A Computer Science PhD
This page exists to answer the many questions surrounding my PhD - where, what, why etc...
So why are you doing a PhD?
I started my company in 1998, the second year of my undergraduate MEng degree and have succesfully managed to hold down a couple of full time jobs and complete an MEng whilst running the company. Whilst it could keep me occupied full time, it doesn't have too, and I would prefer to grow the company in such a way that I do "interesting" and "strategic" things and others do the day to day operational stuff.
Granted, for the first year since completing my MEng, I am putting rather a lot of effort into growing the company, but it still leaves between 2 and 4 days in the week when I don't have much to do, but do need to sit next to a computer in case something happens.
Practical reasons aside, one of my complaints about the internet is that it isn't new and much of internet product development is just repackaging existing software into a nice easy to use service.
So my reasons for doing a PhD are three fold:
- It keeps me busy and amused, whilst next to a computer.
- It allows me to stretch my mind and spend time developing genuinely new and interesting ideas.
- I will (hopefully) become Dr Gradwell!
What are you doing for your PhD?
The first thing to say is that my PhD is an interesting mix of Computer Science, Economics and Maths.
Secondly, it is the intersection of two technologies: Grid Computing Systems and Intelligent Agents.
Grid systems are networks of lots and lots of computers with spare computing resource. Currently these systems are used for big "public interest" projects, such as SETI@Home, Cancer Research, etc. and "internally" within big corporations. However, the commercialisation of Grid systems has not yet happened, mainly because of a lack of accounting (monetary) and accountability (service level, quality).
Agent systems are "intelligent" bits of software which operate "on their own" (though usually with in a protected environment). Such software is particularly adept at making decisons and thus completing negotiations - e.g. in Auctions.
I am supposing that we can combine agent based trading systems and grid resource networks so that we can have agents buying and selling resources on a grid computing network.
How does your "commercial work" fit into this?
See above - I spend 1-2 days a week on commercial work (plus evenings & weekends as needed) and in return my company sponsors my PhD fees and expenses as part of an EPSRC industrial case collaboration award.
One might reasonably believe that if my PhD produces something saleable then I will exploit it via my company in the fullness of time.
Why Bath?
I applied to a number of Universities and visited two. Out of the two (Bath & Cambridge) I felt that Bath was friendlier, had more time for its students (i.e. better supervision) and was equally good in terms of "getting a PhD done". (Note that being a brilliant researcher doesn't necessarily make for a good supervisor).
Bath also has the benefits of being a lovely place to live, good connectivity (trains, motorways, internet) and being close to where my girlfriend works, so the commute isn't too bad for her.
How long is it going to take you?
PhDs take three to four years. I'm hoping to complete in 2006, fingers crossed.
