” Welfare State Regime
Researcher (PI) Erdem YORUK
Host Institution (HI) KOC UNIVERSITY
Country Turkey
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH3, ERC-2016-STG
Summary This research project aims to identify a new welfare regime in emerging market economies and explain why
it has emerged. The project will compare Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey
to test two hypotheses: (i) emerging market economies are forming a new welfare regime that differs from
liberal, corporatist and social democratic welfare regimes of the global north on the basis of extensive and
decommodifying social assistance programmes, (ii) the new welfare regime emerges principally as a
response to the growing political power of the poor as a dual source of threat and support for governments.
Based on a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, the project follows a multi-method strategy that
combines state-of-the-art computer-based protest event data collection techniques, macro-historical methods,
quantitative data analyses and qualitative content analysis. The project will radically expand the literatures
on welfare regimes, welfare state development and contentious politics, by challenging the existing
paradigms dominated by structuralist perspectives, a myopic focus on Western countries, and limited data
collection and analysis techniques. This project is genuinely innovative, unprecedented, ground-breaking,
ambitious and high-risk/high-gain in three ways: (i) it re-shapes the welfare regimes literatures as the first
study to classify and explain welfare systems of emerging markets as a new welfare regime and (ii) the
project demonstrates a causal link between changes in grassroots politics and welfare policies and challenge
the structuralist preponderance in the existing welfare state development literature (iii) it makes a prodigious
contribution to our empirical knowledge on contentious politics in emerging markets by creating the first
cross-national databases on protest event, employing state-of-the art computer methods, such as natural
language processing and machine learning, on newspaper archives.
Summary
This research project aims to identify a new welfare regime in emerging market economies and explain why
it has emerged. The project will compare Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey
to test two hypotheses: (i) emerging market economies are forming a new welfare regime that differs from
liberal, corporatist and social democratic welfare regimes of the global north on the basis of extensive and
decommodifying social assistance programmes, (ii) the new welfare regime emerges principally as a
response to the growing political power of the poor as a dual source of threat and support for governments.
Based on a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, the project follows a multi-method strategy that
combines state-of-the-art computer-based protest event data collection techniques, macro-historical methods,
quantitative data analyses and qualitative content analysis. The project will radically expand the literatures
on welfare regimes, welfare state development and contentious politics, by challenging the existing
paradigms dominated by structuralist perspectives, a myopic focus on Western countries, and limited data
collection and analysis techniques. This project is genuinely innovative, unprecedented, ground-breaking,
ambitious and high-risk/high-gain in three ways: (i) it re-shapes the welfare regimes literatures as the first
study to classify and explain welfare systems of emerging markets as a new welfare regime and (ii) the
project demonstrates a causal link between changes in grassroots politics and welfare policies and challenge
the structuralist preponderance in the existing welfare state development literature (iii) it makes a prodigious
contribution to our empirical knowledge on contentious politics in emerging markets by creating the first
cross-national databases on protest event, employing state-of-the art computer methods, such as natural
language processing and machine learning, on newspaper archives.
Max ERC Funding
1 494 240 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-01-01, End date: 2021-12-31
Project acronym FIELDS-KNOTS
Project Quantum fields and knot homologies
Researcher (PI) Piotr Sulkowski
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2013-StG
Summary This project is concerned with fundamental problems arising at the interface of quantum field theory, knot theory, and the theory of random matrices. The main aim of the project is to understand two of the most profound phenomena in physics and mathematics, namely quantization and categorification, and to establish an explicit and rigorous framework where they come into play in an interrelated fashion. The project and its aims focus on the following areas:
- Knot homologies and superpolynomials. The aim of the project in this area is to determine homological knot invariants and to derive an explicit form of colored superpolynomials for a large class of knots and links.
- Super-A-polynomial. The aim of the project in this area is to develop a theory of the super-A-polynomial, to find an explicit form of the super-A-polynomial for a large class of knots, and to understand its properties.
- Three-dimensional supersymmetric N=2 theories. This project aims to find and understand dualities between theories in this class, in particular theories related to knots by 3d-3d duality, and to generalize this duality to the level of homological knot invariants.
- Topological recursion and quantization. The project aims to develop a quantization procedure based on the topological recursion, to demonstrate its consistency with knot-theoretic quantization of A-polynomials, and to generalize this quantization scheme to super-A-polynomials.
All these research areas are connected via remarkable dualities unraveled very recently by physicists and mathematicians. The project is interdisciplinary and aims to reach the above goals by taking advantage of these dualities, and through simultaneous and complementary development in quantum field theory, knot theory, and random matrix theory, in collaboration with renowned experts in each of those fields.
Summary
This project is concerned with fundamental problems arising at the interface of quantum field theory, knot theory, and the theory of random matrices. The main aim of the project is to understand two of the most profound phenomena in physics and mathematics, namely quantization and categorification, and to establish an explicit and rigorous framework where they come into play in an interrelated fashion. The project and its aims focus on the following areas:
- Knot homologies and superpolynomials. The aim of the project in this area is to determine homological knot invariants and to derive an explicit form of colored superpolynomials for a large class of knots and links.
- Super-A-polynomial. The aim of the project in this area is to develop a theory of the super-A-polynomial, to find an explicit form of the super-A-polynomial for a large class of knots, and to understand its properties.
- Three-dimensional supersymmetric N=2 theories. This project aims to find and understand dualities between theories in this class, in particular theories related to knots by 3d-3d duality, and to generalize this duality to the level of homological knot invariants.
- Topological recursion and quantization. The project aims to develop a quantization procedure based on the topological recursion, to demonstrate its consistency with knot-theoretic quantization of A-polynomials, and to generalize this quantization scheme to super-A-polynomials.
All these research areas are connected via remarkable dualities unraveled very recently by physicists and mathematicians. The project is interdisciplinary and aims to reach the above goals by taking advantage of these dualities, and through simultaneous and complementary development in quantum field theory, knot theory, and random matrix theory, in collaboration with renowned experts in each of those fields.
Max ERC Funding
1 345 080 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-12-01, End date: 2018-11-30
Project acronym FUNDMS
Project Functionalisation of Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors
Researcher (PI) Tomasz Dietl
Host Institution (HI) INSTYTUT FIZYKI POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
Country Poland
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary Low-temperature studies of transition metal doped III-V and II-VI compounds carried out over the last decade have demonstrated the unprecedented opportunity offered by these systems for exploring physical phenomena and device concepts in previously unavailable combinations of quantum structures and ferromagnetism in semiconductors. The work proposed here aims at combining and at advancing epitaxial methods, spatially-resolved nano-characterisation tools, and theoretical modelling in order to understand the intricate interplay between carrier localisation, magnetism, and magnetic ion distribution in DMS, and to develop functional DMS structures. To accomplish these goals we will take advantage of two recent breakthroughs in materials engineering. First, the attainment of high-k oxides makes now possible to generate interfacial hole densities up to 10^21 cm-3. We will exploit gated thin layers of DMS phosphides, nitrides, and oxides, in which hole delocalization and thus high temperature ferromagnetism is to be expected under gate bias. Furthermore we will systematically investigate how the Curie temperature of (Ga,Mn)As can be risen above 180 K. Second, the progress in nanoscale chemical analysis has allowed demonstrating that high temperature ferromagnetism of semiconductors results from nanoscale crystallographic or chemical phase separations into regions containing a large concentration of the magnetic constituent. We will elaborate experimentally and theoretically epitaxy and co-doping protocols for controlling the self-organised growth of magnetic nanostructures, utilizing broadly synchrotron radiation and nanoscopic characterisation tools. The established methods will allow us to obtain on demand either magnetic nano-dots or magnetic nano-columns embedded in a semiconductor host, for which we predict, and will demonstrate, ground-breaking functionalities. We will also assess reports on the possibility of high-temperature ferromagnetism without magnetic ions.
Summary
Low-temperature studies of transition metal doped III-V and II-VI compounds carried out over the last decade have demonstrated the unprecedented opportunity offered by these systems for exploring physical phenomena and device concepts in previously unavailable combinations of quantum structures and ferromagnetism in semiconductors. The work proposed here aims at combining and at advancing epitaxial methods, spatially-resolved nano-characterisation tools, and theoretical modelling in order to understand the intricate interplay between carrier localisation, magnetism, and magnetic ion distribution in DMS, and to develop functional DMS structures. To accomplish these goals we will take advantage of two recent breakthroughs in materials engineering. First, the attainment of high-k oxides makes now possible to generate interfacial hole densities up to 10^21 cm-3. We will exploit gated thin layers of DMS phosphides, nitrides, and oxides, in which hole delocalization and thus high temperature ferromagnetism is to be expected under gate bias. Furthermore we will systematically investigate how the Curie temperature of (Ga,Mn)As can be risen above 180 K. Second, the progress in nanoscale chemical analysis has allowed demonstrating that high temperature ferromagnetism of semiconductors results from nanoscale crystallographic or chemical phase separations into regions containing a large concentration of the magnetic constituent. We will elaborate experimentally and theoretically epitaxy and co-doping protocols for controlling the self-organised growth of magnetic nanostructures, utilizing broadly synchrotron radiation and nanoscopic characterisation tools. The established methods will allow us to obtain on demand either magnetic nano-dots or magnetic nano-columns embedded in a semiconductor host, for which we predict, and will demonstrate, ground-breaking functionalities. We will also assess reports on the possibility of high-temperature ferromagnetism without magnetic ions.
Max ERC Funding
2 440 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
Project acronym IMMOCAP
Project 'If immortality unveil…'– development of the novel types of energy storage systems with excellent long-term performance
Researcher (PI) Krzysztof FIC
Host Institution (HI) POLITECHNIKA POZNANSKA
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE8, ERC-2017-STG
Summary The major goal of the project is to develop a novel type of an electrochemical capacitor with high specific power (up to 5 kW/kg) and energy (up to 20 Wh/kg) preserved along at least 50 000 cycles. Thus, completion of the project will result in remarkable enhancement of specific energy, power and life time of modern electrochemical capacitors. Advanced electrochemical testing (galvanostatic cycling with constant power loads, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, accelerated aging and kinetic tests) will be accompanied by materials design and detailed characterization. Moreover, the project aims at the implementation of novel concepts of the electrolytes and designing of new operando technique for capacitor characterization. All these efforts aim at the development of sustainable and efficient energy conversion and storage system.
Summary
The major goal of the project is to develop a novel type of an electrochemical capacitor with high specific power (up to 5 kW/kg) and energy (up to 20 Wh/kg) preserved along at least 50 000 cycles. Thus, completion of the project will result in remarkable enhancement of specific energy, power and life time of modern electrochemical capacitors. Advanced electrochemical testing (galvanostatic cycling with constant power loads, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, accelerated aging and kinetic tests) will be accompanied by materials design and detailed characterization. Moreover, the project aims at the implementation of novel concepts of the electrolytes and designing of new operando technique for capacitor characterization. All these efforts aim at the development of sustainable and efficient energy conversion and storage system.
Max ERC Funding
1 385 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-10-01, End date: 2022-09-30
Project acronym INFIBRENANOSTRUCTURE
Project Fabrication and characterization of dielectric encapsulated millions of ordered kilometer-long nanostructures and their applications
Researcher (PI) Mehmet Bayindir
Host Institution (HI) BILKENT UNIVERSITESI VAKIF
Country Turkey
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE5, ERC-2012-StG_20111012
Summary The objective of this project is the realization of a radically new nanowire fabrication technique, and exploration of its potential for nanowire based science and technology. The proposed method involves fabrication of unusually long, ordered nanowire and nanotube arrays in macroscopic fibres by means of an iterative thermal co-drawing process. Starting with a macroscopic rod with an annular hole tightly fitted with another rod of another compatible material, by successive thermal drawing we obtain arrays of nanowires embedded in fibres. With the method, wide range of materials, e.g. semiconductors, polymers, metals, can be turned into ordered nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes in various cross-sectional geometries. Main challenges are the thermal drawing steps that require critical matching of the viscoelastic properties of the protective cover with the encapsulated materials, and the liquid instability problems and phase intermixing with higher temperatures and smaller feature sizes that require high thermal and mechanical precision. Initially, fabrication by drawing will begin with soft amorphous semiconductors, phase change materials, polymers of interest in high temperature polymers, followed by a wider range of materials, low melting temperature metals, metals and common semiconductors (Si, Ge) in silica glass matrices. In this way nanowires that are ordered, easily accessible and hermetically sealed in a dielectric encapsulation will be obtained in high volumes. Potentially, these nanowires are advantages over on-chip nanowires in building flexible out of plane geometries, light weight, wearable and disposable devices. Ultimately, attaining ordered arrays of 1-D nanostructures in an extended flexible fibre with high yields will facilitate sought-after but up-to-now difficult applications such as the large area nanowire electronics and photonics, nanowire based scalable phase-change memory, nanowire photovoltaics, and emerging cell-nanowire interfacing.
Summary
The objective of this project is the realization of a radically new nanowire fabrication technique, and exploration of its potential for nanowire based science and technology. The proposed method involves fabrication of unusually long, ordered nanowire and nanotube arrays in macroscopic fibres by means of an iterative thermal co-drawing process. Starting with a macroscopic rod with an annular hole tightly fitted with another rod of another compatible material, by successive thermal drawing we obtain arrays of nanowires embedded in fibres. With the method, wide range of materials, e.g. semiconductors, polymers, metals, can be turned into ordered nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes in various cross-sectional geometries. Main challenges are the thermal drawing steps that require critical matching of the viscoelastic properties of the protective cover with the encapsulated materials, and the liquid instability problems and phase intermixing with higher temperatures and smaller feature sizes that require high thermal and mechanical precision. Initially, fabrication by drawing will begin with soft amorphous semiconductors, phase change materials, polymers of interest in high temperature polymers, followed by a wider range of materials, low melting temperature metals, metals and common semiconductors (Si, Ge) in silica glass matrices. In this way nanowires that are ordered, easily accessible and hermetically sealed in a dielectric encapsulation will be obtained in high volumes. Potentially, these nanowires are advantages over on-chip nanowires in building flexible out of plane geometries, light weight, wearable and disposable devices. Ultimately, attaining ordered arrays of 1-D nanostructures in an extended flexible fibre with high yields will facilitate sought-after but up-to-now difficult applications such as the large area nanowire electronics and photonics, nanowire based scalable phase-change memory, nanowire photovoltaics, and emerging cell-nanowire interfacing.
Max ERC Funding
1 495 400 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2017-09-30
Project acronym INFRADYNAMICS
Project Overcoming the Barriers of Brain Cancer Treatment: Targeted and Fully NIR Absorbing Photodynamic Therapy Agents with Extremely Low Molecular Weights and Controlled Lipophilicity
Researcher (PI) Gorkem GUNBAS
Host Institution (HI) MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Country Turkey
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE5, ERC-2019-STG
Summary Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for a total of 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Research efforts have resulted in significant increase in 5-year survival rates for some cancer types, however this is not the case in brain cancer. Three fundamental issues are at the core of this reality: 1) High percentage of inoperable brain tumours; 2) Limited number of drugs that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and 3) Absence of effective targeted brain cancer therapies. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has the potential to be a selective, effective and non-invasive alternative to current treatments, however to date it is only applicable to a small group of cancers. Realization of non-toxic, water-soluble and photostable PDT agents, with strong near infrared absorption for deep tissue penetration, that also realizes high singlet oxygen generation efficiency and effective targeting, is the key for widespread use of PDT for majority of cancers. For brain cancer specifically, low molecular weights (Mws) and controlled lipophilicity is needed as well. The ultimate aim of INFRADYNAMICS is to create and validate the first series of advanced PDT agents that meet all these requirements and to demonstrate that a significant impact on brain cancer survival rates could be achieved. First, a series of advanced fluorophores that combine the two contradicting entities – absorption in NIR region (>700 nm) and low Mws – will be realized using novel design approaches which also allow a synthetically-viable pathway to tune lipophilicity. Then, appropriate heavy atom modifications for sensitization will be pursued. Most importantly, these sensitizers will be decorated with known and novel handles towards specific targeting of glioblastoma cells to attain the final PDT agents. Photophysical properties will be investigated, and finally, in-vitro and in-vivo studies will be performed to determine the effectiveness of our agents on brain cancer treatment.
Summary
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for a total of 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Research efforts have resulted in significant increase in 5-year survival rates for some cancer types, however this is not the case in brain cancer. Three fundamental issues are at the core of this reality: 1) High percentage of inoperable brain tumours; 2) Limited number of drugs that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and 3) Absence of effective targeted brain cancer therapies. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has the potential to be a selective, effective and non-invasive alternative to current treatments, however to date it is only applicable to a small group of cancers. Realization of non-toxic, water-soluble and photostable PDT agents, with strong near infrared absorption for deep tissue penetration, that also realizes high singlet oxygen generation efficiency and effective targeting, is the key for widespread use of PDT for majority of cancers. For brain cancer specifically, low molecular weights (Mws) and controlled lipophilicity is needed as well. The ultimate aim of INFRADYNAMICS is to create and validate the first series of advanced PDT agents that meet all these requirements and to demonstrate that a significant impact on brain cancer survival rates could be achieved. First, a series of advanced fluorophores that combine the two contradicting entities – absorption in NIR region (>700 nm) and low Mws – will be realized using novel design approaches which also allow a synthetically-viable pathway to tune lipophilicity. Then, appropriate heavy atom modifications for sensitization will be pursued. Most importantly, these sensitizers will be decorated with known and novel handles towards specific targeting of glioblastoma cells to attain the final PDT agents. Photophysical properties will be investigated, and finally, in-vitro and in-vivo studies will be performed to determine the effectiveness of our agents on brain cancer treatment.
Max ERC Funding
1 500 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-11-01, End date: 2024-10-31
Project acronym INFSYS
Project Challenging Problems in Infinite-State Systems
Researcher (PI) Wojciech Czerwinski
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2020-STG
Summary Investigation of infinite state systems is an active field since the early days of computer science.
Despite of decades of research the most fundamental questions are not understood well
even for basic models using only counters or a stack.
The aim of the project is to provide solutions of the most challenging problems in the area.
The goals of the project are grouped in three tasks:
- The first goal in concerned with the reachability problem in Petri nets or Vector Addition Systems (VASes),
a classical problem of fundamental importance. Recently, in a breakthrough paper (awarded the Best Paper
Award at STOC 2019) with co-authors we have improved the lower bound for this problem from \expspace to \tower-hardness.
The main goal of this task is to establish exact complexity of the reachability problem.
- The second task focuses on separability problems, which ask about existence of simple classifiers.
The first main goal in this task is to prove decidability of an important problem of regular separability for languages of VASes, i.e.
the question whether for two given VAS languages there is a regular language including one of them and disjoint
from the other one.
Second main goal is to solve the word separating problem, namely to decide whether for each two words of length $n$
there exists a DFA with logarithmic number of states recognizing exactly one of them.
- Without doubt the role of nondeterminism is a key question in theoretical computer science.
The goal of this task is to study the related notion of unambiguity, which has very interesting properties, but
is much less understood. My plan is to study unambiguity in simple models.
The main goal here is to understand the complexity of the universality problem
of unambiguous variants of finite automata and their extensions.
Summary
Investigation of infinite state systems is an active field since the early days of computer science.
Despite of decades of research the most fundamental questions are not understood well
even for basic models using only counters or a stack.
The aim of the project is to provide solutions of the most challenging problems in the area.
The goals of the project are grouped in three tasks:
- The first goal in concerned with the reachability problem in Petri nets or Vector Addition Systems (VASes),
a classical problem of fundamental importance. Recently, in a breakthrough paper (awarded the Best Paper
Award at STOC 2019) with co-authors we have improved the lower bound for this problem from \expspace to \tower-hardness.
The main goal of this task is to establish exact complexity of the reachability problem.
- The second task focuses on separability problems, which ask about existence of simple classifiers.
The first main goal in this task is to prove decidability of an important problem of regular separability for languages of VASes, i.e.
the question whether for two given VAS languages there is a regular language including one of them and disjoint
from the other one.
Second main goal is to solve the word separating problem, namely to decide whether for each two words of length $n$
there exists a DFA with logarithmic number of states recognizing exactly one of them.
- Without doubt the role of nondeterminism is a key question in theoretical computer science.
The goal of this task is to study the related notion of unambiguity, which has very interesting properties, but
is much less understood. My plan is to study unambiguity in simple models.
The main goal here is to understand the complexity of the universality problem
of unambiguous variants of finite automata and their extensions.
Max ERC Funding
1 340 406 €
Duration
Start date: 2021-03-01, End date: 2026-02-28
Project acronym ISLAM-OPHOB-ISM
Project Nativism, Islamophobism and Islamism in the Age of Populism: Culturalisation and Religionisation of what is Social, Economic and Political in Europe
Researcher (PI) Ayhan KAYA
Host Institution (HI) ISTANBUL BILGI UNIVERSITESI
Country Turkey
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH3, ERC-2017-ADG
Summary The main research question of the study is: How and why do some European citizens generate a populist and Islamophobist discourse to express their discontent with the current social, economic and political state of their national and European contexts, while some members of migrant-origin communities with Muslim background generate an essentialist and radical form of Islamist discourse within the same societies? The main premise of this study is that various segments of the European public (radicalizing young members of both native populations and migrant-origin populations with Muslim background), who have been alienated and swept away by the flows of globalization such as deindustrialization, mobility, migration, tourism, social-economic inequalities, international trade, and robotic production, are more inclined to respectively adopt two mainstream political discourses: Islamophobism (for native populations) and Islamism (for Muslim-migrant-origin populations). Both discourses have become pivotal along with the rise of the civilizational rhetoric since the early 1990s. On the one hand, the neo-liberal age seems to be leading to the nativisation of radicalism among some groups of host populations while, on the other hand, it is leading to the islamization of radicalism among some segments of deprived migrant-origin populations. The common denominator of these groups is that they are both downwardly mobile and inclined towards radicalization. Hence, this project aims to scrutinize social, economic, political and psychological sources of the processes of radicalization among native European youth and Muslim-origin youth with migration background, who are both inclined to express their discontent through ethnicity, culture, religion, heritage, homogeneity, authenticity, past, gender and patriarchy. The field research will comprise four migrant receiving countries: Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and two migrant sending countries: Turkey and Morocco.
Summary
The main research question of the study is: How and why do some European citizens generate a populist and Islamophobist discourse to express their discontent with the current social, economic and political state of their national and European contexts, while some members of migrant-origin communities with Muslim background generate an essentialist and radical form of Islamist discourse within the same societies? The main premise of this study is that various segments of the European public (radicalizing young members of both native populations and migrant-origin populations with Muslim background), who have been alienated and swept away by the flows of globalization such as deindustrialization, mobility, migration, tourism, social-economic inequalities, international trade, and robotic production, are more inclined to respectively adopt two mainstream political discourses: Islamophobism (for native populations) and Islamism (for Muslim-migrant-origin populations). Both discourses have become pivotal along with the rise of the civilizational rhetoric since the early 1990s. On the one hand, the neo-liberal age seems to be leading to the nativisation of radicalism among some groups of host populations while, on the other hand, it is leading to the islamization of radicalism among some segments of deprived migrant-origin populations. The common denominator of these groups is that they are both downwardly mobile and inclined towards radicalization. Hence, this project aims to scrutinize social, economic, political and psychological sources of the processes of radicalization among native European youth and Muslim-origin youth with migration background, who are both inclined to express their discontent through ethnicity, culture, religion, heritage, homogeneity, authenticity, past, gender and patriarchy. The field research will comprise four migrant receiving countries: Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and two migrant sending countries: Turkey and Morocco.
Max ERC Funding
2 276 125 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-01-01, End date: 2023-12-31
Project acronym LABFER
Project Globalisation- and Technology-Driven Labour Market Change and Fertility
Researcher (PI) Anna MATYSIAK
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), SH3, ERC-2019-COG
Summary LABFER is the first project that will LABFER is the first project that will comprehensively describe and evaluate fertility consequences of the unprecedented changes in the labour market, caused by digitalisation and globalisation. These changes have been taking place during the last three decades and intensified after the Great Recession. They are reflected in: rising demand for skills, massive worker displacement, spread of new work arrangements, increasing work demands and growing inequalities in labour market prospects between the low-and-medium and the highly skilled. They are likely driving the post-crisis fertility decline in the most advanced nations, which is to date not understood. LABFER is thus highly relevant and timely. It has four main objectives:
1) to study the impact of the ongoing labour market change on fertility (macro-level);
2) to examine the individual-level mechanisms behind the observed macro-level fertility effects of the ongoing labour market change;
3) to investigate the role of the growing inequalities between the low-and-medium and the highly skilled for the relative fertility patterns of the two groups;
4) to study the role of family and employment policies in moderating the fertility effects of the labour market change.
Our methodological approach is innovative. We will link data at several layers of observation (country, region, industry, firm, couple and individual) to account for the policy, work and family context of childbearing. We will also use novel labour market measures to capture the ongoing labour market change. Mixture cure models will be employed to separate the effects of covariates on birth timing and probability that the birth occurs.
LABFER will break the ground by providing understanding of how the dynamic labour market changes are associated with and potentially affect the current and future fertility dynamics and its socio-economic gradients. It will also have implications for family and employment policies.
Summary
LABFER is the first project that will LABFER is the first project that will comprehensively describe and evaluate fertility consequences of the unprecedented changes in the labour market, caused by digitalisation and globalisation. These changes have been taking place during the last three decades and intensified after the Great Recession. They are reflected in: rising demand for skills, massive worker displacement, spread of new work arrangements, increasing work demands and growing inequalities in labour market prospects between the low-and-medium and the highly skilled. They are likely driving the post-crisis fertility decline in the most advanced nations, which is to date not understood. LABFER is thus highly relevant and timely. It has four main objectives:
1) to study the impact of the ongoing labour market change on fertility (macro-level);
2) to examine the individual-level mechanisms behind the observed macro-level fertility effects of the ongoing labour market change;
3) to investigate the role of the growing inequalities between the low-and-medium and the highly skilled for the relative fertility patterns of the two groups;
4) to study the role of family and employment policies in moderating the fertility effects of the labour market change.
Our methodological approach is innovative. We will link data at several layers of observation (country, region, industry, firm, couple and individual) to account for the policy, work and family context of childbearing. We will also use novel labour market measures to capture the ongoing labour market change. Mixture cure models will be employed to separate the effects of covariates on birth timing and probability that the birth occurs.
LABFER will break the ground by providing understanding of how the dynamic labour market changes are associated with and potentially affect the current and future fertility dynamics and its socio-economic gradients. It will also have implications for family and employment policies.
Max ERC Funding
1 998 100 €
Duration
Start date: 2020-10-01, End date: 2025-09-30
Project acronym LIPA
Project A unified theory of finite-state recognisability
Researcher (PI) Mikolaj Konstanty Bojanczyk
Host Institution (HI) UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
Country Poland
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE6, ERC-2015-CoG
Summary Finite-state devices like finite automata and monoids on finite words, or extensions to trees and infinite objects, are fundamental tools of logic in computer science. There are tens of models in the literature, ranging from finite automata on finite words to weighted automata on infinite trees. Many existing finite-state models share important similarities, like existence of canonical (minimal) devices, or decidability of emptiness, or a logic-automata connection. The first and primary goal of this project is to systematically investigate these similarities, and create a unified theory of finite-state devices, which:
1. covers the whole spectrum of existing finite-state devices, including settings with diverse inputs (e.g. words and trees, or infinite inputs, or infinite alphabets) and diverse outputs (e.g. Boolean like in the classical automata, or numbers like in weighted automata); and
2. sheds light on the correct notion of finite-state device in settings where there is no universally accepted choice or where finite-state devices have not been considered at all.
The theory of finite-state devices is one of those fields of theory where even the more advanced results have natural potential for applications. It is surprising and sad how little of this potential is normally realised, with most existing software using only the most rudimentary theoretical techniques. The second goal of the project is to create two tools which use more advanced aspects of the theory of automata to solve simple problems of wide applicability (i.e. at least tens of thousands of users):
1. a system that automatically grades exercises in automata, which goes beyond simple testing, and forces the students to write proofs
2. a system that uses learning to synthesise text transformations (such a search-and-replace, but also more powerful ones) by using examples
Summary
Finite-state devices like finite automata and monoids on finite words, or extensions to trees and infinite objects, are fundamental tools of logic in computer science. There are tens of models in the literature, ranging from finite automata on finite words to weighted automata on infinite trees. Many existing finite-state models share important similarities, like existence of canonical (minimal) devices, or decidability of emptiness, or a logic-automata connection. The first and primary goal of this project is to systematically investigate these similarities, and create a unified theory of finite-state devices, which:
1. covers the whole spectrum of existing finite-state devices, including settings with diverse inputs (e.g. words and trees, or infinite inputs, or infinite alphabets) and diverse outputs (e.g. Boolean like in the classical automata, or numbers like in weighted automata); and
2. sheds light on the correct notion of finite-state device in settings where there is no universally accepted choice or where finite-state devices have not been considered at all.
The theory of finite-state devices is one of those fields of theory where even the more advanced results have natural potential for applications. It is surprising and sad how little of this potential is normally realised, with most existing software using only the most rudimentary theoretical techniques. The second goal of the project is to create two tools which use more advanced aspects of the theory of automata to solve simple problems of wide applicability (i.e. at least tens of thousands of users):
1. a system that automatically grades exercises in automata, which goes beyond simple testing, and forces the students to write proofs
2. a system that uses learning to synthesise text transformations (such a search-and-replace, but also more powerful ones) by using examples
Max ERC Funding
1 768 125 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-05-01, End date: 2021-10-31
Project acronym microCODE
Project Microfluidic Combinatorial On Demand Systems: a Platform for High-Throughput Screening in Chemistry and Biotechnology
Researcher (PI) Piotr Garstecki
Host Institution (HI) INSTYTUT CHEMII FIZYCZNEJ POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
Country Poland
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE4, ERC-2011-StG_20101014
Summary This proposal addresses an important opportunity in the rapidly developing art of microfluidics. On one hand vast expertise is available on automation of single phase flows via microvalves or electrokinetics and on flow of drops on planar electrodes. These systems are perfectly suited for a range of applications but are inherently inefficient in handling massively large numbers of processes due to correspondingly large number of input/output controls that at best scales logarithmically in the number of processes. On the other hand conducting reactions in thousands micro droplets embodies many of the most acclaimed promises of microfluidics – ultra-miniaturisation, speed, rapid mixing and extensive control of physical conditions. Demonstrations of incubation of cells, in-vitro translation and directed evolution confirm that these techniques can reduce the cost and time of existing processes by orders of magnitude. Droplet microfluidics is at the moment, however, almost (except sorting) completely passive.
We recently demonstrated the use of external valves to automate formation and motion of droplets on simple disposable chips and screening up to 10000 compositions per hour. We propose to develop externally controlled programmable modules for i) multiplexed, on-demand generation of multiple emulsions, ii) aspiration of libraries of samples and multiplexing linear libraries into full cross matrices, iii) splitting drops into two, few and large numbers (e.g. 10000) drops, iv) optical monitoring of presence and content of droplets, v) counting cells inside the drops, vi) circulating drops, vii) titration, viii) holding paramagnetic beads in drops. Our design rules will allow to integrate these modules into externally controlled systems for research on i) combinatorial synthesis, ii) material science, iii) role of noise in metabolic networks, iv) evolution of bacteria, v) inexpensive multiplexed diagnostics systems, including cytometry, PCR and ELISA assays in drops.
Summary
This proposal addresses an important opportunity in the rapidly developing art of microfluidics. On one hand vast expertise is available on automation of single phase flows via microvalves or electrokinetics and on flow of drops on planar electrodes. These systems are perfectly suited for a range of applications but are inherently inefficient in handling massively large numbers of processes due to correspondingly large number of input/output controls that at best scales logarithmically in the number of processes. On the other hand conducting reactions in thousands micro droplets embodies many of the most acclaimed promises of microfluidics – ultra-miniaturisation, speed, rapid mixing and extensive control of physical conditions. Demonstrations of incubation of cells, in-vitro translation and directed evolution confirm that these techniques can reduce the cost and time of existing processes by orders of magnitude. Droplet microfluidics is at the moment, however, almost (except sorting) completely passive.
We recently demonstrated the use of external valves to automate formation and motion of droplets on simple disposable chips and screening up to 10000 compositions per hour. We propose to develop externally controlled programmable modules for i) multiplexed, on-demand generation of multiple emulsions, ii) aspiration of libraries of samples and multiplexing linear libraries into full cross matrices, iii) splitting drops into two, few and large numbers (e.g. 10000) drops, iv) optical monitoring of presence and content of droplets, v) counting cells inside the drops, vi) circulating drops, vii) titration, viii) holding paramagnetic beads in drops. Our design rules will allow to integrate these modules into externally controlled systems for research on i) combinatorial synthesis, ii) material science, iii) role of noise in metabolic networks, iv) evolution of bacteria, v) inexpensive multiplexed diagnostics systems, including cytometry, PCR and ELISA assays in drops.
Max ERC Funding
1 749 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31
