This page is intended for students and researchers interested in pursuing a Master's or PhD in computer science working with Algorithm Engineering and Combinatorial Optimization.
I am particularly interested in hearing from students who enjoy mathematics, algorithms, programming, and the challenge of solving difficult computational problems. Prospective graduate students with a strong interest in research and a willingness to develop their theoretical and computational skills are welcome to get in touch.
This research area focuses on Combinatorial Optimization problems and algorithm design techniques for solving them. In general, Combinatorial Optimization problems involve finding, among all feasible solutions, one with minimum (or maximum) cost. A straightforward approach would be to simply enumerate all possible solutions and keep the one with the smallest (or largest) cost. However, for any problem of even moderately interesting (and useful) size, this approach is impractical, since the number of feasible solutions is enormous, typically growing exponentially or factorially with the size of the instance.
Therefore, sophisticated algorithm design techniques are necessary. Research in this area involves developing, analyzing, implementing, and experimentally evaluating algorithms that can solve challenging optimization problems efficiently in practice, while also providing theoretical guarantees whenever possible.
If you would like to get a better idea of how difficult (and interesting) these computational problems can be, I recommend the video P vs. NP and the Computational Complexity Zoo.
My name is Mário César San Felice. I am a professor in the Department of Computing and a faculty member of the Graduate Program in Computer Science (PPGCC) at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil. I also founded the ALOC Laboratory.
I received my Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees from IC-UNICAMP, including a research internship abroad at ORIE-Cornell. I subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at IME-USP, and joined the Department of Computing at UFSCar in February 2018.
My main research interests are Algorithms and Combinatorial Optimization, with an emphasis on Competitive Online Algorithms, Approximation Algorithms, Facility Location Problems, Network Design Problems, and Randomized Algorithms.
I look for students who are curious, motivated, and genuinely interested in research, with interest in mathematics, algorithms, and programming.
Graduate research requires independence, persistence, and a willingness to learn new concepts and techniques. Previous research experience is certainly valuable, but what matters most is a genuine interest in understanding and solving challenging problems.
If you are interested in pursuing a Master's or PhD under my supervision, feel free to contact me. Please introduce yourself, briefly describe your academic background and research interests, and explain why you are interested in working in Algorithm Engineering and Combinatorial Optimization.
You can send me a message:
If you would like to see some of the research projects I currently supervise or have supervised, click here.
Graduate students in Brazil may receive scholarships to support their Master's or PhD studies. Funding opportunities may be available through national and state research funding agencies, including CAPES, CNPq and FAPESP, as well as through graduate programs and other institutional initiatives.
