Pablo Andres-Martinez

My PhD is on quantum computer science. I'm studying abstract models of quantum computation that may help us gain a better intuition on how to exploit the advantage quantum computers provide. My goal is to provide abstractions and tools that make the field of quantum computing more amenable to all kinds of computer scientists.

Why LFCS?

Well, first of all, why Edinburgh? It's just an amazing city, there's no two ways about it. There's people of all kinds, you'll be able to find friends that share your passions and with whom you feel at home. The city is quite welcoming to students and international people and the University of Edinburgh is nice and open-minded as well.

Then, studying at the School of Informatics, and LFCS in particular, is a very good deal. There's a bunch of very good researchers in theoretical computer science here, and LFCS covers a considerably broad set of topics. There are weekly seminars where you can learn about the state of the art in many interesting problems, and meet the experts on the field, often coming from other universities in the UK and abroad.

Advice for PhD applicants

It's essential you do your best to start off on the right foot and make sure you're applying for a topic that motivates you, with a supervisor you're compatible with and in an environment you'll feel comfortable. With respect to the environment, you got my opinion on studying in LFCS and living in Edinburgh in the section above.

With respect to the research topic, don't be too worried about choosing the exact ideal thing; it's going to change during your studies and that's completely fine, you'll find dead ends and some new interesting doors will open. The important thing is that the overall field you'll be working in is something you're genuinely interested in.

With respect to your supervisor, try to meet them in person or via Skype. Besides, speaking with their current PhD students is probably the best way to get a feeling of how compatible you'll be, and it's easy, it just requires some basic stalking skills: find your prospective supervisor's personal webpage, they'll have the names of their PhD students somewhere in there. Ask them, don't be shy!

And finally, know that if something goes wrong it won't be the end of the world. There's support to help you get your PhD back in track. It's just that it's so worth it to put the effort now and choose wisely so that your experience is as smooth as possible.