Mathematics and Statistics

This doctoral study programme is organized by the Faculty of Science in English and the studies are subject to tuition. There is an alternative option for the international applicants to be accepted in the free programme administered in Czech with the possibility of receiving a scholarship. The study language of the programme is still English (Czech is the administrative language). Before officially applying, please contact us at admission@sci.muni.cz to find all the necessary information related to the scholarship and see our FAQ’s.

Submit an application

International applicants for doctoral study (Czech and Slovak Republics applicants NOT included)
Submission deadline until midnight 15 December 2024.

What will you learn?

The aim of the program is to prepare high-quality scientific specialists in the Institute of Mathematics and Statistics at MU. Graduates should be prepared primarily for further scientific work in academic institutions, but also for possible application in practice. Upon graduation, graduates who wish to continue their research work are motivated to gain long-term foreign experience as post-doctoral students.

The individual science teams of the Institute of Mathematics and Statistics cover the following research themes in which PhD students are also trained:

  • Categories and ordered sets, number theory, semigroup theory
  • Geometric structures, geometric complex analysis, algebraic topology
  • Theory of Differential and Differential Equations, variance number and optimal

management

  • Mathematical modeling, statistics and data analysis, applications in biology and medicine

Attention is also paid to the preparation for pedagogical work at universities. The study is based on an individual study plan and is completed by a state doctoral examination and a defence of the doctoral dissertation

Practical training

Practical training is not a mandatory part of this program.

Career opportunities

Graduates will apply to mathematical workplaces of basic research, universities and scientific research institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

The best graduates are fully prepared to successfully apply for postdoctoral positions at high-quality universities abroad.

Graduates can also act as college teachers at universities with a technical, economic and pedagogical focus.

Graduates of applied specializations will also find use in practice, in institutions where the use of deterministic and stochastic models of real processes where specialized statistical software is being developed, and in institutions focusing on research in the field of probabilistic and mathematical-statistical methods.

Admission requirements

Admission procedure
The admission interview is usually in an online form and consists of two parts:
1) the expert part (max. 70 points) verifies the applicant's orientation in the selected specialization of mathematics and statistics.
2) the language part (max. 30 points) verifies the applicant's ability to study independently in English.

More information about admission process for international applicants in general can be found in the section Admission Process.

Date of the entrance exam
The applicants will receive information about the entrance exam via e-mail usually at least 10 days before the exam.
Please, always check your e-mails, including spam folders.

Conditions of admission
A total of at least 80 points is required for admission.
Successful applicants are informed of their acceptance via e-mail and subsequently receive an invitation to the enrolment.

Programme capacity
The capacity of a given programme is not fixed; students are admitted based on a decision by the Doctoral Board after assessing their aptitude for study and motivation.

Deadlines

2 Jan – 15 Dec 2024

Submit your application during this period

Submit an application

Study options

Single-subject studies with specialization

In the single-subject studies, the student deepens knowledge in the concrete focus of the degree programme and chooses one specialization. The specialization is stated in the university diploma.

Submit an application

Dissertation topics

Specialization: Algebra, Number Theory and Mathematical Logic

Abelian extensions of number fields
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Radan Kučera, DSc.

The main theme is devoted to the study of abelian extensions of the field of rational numbers, possibly of an imaginary quadratic field. The attention is focused on objects related to the ideal class groups (e.g., the group of circular units, Stickelberger ideal, the group of elliptic units).

Notes

Examples of some older dissertations: https://is.muni.cz/th/mwiet/?lang=en or https://is.muni.cz/th/jbpxt/?lang=en or https://is.muni.cz/th/atke4/?lang=en

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Radan Kučera, DSc.

Accessible categories and their applications
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Jiří Rosický, DrSc.

Accessible categories and their applications in algebra, model theory and homotopy theory. For example: Abstract elementary classes, Accessible model categories.
My publications: https://arxiv.org/find/grp_math/1/au:+rosicky/0/1/0/all/0/1?skip=0&query_id=8094c174213ee61e

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Jiří Rosický, DrSc.

Algebraic structures and their applications
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Jan Paseka, CSc.

OBJECTIVES: The research deals with connections of algebra with logic, in particular quantum, tense, and fuzzy. The basic tool are residuated posets, enriched categories, and orthogonal structures but the emphasis is also on quantales in connection with C*-algebras and noncommutative geometry. The practical part of the research is oriented to simulation and validation of value streams using formal words, trees, and categorical concepts. We study algebraic methods for aggregation of processes and their effects, in particular in a probabilistic environment.

AIM: a) For example, one of our research goals is a characterization of the basic quantum-physical model by means of automorphisms of its underlying orthogonality space.

b) The theoretical aspects of aggregation of multidimensional data, rankings, relations and strings will be developed in more detail, especially connected to practical situations. The mathematical model is designed primarily for industrial planning but could be used for a wider range of applications (bioinformatics etc.).

My publications:
https://www.muni.cz/en/people/1197-jan-paseka/publications

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Jan Paseka, CSc.

Combinatorial and algebraic properties of formal languages
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Michal Kunc, Ph.D.

Research Area:
The theory of automata and formal languages is an active research field on the borderline between mathematics and theoretical computer science. It combines ideas and techniques of combinatorics, algebra, logic or topology in order to tackle difficult questions about decidability and computational complexity of problems concerning sets of objects definable by diverse models of computation.

Focus:
Doctoral research projects may focus on various aspects of formal languages where techniques of combinatorics on words or semigroup theory can be applied.

Examples of potential doctoral projects:
* Decidability of properties of regular languages and semigroups.
* Computational power of formal machines and grammars.
* Solvability of language equations.
* Algorithmic characterizations of classes of formal languages.
Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Michal Kunc, Ph.D.

Enriched and higher-dimensional categories
Supervisor: doc. John Denis Bourke, PhD

Enriched category theory provides one of the ways in which we can capture higher-dimensional categories. For instance, 2-categories, as studied by the Australian school, are enriched categories. Recently, the subject of (infinity,1)-categories, aka quasicategories, has been developed by Joyal and Lurie amongst others and Riehl and Verity have shown that these can also be captured using enriched category theory. There are many open questions and problems to be explored in this area, which involves a rich mixture of homotopy theory, enriched category theory and categorical universal algebra.

Supervisor

doc. John Denis Bourke, PhD

Finite semigroup theory and algebraic theory of regular languages
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Ondřej Klíma, Ph.D.

RESEARCH TOPIC:

The modern theory of finite semigroups links universal algebra and topology with the theory of formal languages and logic in theoretical computer science. The main motivation of that research is decidability of concatenation hierarchies of regular languages. The algebraic objects in the centre of our interest are the lattice of pseudovarieties of finite ordered semigroups and the free profinite semigroups in these pseudovarieties.

FOCUS:

Doctoral research project may focus on the theory of varieties of regular languages or on the theory of profinite semigroups. However, there are also other questions combining theoretical computer science and algebra, for example questions concerning computational complexity of identity checking problem for a fixed finite semigroup.

EXAMPLES of potential doctoral projects:

- The equational characterizations of pseudovarieties,

- Completeness of the equational logic for psedovarieties of finite algebras,

- Concatenation hierarchies of star-free languages,

- Computational complexity of basic problems for finite semigroups.

Notes

My publications: http://www.math.muni.cz/~klima/Math/publications.html

Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Ondřej Klíma, Ph.D.

Homotopy coherent structures and computational topology
Supervisor: doc. Lukáš Vokřínek, PhD.

RESEARCH TOPIC: Homotopy coherent structures are structures, where the constrains are relaxed to hold only up to a coherent system of homotopies. They turn up when an object equipped with a strict structure is replaced by a homotopy euivalent one, e.g. by a small model of the original. For this reason, homotopy coherent structures arise quite naturally in computational topology, where small models are used for computations. They are studied via abstract homotopy theory, e.g. model categories or homological algebra but, for computational purposes, concrete formulas are preferrable; these are efficiently provided by homological perturbation theory.

PROJECT EXAMPLES:
  • Homotopy coherent structures through homological pertubation theory
  • Effective homology in the A_\infty-context
  • Algorithmic aspects of the extension problem from the viewpoint of rational homotopy
  • theory
In case of interest, contact Lukas Vokrinek at koren@math.muni.cz.
Supervisor

doc. Lukáš Vokřínek, PhD.

Specialization: General Mathematics

Geometry of ruled surfaces
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Vojtěch Žádník, Ph.D.

Přímkové plochy představují klasické téma s bohatou historií, zajímavými souvislostmi a slibnou budoucností. Cílem práce je shromáždit, přiblížit a rozvinout některá ze zmiňovaných hledisek. Od kandidáta se předpokládá trpělivost při studiu literatury (často starší a cizojazyčné) a tvůrčí přístup při výběru a zpracování nabytých poznatků.

Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Vojtěch Žádník, Ph.D.

History and present of topics from mathematical analysis
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Petr Hasil, Ph.D.

The OBJECTIVE is to describe a topic from mathematical analysis. It is necessary to go through many books, search the internet and libraries to be able to fully describe a given topic from its beginning, to follow its development, and explain methods of teaching of the given subject in the past. Moreover, the present state of the studied topic and modern teaching methods should be given as well as the comparison of the modern methods with the older (ancient) ones.

For EXAMPLE, the studied topic can cover sequences and their limits, infinite series, differential equations, difference equations, and many others.

BEFORE initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, all interested candidates are required to contact the potential supervisor because of the preliminary agreement.
Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Petr Hasil, Ph.D.

Ordered structures – past, present, applications
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Jan Paseka, CSc.

Uspořádané algebraické struktury tvoří jedny z nejvíce studovaných struktur v algebře. Pozornost je věnována hlavně problematice 19. a 20. století a speciálně české matematice; nejsou však opomíjeny ani biografické a bibliografické aspekty.

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Jan Paseka, CSc.

Perception of mathematical concepts and results in the context of personal typology
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Jan Slovák, DrSc.

ZÁMĚR VÝZKUMU: Je všeobecně známo, že vnímání a zpracování informací při učení i práci velmi závisí na typologii osobnosti. Výzkum by se měl zaměřit na specifický dopad typologie v kontextu matematiky.
CÍLE VÝZKUMU: Na základě Jungovy osobnostní typologie a jejího rozpracování v personalistice (případně jiných přístupů k typům osobnosti, viz https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperament) bude provedeno a vyhodnoceno šetření rozdílností ve vnímání, chápání a používání matematických nástrojů v závislosti na typologii žáků i učitelů.
Dle zájmu a možností budou zahnuty různé typy činností (středoškolská/vysokoškolská úroveň vzdělávání, přednášky/prezentace/samostatná práce apod.)

PŘEDPOKLADY: Pro výzkum bude potřebná alespoň rámcová orientace v teori osobnostních typů, např. původní teorie Junga a indikátory Myersové-Briggsové (viz https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator) a přiměřená znalost statistických metod pro vyhodnocování šetření.

V případě zájmu kontaktujte přímo Jana Slováka na slovak@muni.cz.

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Jan Slovák, DrSc.

Specialization: Geometry, Topology and Geometric Analysis

Algebraic methods in geometric analysis
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Jan Slovák, DrSc.

RESEARCH AREA OBJECTIVES: The geometric structures allow treating differential operators and their symmetries in a systematic way, both locally and globally. The projects will mainly enhance fundamental understanding of the features of particular geometric structures and differential operators enjoying the relevant symmetries or develop applications based on understanding the role of such (hidden) symmetries.
AIM: The research could be based on Cartan geometries on filtered manifolds, extending the applications of tractor calculi and BGG machinery, including the relevant representation theory. The algebraic tools typically extend the features of analytical objects on homogeneous spaces to curved situations.

PROJECT EXAMPLES

  • Semi-holonomic Verma modules and tractor calculi for parabolic geometries.
  • The cohomological structure of BGGs in singular characters.
  • Extension of tractor calculi for particular Cartan geometries.
  • Geometry of PDEs.
In case of interest, contact directly Jan Slovak at slovak@muni.cz.
Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Jan Slovák, DrSc.

Geometric analysis in applications
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Jan Slovák, DrSc.

RESEARCH AREA OBJECTIVES: In many applications, various concepts of symmetries are at the core of the available methods. The goal of the research will be to elaborate methods of differential geometry in various areas, e.g., Optimal Control Theory, and Mathematical Imaging and Vision.
AIM: Based on specific geometries on filtered manifolds, we should like to develop new approaches to standard problems in Geometric Control Theory or in Imaging and Vision, including software implementation of the relevant procedures.

PROJECT EXAMPLES:

  • Exploitation of non-holonomic equations for extremals in sub-Riemannian geometry.
  • Tractography in diffusion tensor imaging
In case of interest, contact directly Jan Slovak at slovak@muni.cz.
Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Jan Slovák, DrSc.

Invariants and symmetries of CR manifolds
Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Martin Kolář, Ph.D.

RESEARCH AREA:
Complex analysis in several variables leads naturally to geometric problems concerning boundaries of domains, and more generally real submanifolds of the complex space (so called CR manifolds). One of the main objectives is to understand symmetries of such manifolds and invariants with respect to holomorphic transformations.


PROJECT EXAMPLES:

  • Classification problems for hypersurfaces of finite type in C^N
  • Invariants and symmetries of uniformly Levi degenerate manifolds
  • Dynamics of CR vector fields

Supervisor

doc. RNDr. Martin Kolář, Ph.D.

Resolvents of hyperoperads
Supervisor: RNDr. Martin Markl, DrSc.

RESEARCH AREA OBJECTIVES: The fundamental feature of Batanin-Markl operadic categories is that the objects under study are viewed as algebras over (generalized) operads in a specific operadic category. For instance, operads are algebras over the terminal operad in the operadic category of rooted trees, modular operads are algebras over the terminal operad in the operadic category of genus-graded connected graphs, wheeled PROPs are algebras over directed graphs, &c. Moreover, operadic categories provide natural environments for Batanin's n-operads, tubings on a graph, decomposition spaces, decalage comonads, and other exotic structures. Operadic categories offer a concise framework for constructing infinity versions of operad-like objects. Operadic Grothendieck's is available a powerful tool for obtaining new operadic categories from old ones.

AIM: Investigate applications of operadic categories in homological algebra, category theory and differential topology.

PROJECT EXAMPLES:
Explicit formulas for strongly homotopy operads of various particular types.
Connection between free hyperoperads and blob complexes.

LITERATURE:
[1] M. Markl, S. Schnider, J. Stasheff: Operads in Algebra, Topology and Physics, Series Mathematical Surveys and Monographs, volume 96. American Mathematical Society, Providence, Rhode Island, 2002.
[2] M. Markl, M. Batanin: Operadic categories and duoidal Deligne's conjecture, Advances in Mathematics 285(2015), 1630-1687. Available as preprint arXiv:1404.3886.
[3] M. Markl, M. Batanin: Koszul duality in operadic categories, arXiv:1404.3886.
[4] M. Batanin, M. Markl, J. Obradovič: Minimal models for (hyper)operads governing operads, and PROPs, work in progress.
[5] S. Morrison, K. Walker: The blob complex, preprint arXiv:1009.5025.
Supervisor

RNDr. Martin Markl, DrSc.

Specialization: Mathematical Analysis

Boundary value problems for functional differential equations
Supervisor: Mgr. Robert Hakl, Ph.D.

Differential equations with argument deviations are important for applied science and arise frequently in population dynamics, epidemiology, economy (in particular, as models of capital growth) and many other fields. Models of various real dynamical phenomena are frequently described by boundary value problems for system of functional differential equations. For such equations, the theory of boundary value problems, while very important by itself, is also of much interest in relation to the study of asymptotic properties of solutions on unbounded intervals.

The objectives include the investigation of the existence and uniqueness of a solution to boundary value problems for functional differential equations and systems in R^n and more general spaces and the study of their properties.

WWW: http://www.math.cas.cz/homepage/main_page.php?id_membre=19

Notes

The research topic and supervisor needs to be approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty of Science.

Supervisor

Mgr. Robert Hakl, Ph.D.

Differential equations of real orders
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Zuzana Došlá, DSc.

The objective is to study asymptotic and oscillation theory of differential equations and differential systems of real orders.

Before initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, the interested candidates are required to contact the potential advisor for informal discussion.

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Zuzana Došlá, DSc.

Limit periodic and almost periodic sequences
Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Michal Veselý, Ph.D.

Many phenomena in nature have oscillatory character and their mathematical models have led to the research of limit periodic, almost periodic, and asymptotically almost periodic sequences. In particular, the attention is paid to special constructions of such sequences in general metric spaces.

Concerning examples, see:
1. M. Veselý; P. Hasil. Asymptotically almost periodic solutions of limit periodic difference systems with coefficients from commutative groups. Topological Methods in Nonlinear Analysis, 2019, 54, no. 2, 515-535. ISSN 1230-3429. doi:10.12775/TMNA.2019.051. 2. M. Veselý; P. Hasil. Values of limit periodic sequences and functions. Mathematica Slovaca, 2016, 66, no. 1, 43-62. ISSN 0139-9918. doi:10.1515/ms-2015-0114. 2. M. Veselý. Construction of almost periodic sequences with given properties. Electronic Journal of Differential Equations, 2008, 2008, no. 126, 1-22. ISSN 1072-6691.

Notes

Before initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, all interested candidates are required to contact Michal Veselý

Supervisor

doc. RNDr. Michal Veselý, Ph.D.

On the study of nonlinear partial differential equations
Supervisor: doc. Phuoc Tai Nguyen, PhD

Partial differential equations (PDE) have important applications in science and engineering. In the realm of linear theory, solutions of PDEs obey the principle of linear superposition, and in some cases, they possess explicit analytical expressions. However, the laws of the nature are not always linear, and nonlinear PDEs play an essential role in modeling these phenomena. The research objective is to bring into light and explain nonlinear phenomena stemming from nonlinear PDEs in connection with singularity theory.

Interested candidates are required to contact directly Phuoc-Tai Nguyen (via email: ptnguyen@math.muni.cz) for informal discussions before initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies.

Supervisor

doc. Phuoc Tai Nguyen, PhD

Oscillation theory of differential and difference equations
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Petr Hasil, Ph.D.

The OBJECTIVE is to obtain new criteria of oscillation and non-oscillation for differential and/or difference equations. Of course, there is a close connection to asymptotic theory and it is possible to focus to dynamic equations on time scales which cover differential and difference equations as their special cases.

For EXAMPLE, the focus can be to half-linear equations, conditional oscillation of dynamic equations on time scales, etc.

BEFORE initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, all interested candidates are required to contact the potential supervisor because of the preliminary agreement.
Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Petr Hasil, Ph.D.

Oscillation theory of linear Hamiltonian and symplectic systems
Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Roman Šimon Hilscher, DSc.

The objective is to study qualitative theory of linear Hamiltonian differential systems (also called canonical systems of differential equations) and their discrete time counterparts - symplectic difference systems. In particular, we are interested in the oscillation and eigenvalue theory for systems without controllability condition, theory of principal solutions, comparative index theory, Riccati differential and difference equations, Sturm--Liouville equations, Jacobi equations. The obtained results may also contribute to other related areas of mathematics, such as to the theory of caluclus of variations, optimal control theory, or matrix analysis.

Before initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, the interested candidates are required to contact the potential advisor for informal discussion.

Supervisor

prof. RNDr. Roman Šimon Hilscher, DSc.

Spectral Theory of Discrete Symplectic Systems
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Petr Zemánek, Ph.D.

The spectral theory of linear operators acting on a (finite/infinite- dimensional) Hilbert space is a classical topic in functional analysis. The development of this theory for operators associated with differential equations or systems can be seen (from the mathematical point of view) as one of the cornerstones in mathematical physics. Roughly speaking, quantum mechanics is Hilbert space theory (or vice versa). Although several natural phenomena show that difference equations or systems should not be ignored in this direction, the spectral theory of linear operators associated with difference equations or systems remains currently underdeveloped. Fortunately, this topic attracts more and more attention in the last two decades and it is the main object of this research project. In particular, self-adjoint extensions and their spectrum or boundary triplets for these operators can be studied.

Before initiating the formal application process to doctoral studies, all interested candidates are required to contact Petr Zemánek.
Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Petr Zemánek, Ph.D.

Specialization: Probability, Statistics and Mathematical Modelling

Functional Data Analysis
Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Jan Koláček, Ph.D.

Objectives: Statistical methodologies dealing with functional data are called Functional Data Analysis (FDA), where the term “functional” emphasizes the
fact that the data are functions characterizing the curves and surfaces.

Aim: The theoretical aspects of FDA will be developed in more detail,
especially connected to practical situations. Our aim is to take up these challenges by giving both theoretical and practical support for more flexible models.

Examples of potential student doctoral projects:

  • Semiparametric models in functional data analysis
  • Discriminant analysis for functional data
  • Nonparametric regression in functional data analysis
  • Functional data analysis for irregular data

Supervisor

doc. Mgr. Jan Koláček, Ph.D.

Multivariate statistical methods in metabolomics
Supervisor: doc. PaedDr. RNDr. Stanislav Katina, Ph.D.

Cílem výzkumného zaměření je studium a vývoj vybraných mnohorozměrných statistických metod v metabolomike, např. analýza hlavních komponent a parciální metoda nejmenších čtverců, a to jak z pohledu numerické-matematického, tak z pohledu mnohorozměrných statistických vizualizací a animací. Vlastnosti těchto metod budou hodnoceny pomocí různých simulačních studií. Metody budou implementovány v jazyce R a aplikovány na reálná data z oblasti medicíny. Toto zameranie vznikolo v spolupráci s Ústavom neuroimunológie SAV, Bratislava.

Supervisor

doc. PaedDr. RNDr. Stanislav Katina, Ph.D.

Point processes and Extreme value theory
Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Martin Kolář, Ph.D.

Výzkum bude zaměřen na teorii extrémních hodnot a její aplikace v oblasti hydrologie a aktuárské matematiky.

Supervisor

doc. RNDr. Martin Kolář, Ph.D.

Study information

Provided by Faculty of Science
Type of studies Doctoral
Mode full-time Yes
combined Yes
distance No
Study options single-subject studies No
single-subject studies with specialization Yes
major/minor studies No
Standard length of studies 4 years
Language of instruction English
Doctoral board and doctoral committees
Tuition fees
The studies are subject to tuition, fees are paid per academic year
€3,000
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