Closing date: 26 September 2005

The University of Trento announces the 21st cycle of the PhD Programmein "Mathematics" in collaboration with "Centro di Ricerca di MatematicaE. De Giorgi" of the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.

Length: three years

Scientific Areas:
Mathematical Logic
Algebra
Geometry
Complementary Mathematics
Mathematical Analysis
Mathematical Probability and Statistics
Mathematical Physics
Numerical Analysis
Operations Research

Coordinator of PhD Programme:
prof. Francesco Serra Cassano - phone 0039 0461 881673
e-mail: cassano@scienze.unitn.it

Official language: Italian and English

Selection for 7 PhD positions in the PhD Programme is announced, 4positions will be assigned grants financed by the University of Trento.

The number of grant-assisted places may be increased by funds fromuniversities, public research bodies or qualified private organizationsmade available after the publication of this announcement and beforethe beginning of the selection. Any increase in the number of availableplaces resulting from an increase of grants will be communicatedthrough the official notice board of the University of Trento andposted on the website:http://www.unitn.it/ricerca/dottorati_form_av/ciclo_21/bandi.htm

ART. 2 -ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applications for the PhD positions above are invited from candidates,regardless of sex, age and nationality, who have an Italian "laureaspecialistica", instituted in compliance with Ministerial Decree no.509 of 3.11.1999 as amended, a university degree of the previousItalian regulations in force or equivalent degree qualificationobtained abroad.
Applicants who have a foreign qualification that has not beenofficially recognized as equivalent to the Italian degree should submita request for equivalence to be recognized in their application for thecompetition.
In this case, citizens of the European Union have to attach to theirapplication their degree certificate or degree self-certification(according to Presidential Decree no. 445 of 28.12.2000 concerning EUcitizens), whereas applicants from a country outside Europe have toattach to the application a translation in English of the degreecertificate with exams and scores obtained, signed under their ownresponsibility, so as to allow the Graduate School Committee to declarethe equivalence, valid for the only purpose of participating in theselection.
Successful applicants from a country outside Europe have to presenttheir degree certificate with the examinations passed and the scoresobtained, translated and authenticated by an Italian consulate, embassyor diplomatic representative in the country of the university thatissued the degree and the respective declaration of equivalent value("Dichiarazione di valore") not later than the date set for enrolmentin the PhD Programme.
Applications are also invited from students who expect to completetheir degree by the date of the assessment of qualifications. In suchcases, admission will be "conditional" and the applicant must be ableto present the relevant degree certificate, or a declaration that thedegree has been conferred (in compliance with Presidential Decree no.445 of 28.12.2000, applicable only to EU citizens), by the date of theassessment of qualifications.

Art. 3 - THE PhD PROGRAMME
The PhD Programme in Mathematics is articulated into two curricula:

1)    Curriculum in "Pure Mathematics"
This curriculum deals with on one or more of the following scientific research areas:
-    Calculus of Variations
-    Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations
-    Analytic and Algebraic Geometry
-    Mathematical Physics and Dynamical Systems
-    Stochastic Processes
-    Mathematical Logic
-    Groups and Lie Algebra Theory

2)    Curriculum in "Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing (MAMOSC)"
This curriculum will transversely deal with the following scientific research areas:
-    Biomathematics and Population Dynamics
-    Stochastic Processes
-    Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations.
And some significant key words are:
•    Mathematical Modeling
•    Numerical Analysis
•    High- Performance Computing
•    Scientific Data Visualization
•    Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering.

The Graduate School Committee can take in account also a curriculum inthe scientific area of those of the Department of Mathematics"Mathematics Education and Communication", under a specific projectproposed both by a PhD candidate and by a member of the Graduate SchoolCommittee who will be tutor of it.
The PhD Programme is divided among the three years s in the following way.

1st year
The 1st year is a guidance year through the scientific offerings of the Department of Mathematics.
Each PhD student is assigned a tutor who has to be member of theGraduate Faculty Committee. The PhD student must submit to theCoordinator of the PhD Programme a written study plan, approved by thetutor, by the end of January of the current academic year.
According to this plan each student will follow three courses to bechosen among the ones held by the Department of Mathematics and/or theGraduate School of the University of Trento. The study plan can alsoinclude attendance of courses held by other national and internationalPhD Schools. The Graduate School Committee can also ask the PhD studentto include in the study plan the attendance of particular coursesbecause of their scientific importance for his/her education.
Each course is requested to have a lecturer, responsible for theevaluation procedure of the final examination and at least two of thethree courses must be in different mathematical areas.
Moreover final examination for the PhD student in two of these threecourses has to include a written test proposed and read by the lecturerresponsible for the course. The final examination for the third courseis a talk given by the PhD student on a topic proposed by the lecturerresponsible for the course.
Students are invited to attend basic and advanced specific seminarorganised either from the research groups of the Department ofMathematics and/or the Graduate School, as well as workshops and summerschools.
During the first year the PhD student will have to choose and advisorwith whom he/she will decide the topic of his/her thesis. Thesis' topicwill have to be concerned with  one of  the researchareas  involved in the previous curricula.
The advisor tipically is a member of  the Graduate FacultyCommittee. Upon a motivate request of the PhD student the GraduateFaculty Committee. can allow the choice of an external advisor. In thiscase the Graduate Faculty Committee have also to single out  oneof its member who  formally acts as internal  advisor duringthesis period.
By the end of October of the current academic year the PhD student mustgive to the PhD Coordinator a written report on his first-year activityand to submit a project about his/her thesis. Moreover he/she will haveto pass a final oral examination for the admission to the second yearof the Graduate School, in front of a committee formed by the threecourses' lecturers, the advisor and the PhD coordinator or an hisdelegate. The committee will have to evaluate the PhD student'sactivity and to write a report, signed by the committee's members, witha recommendation about the admission of the student to the second year.The PhD student will be directly admitted to the second year followinga positive committee evaluation, after this information is provided tothe Graduate School Committee by the PhD Coordinator. In case ofnegative recommendation the Graduate School Committee could exclude thePhD student from Graduate School or propose his/her conditionaladmission to the second year. Indeed the student could be required toattend a more suitable study program agreed by the Graduate SchoolCommittee and he/she will have to pass a final examination by the endof  February of the second year.
The evaluation committee report will have to be kept, together with thestudy program and written tests, in the official record of GraduateSchool for the student at the Secretary of the Department ofMathematics.

2nd and 3rd year
The 2nd and the 3rd year are devoted to the research for the thesis.
The PhD student starts the typical life of a mathematics researcher andwill participate regularly to international scientific events regardinghis/her chosen area, as well as in those related that are deemed usefulin his/her formation.
By the end of the second year the PhD student is required to give atalk for the admission to the third year on a topic of  his/herthesis appointed by his/her advisor.
The PhD student is strongly encouraged to spend abroad some period oftheir activity in those universities involved in his/her research areas.
In any event the PhD student must give the PhD Coordinator a writtenreport on his/her research activity by the end of October of eachacademic year.

Art. 4 - APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SELECTION
Application should be made using the application form attached to this announcement.
The application, including all the annexes required, must arrive at theUniversity of Trento by the 26th of September 2005 in one of thefollowing ways:
-    hand deliverd to: Segreteria della Scuola diDottorato in Matematica, c/o Dipartimento di Matematica, Via Sommarive14 - 38050 POVO (TN), ITALY, from 9.00 to 12.30 a.m. Monday to Friday;
-    by mail to the following address: Al magnificoRettore dell'Università degli Studi di Trento, Segreteria del Dottoratoin Matematica, c/o Dipartimento di Matematica, Via Sommarive 14 - 38050POVO (TN), ITALY (please write on the envelope "PhD Programme inMathematics").

The University of Trento does not accept responsibility for mistakes made by post offices.
The applicant should ensure that the address given for correspondenceand the telephone number are correct and that any changes are reportedas soon as possible to Ufficio Dottorati di Ricerca.
Applications arriving after the 26th of September 2005 will not be considered, even if sent before this date.

According to Italian Law no. 104/92, art. 20 and to Italian Law no.68/99, art. 16, para. 1, applicants with special needs are expected toindicate explicitly in their application whether they require specialassistance or extra time during the examinations. Under LegislativeDecree 196/03, all information will be kept confidential.

Applications should include:
-    photocopy of the applicant's identity card or passport;
-    degree certificate with a list of the examinationspassed successfully and scores obtained in each examination (except forcandidates who have not yet obtained their degree certificate at thetime of presentation of the application as outlined in Art. 2 of thisannouncement);
-    a hard copy of the degree dissertation (if required for the degree);
-    summary of the dissertation explaining the reasonsfor the choice of the subject, the research methodology, resultsobtained and discussion/evaluation;
-    two letters of recommendation from the dissertationadvisor and/or other experts on the subject; the letters must be in asealed envelope;
-    any other qualifications believed useful in theassessment of the applicant (dissertations, scientific publications,study and post-graduate activities of research, prizes, grants,knowledge of languages etc.).

Applicants who have a foreign qualification that has not beenofficially recognized as equivalent to the Italian degree have toattach a translation in English of the degree certificate with examsand scores obtained, signed under their own responsibility, so as toallow the Graduate School Committee to declare the equivalence, validfor the only purpose of participating in the selection;

If, afterwards the submission of their application, applicants have toadd further information, it must reach the University offices by the26th of September 2005. The applicant's name, the PhD Programme he/sheis applying for and the object "Integrazione domanda" must be clearlywritten on the envelope.

The University of Trento has the right to check, even to spot check,declarations and documents provided by the candidates, according toart. 71 and following articles of the Presidential Decree no. 445 of28.12.2000.
Any time, candidates not fulfilling the requirements requested, can be left out the selection for the PhD Programme.

Closing date: 26 September 2005

For information and application form, see the source of this announcement.

[Contributor: Lianita Prawindarti]