Applicant information
What happens after you apply to Bristol?
Mathematics
| Awards available | MSc/PhD in Mathematics MSc/PhD in Statistics |
|---|---|
| Duration of programme | MSc: One year full-time, or part-time equivalent PhD: Three years full-time, or part-time equivalent |
| Number of places | Dependent on funding |
Page contents
Programme overview
The School of Mathematics provides postgraduates with a vibrant and stimulating place to work. During your study programme, you will not only develop your mathematical skills and competencies, but will also have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with internationally leading researchers and to apply your results across a range of academic disciplines.
The School of Mathematics is one of the largest in the Science Faculty with about 55 members of academic staff, 30 research assistants and 70 postgraduate students. It undertakes research in a wide range of areas in Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Statistics, and has an international reputation for excellence. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, all of the research groups were highly ranked; the Applied Mathematics group was rated third in the UK, the Statistics group joint fourth and the Pure Mathematics group joint fifth.
The School has collaborative research programmes with a number of other Departments, including Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Computer Science and Physics, as well as a range of projects in collaboration with the Medical School. It is involved with University Research Centres in Behavioural Biology and in Environmental and Geophysical Flows; and it has close links with a number of external research institutions such as Hewlett-Packard, QinetiQ, Unilever, Barclays Bank, the Government Communications Headquarters and National Air Traffic Services. Additionally, there are several research initiatives, in which mathematics is playing a central role. These include number theory (Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research), complexity science (Bristol Centre for Complexity Science), nanoscience (Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information), highperformance computing (Advanced Computing Research Centre), and the Centre for Doctoral Training in Communications..
We recruit postgraduate students to PhD projects in subject areas spanning mathematics and statistics - please see the staff list below and our school website for details of some of the subjects offered. It is also possible to study for a one-year MSc by Research in Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics or in an interdisciplinary programme on Natural Hazards. In addition we have two initiatives for postgraduate training in mathematics, both of which feature a one-year, taught MRes degree, followed by a three-year PhD. These opportunities are in statistics as part of the SuSTAIn initiative (Statistics underpinning Science, Technology and Industry), which provides broad statistical training to address the challenges posed by modern science and technology, and in Complexity Sciences, which provides highly interdisciplinary training and research across science, engineering and mathematics.
Research groups
There is a wide range of research conducted in the School, spanning many of the conventional boundaries between disciplines. Potential applicants are encouraged to consult the departmental website for detailed accounts of the research themes, but broadly there are three subject groups:
In Pure Mathematics, research is formed around the general topics of number theory, ergodic theory and dynamical systems, analysis and partial differential equations, representation theory, noncommunicative geometry and topology, and logic and set theory.
In Applied Mathematics, research is concentrated in the areas of nonlinear dynamics, quantum chaos, classical and semi-classical asymptotics, random matrix theory, quantum computation and quantum information theory, fluid mechanics, geophysical fluid dynamics, wave propagation and numerical analysis.
The main research areas within Statistics and Probability are applied probability, Bayesian modelling and analysis, behavioural biology, multiscale methods, Monte Carlo methods, nonparametric regression, optimisation under uncertainty, statistical bioinformatics, statistical signal processing and the analysis of time series.
Entry requirements
An upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Funded places may be subject to higher entry requirements.
For information on international equivalent qualifications, please see our International Office website.
Admissions statement
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
Key research interests
Pure Mathematics
Dr Andrew Booker, Analytic and algorithmic number theory.
Dr Tim Browning, Analytic number theory, Diophantine geometry.
Dr Tim Burgess, Group theory, representation theory and combinatronics.
Professor Brian Conrey, Number theory; analytic theory of L-functions.
Dr Tim Dokchitser, Arithmetic geometry and algebraic number theory
Dr Kentaro Fujimoto, Logic; set theory.
Dr Alexander Gorodnik, Ergodic theory and dynamical systems; number theory.
Dr Alan Haynes, Applied probability; ergodic theory and dynamical systems; number theory.
Dr Thomas Jordan, Ergodic theory and dynamical systems.
Dr John MacKay, Geometric group theory and analysis on metric spaces.
Professor Jens Marklof, Number theory; quantum chaos; ergodic theory and dynamical systems.
Dr Yuri Netrusov, Functional spaces, partial differential equations, spectral theory.
Professor Jeremy Rickard, Representation theory of finite-dimensional algebras; homological algebra.
Dr Abhishek Saha, Number theory; automorphic forms.
Professor Aidan Schofield, Representation theory of finite-dimensional algebras; homological algebra.
Dr Corinna Ulcigrai, Ergodic theory and Teichmueller dynamics.
Dr Lynne Walling, Number theory.
Professor Philip Welch, Set theory; fine structure and core models; theories of truth and mathematical models in philosophy.
Professor Trevor Wooley, Number theory.
Professor Michiel van den Berg, Spectral geometry, partial differential equations.
Applied Mathematics
Dr Isaac Chenchiah, Solid mechanics and materials science; statics and dynamics of microstructures and phase transitions in solids; growth of biological materials; applications of non-convex calculus of variations and partial differential equations.
Dr Carl Dettmann, Nonlinear dynamics and mathematical physics
Professor Jens Eggers, Hydrodynamics; complex fluids; statistical mechanics.
Dr Andrew Hogg, Geophysical and environmental fluid mechanics, granular flows.
Professor Jonathan Keating, Quantum chaos; random matrix theory; number theory.
Professor Richard Kerswell, Nonlinear fluid mechanics (stability, transition to turbulence, turbulence); granular and non-Newtonian flows; geophysical and astrophysical fluid dynamics.
Professor Noah Linden, Quantum information theory; quantum computation; quantum mechanics.
Professor Tanniemola Liverpool, Theoretical soft matter physics; biological physics; systems biology.
Dr Francesco Mezzadri, Semiclassical mechanics of chaotic systems; random matrix theory.
Dr Sebastian Muller, Quantum chaos and condensed-matter theory.
Dr Richard Porter, Wave motion in fluids and elastic solids and the interaction of waves with structures.
Dr Jonathan Robbins, Liquid crystals and harmonic maps; quantum chaos.
Dr Misha Rudnev, Geometric and arithmetic combinatorics; harmonic analysis.
Dr Roman Schubert, Wave propagation and dynamical systems; quantum dynamics of chemical reactions.
Dr Martin Sieber, Semiclassical approximations in quantum systems; quantum chaos and random matrix theory; microlasers.
Dr Valeriy Slastikov, Materials science; liquid crystals and micromagnetics; applied analysis, calculus of variations and nonlinear partial differential equations.
Dr Nina Snaith, Random matrix and number theory.
Dr Yves Tourigny, Disordered systems, particularly the study of the energy levels of Schroedinger operators with a random potential; topics at the intersection of mathematical physics and probability theory.
Dr Karoline Wiesner, Quantum information; complex systems.
Professor Stephen Wiggins, Dynamical systems and applications.
Professor Andreas Winter, Quantum information and quantum computation; discrete mathematics.
Statistics and Applied Probability
Professor Christophe Andrieu, Signal processing.
Dr Mark Beaumont, Statistical bioinformatics; Bayesian modelling and analysis; Monte Carlo computation.
Dr Cliver Bowsher, Complex systems; dynamical systems and statistical mechanics; Bayesian modelling and analysis, time series.
Dr Li Chen, Spatial statistics; spatial-temporal modelling and Bayesian analysis.
Dr Haeron Cho, Multiscale modelling; time series analysis; high-dimensional statistical inference.
Dr Sean Collins, Markov decision processes; stochastic optimisation, game theory and reinforcement learning; applications in behavioural biology and in queuing networks.
Dr Vanessa Didelez, Bayesian modelling and analysis; optimisation under uncertainty.
Dr Ayalvadi Ganesh, Applied probability; Bayesian modelling and analysis; optimisation under uncertainty.
Professor Peter Green, Bayesian inference in complex stochastic systems; Markov chain Monte Carlo methodology; computational aspects of graphical models; forensic genetics.
Dr Oliver Johnson, Entropy theory; probabilistic limit therems; data compression.
Dr Arne Kovac, Nonparametric regression and image analysis.
Dr David Leslie, Reinforcement learning; game theory; stochastic approximation; stochastic optimisation; Bayesian nonparametric modelling.
Professor John McNamara, Behavioural ecology; modelling of theoretical aspects, including evolutionary game theory and life-history theory.
Professor Guy Nason, Wavelets; time series analysis.
Dr Jonathan Rougier, Bayesian modelling and analysis.
Dr Vladislav Tadic, Optimisation under uncertainty; Monte Carlo computation; statistical signal processing.
Dr Balint Toth, Probability theory; stochastic processes; random walks; limit theorems; statistical physics (classical and quantum); randomness in space and time.
Dr Stas Volkov, Random processes, probability theory.
Dr Nick Whitely, Bayesian modelling and analysis; Monte Carlo computation; statistical signal processing; time series.
Dr Feng Yu, Applied probability; behavioural biology; statistical signal processing.
Application deadline: Not fixed - may be determined by funding deadlines. We encourage students to apply before 1 Jan 2014
Get in touch
Postgraduate Student Administrator
School of Mathematics
University of Bristol
University Walk
Bristol BS8 1TW
Phone: +44 (0)117 928 8658
Email: pgsec-maths@bristol.ac.uk
Web: http://www.maths.bris.ac.uk
International students
English-language requirements: 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all bands, in addition to the standard entry requirements.
Find information for international students on eligibility, funding options and studying at Bristol.
Fees and funding
2014/15 fees
Full-time: UK/EU £3,939;
overseas £17,000
Fees quoted are provisional, per annum and subject to annual increase.
Funding options
UK/EU students may be eligible to apply for EPSRC funding for PhD study. Further information on funding for prospective UK, EU and international postgraduate students is available from the Student Funding Office website.
Research Assessment Score
Units of Assessment 20, 21 and 22 apply. See Complete RAE listings for University of Bristol for further details.
Useful further information
Accommodation
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Living in Bristol
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