Doctorate in Software Engineering

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Mary Blowers

Contributing Writer

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Updated September 21, 2023

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Tech-minded individuals who enjoy academia and research can pursue a software engineering Ph.D. and impact the software industry positively. These experts work as strategists and pathfinders in the software development field. In university settings, they instruct future tech professionals.

Software engineering doctorate graduates hold leadership positions in the ever-growing computer and technology industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an 13% job growth rate for computer and information technology occupations from 2020-2030.

Software engineering doctorate graduates hold leadership positions in the ever-growing computer and technology industry.

This page details what to expect from software engineering Ph.D. programs. Read on for details about the admission requirements, specializations, and degree costs.

What To Expect From Software Engineering Ph.D. Programs

Software engineering Ph.D. programs prepare students to create new infrastructures, conduct academic research, and manage the software development industry. Program graduates work as applied research leaders, entrepreneurs, and professors. Individuals best suited to software engineering doctorates want to research topics at their highest conceptual level or work in management.

Doctorate in software engineering degrees typically take 4-5 years to complete. This includes coursework, comprehensive exams, and the dissertation process. Ph.D. in software engineering classes teach enrollees theory of software design and improvement. Through dissertation research and defense, students also explore software development concepts.

Admission Requirements

Ideal candidates for software engineering Ph.D. programs hold bachelor's or master's degrees in computer science . Field experience can also play a significant role in the admission process, as many schools prefer candidates with industrial, government, or other professional employment history.

This terminal degree requires students to have an in-depth understanding of software engineering and desire to engage in research. Prospective students may increase their chances for acceptance by demonstrating practical software engineering experience through internships, job history, and past studies.

Prospective Ph.D. in software engineering students should also prepare to provide the following:

  • Official transcripts demonstrating a minimum 3.0 GPA
  • GRE test scores
  • Letters of recommendation
  • A statement of purpose
  • Relevant publications or past research

Degree and Specialization Options

As with many doctorates, a Ph.D. in software engineering requires students to specialize their studies. Narrowing to a subfield allows doctoral candidates to ask specific, refined questions in their research. Students may select from several software engineering specializations, including:

  • Database Management: The study of database management through data collection, manipulation, and analysis. This specialization prepares enrollees for careers as database administrators and analysts.
  • Software Architecture: The study of software systems and structure. This specialization prepares graduates for careers as software architects, organization leaders, and postsecondary instructors.
  • Risk Management: The study of software risk and mitigation through defect analysis. This specialization prepares graduates for careers as high-level risk managers and postsecondary instructors.

Top Online Programs

Explore programs of your interests with the high-quality standards and flexibility you need to take your career to the next level.

Comparing Similar Degrees

The technology industry offers several avenues for high-level graduate studies. The most popular terminal degrees include a Ph.D. in software engineering as well as the degrees listed below:

  • Ph.D. in Computer Science: This degree comprises the advanced study of algorithmic processes, theory, and computation.
  • Ph.D. in IT: This degree involves mastery of data, networks, technical communications, and information.
  • Ph.D. in Data Science: This interdisciplinary degree explores algorithms, visualization, and data systems.

While the timeline and credit load for these graduate degrees are similar, the degrees' focuses and outcomes differ. Tech professionals hoping to advance their careers by earning an advanced degree should consider what impact they hope to make on the industry.

Follow the links in the table above to learn more about the different Ph.D. programs and what careers and salaries they offer.

Popular Software Engineering Courses

Ph.D. in software engineering programs generally take 4-5 years to complete and include coursework, research, and the dissertation. Students complete most coursework in the first two years, while the following 2-3 years focus on research and writing the dissertation.

Course offerings vary across software engineering Ph.D. programs. However, learners can expect to learn about algorithm applications, maintenance and testing, networks and systems, and research methodology to apply to their doctoral dissertations. Typical classes students might encounter include:

  • Algorithm Applications: In this course, enrollees expand their proficiency in data structures and algorithms that inform software development. These courses cover product-based and technical aspects of algorithm applications. These skills aid graduates with software architecture and design at the highest levels.
  • Maintenance and Testing: Software maintenance and testing classes teach learners to enhance, improve, and migrate deployed software. Students explore this pivotal stage in software engineering so they can apply maintenance and testing to their own projects. These courses help learners work toward their dissertations and future careers.
  • Networks and Systems: These courses focus on advanced network and system administration concepts, scripting techniques, and Layer 7 protocols such as DNS. Candidates apply these skills to real-world scenarios to prepare for work in supporting internally hosted monolithic applications, running cloud services, and servicing containerized microservices.
  • Research Methodology: In this class, enrollees learn empirical research methods. These courses also focus on organizational issues, project management, and human behavior. Students master research methods including controlled experiments, case studies, and surveys to use in their future software engineering careers.
  • Dissertation: In the final years of the software engineering Ph.D. program, candidates identify problems or potential improvement points within the field. Then, they complete dissertation research and conduct experiments under faculty supervision. Finally, students write about their findings and defend it before a committee.

How Much Will a Ph.D. in Software Engineering Cost?

Graduate degrees like a software engineering Ph.D. vary in cost due to factors like instruction style, school prestige, public or private status, and student state residency. The average graduate tuition and required fees in degree-granting postsecondary institutions in 2017-18 came to $18,947.

Students can typically save money on doctorate in software engineering programs by studying at public, in-state schools. Online programs can offer lower tuition, greater flexibility, and fewer time constraints. Learners can ensure their programs prepare them for careers in the field by confirming they hold accreditation with ABET .

Prospective graduate students can also take advantage of financial aid like scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, grants, and loans to finance their studies. Follow the link below to learn about scholarships and financial aid focused specifically on computer science degrees.

Why Get a Software Engineering Ph.D.?

Society's growing dependence on technology means many industries use software systems, and those systems need constant maintenance. High-level software engineering researchers solve problems associated with complex, large-scale software systems. Earning a graduate degree in software engineering helps professionals stay on the cutting edge of tech research.

Additionally, Ph.D. candidates can pursue their own specific research ideas to solve defects and vulnerabilities they identify in various subfields of software engineering. Upon graduation, students may use their research to create new products, create a start-up company, or work to improve the industry through teaching.

Earning a graduate degree in software engineering helps professionals stay on the cutting edge of tech research.

Software engineering Ph.D. programs open doors to careers as industrial researchers, entrepreneurs, and university professors. Other careers for graduates include:

  • Software Engineer : Software engineers design software for various user needs across industries and sectors.
  • Database Administrators : Database administrators create, troubleshoot, and manage data platforms.
  • Network Administrator : Network administrators design and maintain area networks and data communication systems.
  • Systems Analysts : Systems analysts implement software, liaise with users, and optimize user experience with programs.

Choosing the Right Software Engineering Program

Selecting the right software engineering Ph.D. program takes careful research. Keep the following educational factors in mind as you begin your school search:

  • Accreditation: Independent accrediting agencies ensure degrees from postsecondary institutions hold academic merit. Schools should hold accreditation through regional agencies. Programs may have subject-specific accreditation with an organization like ABET.
  • Available Concentrations: Software engineering Ph.D. programs may offer several specializations, but opportunities vary by school. Learners should research potential programs that offer their desired concentrations.
  • Research and Lab Opportunities: Since software engineering doctorate programs focus heavily on research, candidates need access to quality databases, materials, and lab resources.
  • Staff Credentials: During the dissertation process, doctoral students work closely with faculty. Finding programs with faculty who work in a student's desired subfield often benefits the final dissertation.
  • Cost and Financial Aid: Because graduate degrees are expensive, students should consider accredited online programs, which can offer quality education at a lower cost. Graduate students can also take advantage of fellowship and teaching assistant opportunities.

Explore Related Programs

Learn more about software engineering, how to become a software engineer.

This source offers insight into the steps, education, and experience needed to become a software engineer .

Salary and Career Outlook for Software Engineers

Follow this link to learn about the potential salary figures and projected job growth for software engineers.

Day in the Life of a Software Engineer

Learn about the daily tasks and responsibilities associated with software design, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Software Engineering Degree Programs

This source explains the different levels of software engineering degrees and their program requirements.

Software Engineering Certificates

Follow this link to learn about the options for professional certification in the software engineering field.

Questions About Getting a Doctorate in Software Engineering

How long does it take to get a ph.d. in software engineering.

Earning a Ph.D. in software engineering can take 4-5 years. Program completion times depend on course requirements and the dissertation process length.

What job can I get with a Ph.D. in software engineering?

Graduates from software engineering Ph.D. programs can seek employment across the tech industry, but they can also work as research leaders, entrepreneurs, and university professors.

How much do you make with a Ph.D. in software engineering?

According to PayScale, as of August 2021, professionals with a Ph.D. in software engineering earn an average base salary of $103,000.

Should I get a Ph.D. in software engineering?

Software engineers with a doctoral degree can impact the tech industry through advanced research and product development. They also earn high salaries and benefit from a wide variety of employment opportunities.

Recommended Reading

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UC Irvine Department of Informatics

Ph.D. Software Engineering

A new code search engine. New insights into how trust emerges (or doesn’t) in distributed software development organizations. New visualizations to aid developers in debugging code. New lessons about the quality of open-source components. A new Internet infrastructure that enables secure computational exchange.

These are just some examples of the wide variety of projects being worked on by current Ph.D. students in the software engineering Ph.D. program at UC Irvine.

As software continues to transform society in dramatic and powerful ways, we must improve our ability to reliably develop high-quality systems. From early incarnations as just an idea or set of requirements to when software is actually built, deployed and customized in the field, many challenges exist across the lifecycle that make creating software still a non-trivial endeavor today.

The software engineering Ph.D. program offers students the opportunity to tackle these challenges, whether it is through designing new tools, performing studies of developers and teams at work, creating new infrastructures or developing new theories about software and how it is developed. No fewer than six faculty members bring a broad range of expertise and perspectives to the program, guaranteeing a diverse yet deep education in the topic.

A strong core of classes introduces students to classic material and recent innovations. At the same time, we focus on research from the beginning. New students are required to identify and experiment with one or more research topics early, so that they can become familiar with the nature of research, write papers, attend conferences and begin to become part of the broader software engineering community. This focus on research naturally continues throughout the program, with an emphasis on publishing novel results in the appropriate venues.

Why study at UC Irvine?

  • Excellence . You will be part of a world-class group of faculty and students who have an outstanding track record of publishing innovative and impactful research.
  • Placement . We prepare our students for rich, fulfilling careers — as faculty members in academia, researchers at corporate research labs, development leads all throughout the industry and entrepreneurs starting their own businesses.
  • Support . You will join a team that strongly believes that working together is essential to progress. Whether within a research group or across groups, we encourage you to seek advice from and work with other faculty members and students.
  • Connections . We host a steady stream of visitors from all over the world to whom you get to talk, demo and present. Moreover, we help connect you with research labs and industry for internships that complement your research.
  • Diversity . UCI was founded with a focus on diversity of thought, experiences and ideas. Our department faculty represent a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds and have in-depth collaborations across campus.

Interested?

We are always looking for talented students to join! To learn more about our work and accomplishments, we encourage you to explore this web site, as well as the web sites of many research labs and centers in the department. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via our vice chair for graduate affairs or by e-mailing one of the software engineering faculty directly.

Detailed requirements

Please see the catalogue for a detailed description of the requirements of the software engineering Ph.D. program.

  • Graduate Application Process
  • Past Dissertations
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  • Labs & Centers
  • Student Profiles
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“For me, the most enjoyable part of doing research is finding myself at the limits of knowledge. Doing research gives you the ability to provide new findings and perspectives on various phenomena.”

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Doctor of Philosophy in Software Engineering

Program description.

The PhD in Software Engineering program is tailored to the student. The student must arrange a course program with the guidance and approval of a faculty member chosen as their graduate advisor. Adjustments can be made as the student’s interests develop and a specific dissertation top is chosen.

The software engineering researchers in the Department of Computer Science are focused on issues related to effectively developing large-scale, complex systems. In particular, new categories of applications are emerging such as big data, cyber physical, and autonomous adaptable systems, which continue to drive leading edge research in software engineering on diverse topics. Key research areas include requirements engineering, architecture, design, service-oriented computing, testing and verification, static analysis, software maintenance and multi-agent systems.

Career Opportunities

Virtually all major companies and corporations need software related core competencies. Software engineers are central in developing and making use of these competencies. They work in teams that interface extensively with clients, company executives, IT managers, data scientists, security and domain experts.

Software engineering professionals are creative, highly collaborative, well paid, and in very high demand with employers. Graduates of the program seek academic positions at universities, as well as positions as researchers, senior software engineers and data scientists. Graduates often become industry experts in various fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Test score required:  Yes

Deadlines:  University  deadlines  apply.

Admission Option One

  • Degree requirements:  A master’s degree in computer science or its equivalent
  • GPA:  Minimum of 3.5
  • Test score:  Minimum revised GRE scores of 308, 153, 155, and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable.

Admission Option Two

  • Degree requirements:  A BS degree in related area that includes two semesters of calculus and linear algebra.
  • GPA:  Minimum of 3.5 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
  • Test score:  Minimum revised GRE scores of 315, 156, 159 and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable.

Applicants are admitted on a competitive basis.

Contact Information

Admissions Email: [email protected]

Shyam Karrah Email: [email protected] Phone: 972-883-4197 Office: ECSS 4.704 Website: personal.utdallas.edu/~skarrah

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science The University of Texas at Dallas, ECW41 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Email: [email protected]

cs.utdallas.edu engineering.utdallas.edu

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Before you go, check this out!

We have lots more on the site to show you. You've only seen one page. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time.

Software, Tools, and Apps that PhDs Must Have

We often are asked to recommend some of the must have software programs, tools, and apps for PhD students, professors, and academics, so we have put together a comprehensive list. These selections are based on our experience using some of them and recommendations made by several of Stephanie’s colleagues via Facebook. Interestingly, for some of the tools listed, there was a lack of consensus about their usefulness so in some instances we provided a few pros and cons to help you make the best decisions based on your needs.

This post was written by Stephanie A. Bosco-Ruggiero (PhD candidate in Social Work at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service) and Jessica Russell ( freelance writer) on behalf of Dave Maslach for the R3ciprocity project (Check out the YouTube Channel or the writing feedback software ). The R3ciprocity Project started out as a side-project, where David Maslach created an App to help others get feedback on their work (r3ciprocity.com – it is seriously inexpensive and easy to use. You have to try it!) , but it is beginning to grow into a real movement. R3ciprocity helps students, faculty, and research folk by providing a real and authentic look into doing research. It provides solutions and hope to researchers around the world.

As a PhD candidate, a professor, or academic much of your time is spent doing research, so it’s important to do as much as possible to ensure your projects and tasks run as smoothly as possible. The list below includes software, apps, and tools to help you take notes, manage projects, do statistical analysis, edit and cite your writing, convert files to and from PDF and eBook format, survey respondents, help you concentrate, and aid in graphic and art creation. We also threw in some tools to help with self care including mindfulness and meditation apps. 

This list is not all inclusive. If there is another app or tool you think people should be aware of, let us know in the comments. 

Check out this article on what PhD students do all day. You will be surprised.

Here’s a vlog Dave recording on how to speed up research productivity that you might want to check out as well. 

Note Taking

There are times when an idea or inspiration pops up in the moment and you need to jot it down, or you’re focusing on one task and you think of something that will help with another. Note taking apps and software programs help you jot down those ideas to save for later. Check out this amazing post on how professors check for plagiarism – it is pretty helpful). They also help you organize your notes for teaching, research, and other projects. Get a program that is web based so you can sign on anywhere, including your phone. Most allow syncing via multiple OS and Browsers. Of course, you may always also benefit from a simple electronic post it app that you can install on your desktop (don’t go too crazy though, I once crashed my laptop by having like a hundred notes). Phones of course also have handy note taking and reminder apps. But we recommend the following apps and tools for more comprehensive academic note taking: 

Google Keep

In July 2021, I polled the R3ciprocity YouTube community about the best note-taking software, and here is the results from 174 responses! Thank you! As you can see, the best note-taking software is OneNote or Evernote, but many people have others that they use.

phd software

Check out this article on how many years it takes to do a doctorate degree. It goes into quite a bit of detail.

Word Processing

Writing will take up a bulk of your time and using software that has a great UX and is easy to navigate will reduce the time you spend with unnecessary editing and fumbling with tools that slow you down. The software we recommend are staples of the industry and are most popular among writers. Make sure you explore Microsoft Word online as well. It is useful when you have work across multiple devices. Microsoft can be seamlessly integrated with OneDrive but make sure your settings are right so you don’t lose anything! The usefulness of Good docs and drive also cannot be understated. 

Stephanie resisted Google Docs for a long time because I feared I would lose something or the document would not look as polished as a Word document, but you can download your file as a Word document, plain text, PDF, etc. The thing that really sold me on Google Docs though was the ability to work with a team to collaborate on writing, provide suggested edits, accept or reject edits, and be able to do all of this real time. You can also easily chat to the side of the document as you collaborate and edit. You can keep your documents in shared drive and designate who has permission to access and edit. 

Microsoft office/Word

Google Docs/Drive

Libre Office – Open-source, but uncommon.

I did a poll on the R3ciprocity YouTube community in July 2021 on the most popular word processing software, and here are the results:

phd software

You might want to watch this video about writing Apps for PhDs:

Grammar Checking, editing, and Proofreading

Hey, did you hear about this neat proofreading and editing program called r3ciprocity 😉 It allows you to pay forward the favor of proofreading and reviewing by collecting credits which you can then use when you need your work reviewed. You can also buy credits if needed. Check out Dave’s platform at https://www.r3ciprocity.com/ The platform is also building a community of scholars that can be helpful to you when you need scholarly work reviewed or just need to bounce around some ideas. 

(Here is a good blog post on getting feedback on your work – you will love it.)

Be careful using automated proofreading or editing software or tools as they may not pick up on the nuances of your work or the points you are trying to make. Also, try to use alternatives before you hire a pricey writing consultant, proofreader, editor, or coach. Sometimes hiring someone is needed, but if you need lighter editing and reviewing check out r3ciprocity.com and contact Dave if you have any questions about the platform. 

Check out how to log-in to the R3ciprocity platform.

Here is Dave discussing how and when to purchase credits on his proofreading and editing platform R3ciprocity:

There are a number of other resources for grammar checker Apps and editing resources that you might want to check out in this blog post.

Statistical Analysis

Of course you are going to need statistical analysis software to complete that thesis or dissertation, and as an academic, analyze your data and produce manuscripts. Many doctoral programs train their students using IBM’s SPSS but some also or alternatively train their students in R or Stata. Stephanie personally prefers the point and click functionality of SPSS which also allows advanced coders to exclusively use syntax to conduct analyses. Personally, she prefers to use a mix of point and click and syntax. There is a plethora of guidebooks and manuals, print and online, to help you become fluent in SPSS. New versions are released regularly and students can purchase SPSS inexpensively (read more below). However, for those who prefer to code and use syntax R and Stata may be more challenging and enjoyable to use.

SPSS (Paid, easy to learn)

R (Free, open-source, and powerful)

Stata (Paid, combination of open source and paid, powerful) – Dave’s Pick

Since, there is confusion and it matters a lot about what software you should choose early in your career, I (Dave) polled the R3ciprocity community on YouTube in February, 2021 to find out the most common statistical software that researchers use. 106 people responded. Here are the results:

phd software

I was actually quite surprised by these results. I knew that R and SPSS would be rated fairly high, but I was surprised by the fact that Stata only got 16.2% of the votes. Stata is such a powerful, and underrated tool. However, I suspect that it is fairly uniquely used by more economics, finance, and business folks. As someone who has used all of these software (other than R), I would highly suggest it. The instructions material alone is a great benefit.

EBook Converter/PDF Converter

Publishing your manuscript may require turning it into a readable digital format that will translate easily to multiple electronic devices. Whether you are self-publishing, want to convert your work into a polished format, or need this capability for another reason we’ve found that these are some of the best tools out there. 

Epubor Ultimate

Foxit Phantom PDF Editor/Reader

MikTex LaTex – LaTex is preferred in the basic sciences.

Project Management/Task Management

Research and writing can be overwhelming with the minutia of details you need to record and track. You may also need to keep these details on behalf of or with a writing or research team. Project and task management software will help you stay on task and warn you when you are falling behind. Additionally these programs help when you’re collaborating with a team. Everyone using these tools can get both a big picture view of the project timeline as well as dive into the details to understand how to best manage the project.

Survey Research/ Experience Management

At some point you will send out a survey for your research, or perhaps for another purpose. These survey and experience management tools help you gather that data as well as measure and analyze the results. They both allow you to export to statistical analysis software and have different levels of functionality and pricing. Make sure your university does not have a license before you spend your own money on these tools. Survey Monkey might be more accessible for beginners but Qualtrics is not difficult to use. You might even give Google forms a try for quick, basic surveys of students or another smaller group of respondents. 

Survey Monkey

Google Forms – Great for small tasks.

We conducted a poll of the R3ciprocity YouTube community about the most popular survey tool in March 2021. 56 people responded. The most popular survey tool for researchers is Google Forms. 55 percent of the respondents preferred Google Forms. Honestly, this surprised me because I thought it would be Qualtrics, however this might be explained by the younger and more international audience on the R3ciprocity channel.

phd software

Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

Stephanie does not have a whole lot of experience with qualitative data analysis but has heard that the following programs are quite helpful. They provide some free training and practice modules as well as manuals and guides. Find out which software your department uses and whether you can use it on campus to complete your research. A personal license may be expensive. If you are doing qualitative data collection such as interviews or focus groups you should also download a handy recorder for your device such as Audacity. 

Reference/Citation Managers

Make your life easier by using a citation manager. These programs help you to manage your sources as well as help you build your reference lists. Doing this task manually is silly if you are an advanced researcher. You must have a citation manager if you are completing a dissertation and it is highly recommended for a thesis. Your university may offer a specific program for free so you might go with that one, but others are often either free or low cost, especially the web based versions. Endnote has Endnote Web and Zotero is very easy to integrate into your word processing programs, use collaboratively, and use only. Some people feel that Mendeley and Endnote are clunky. Stephanie personally really likes Endnote but recommends taking some in depth tutorials to learn how to use it properly.

Endnote (Dave’s and Stephanie’s preference)

Don’t know which is best for you? Check out our survey on the best citation software for PhDs.

Illustration/Graphics

Your writing may require graphics, diagrams, and other forms of art. Some people rely on the tools native to Microsoft products, but we’ve found that the following programs help further and enhance creativity. Additionally they make creating graphics to support your writing easier and look more professional. Stephanie especially recommends Canva. She discovered it when her students kept mentioning that they were using it to create graphics, brochures, and other illustrated products for social policy advocacy class. It is super easy to use and the library of images is great. You can make business cards, social media posts, infographics, brochures, and more! It’s the hot tool in illustrated document creation today. 

If you need a website for your organization or you want to develop an academic profile site you could use Canva for ideas, photos, and structure. WordPress takes some getting used to but it is inexpensive and versatile. For an academic profile/portfolio you might simply use Academia.com’s template which allows you to feature your writing, projects, interests, experience, etc.

Strata 3D Modeling

Canva (Dave’s pick).

Microsoft Visio (Good for schematics).

Lucidchart (Dave’s pick).

AutoDesk (A favorite for CAD).

Meeting Software

These days we are all familiar with meeting online. From job interviews to meeting with colleagues, the following are the most used software programs for online collaboration with video and sharing tools. One of these platforms may be available to students for free so investigate before paying for any of them. Stephanie prefers Zoom but has heard great things about Teams. WebEx is great for delivering webinars. 

Microsoft Teams

Google Meet (reliable, but less functionality than Zoom)

Skype (Seems to be losing ground)

FaceTime – Reliable, but only works with other FaceTime users.

In July 2021, I (Dave) polled the R3ciprocity YouTube community about the meeting software that they most use. It turns out that Zoom is a by far the most popular, with 67% of responses selecting Zoom. Most PhDs tend to use Zoom. However, 17% use Google Meet as well.

phd software

Programming

What would a PhD without programming? It seems that more and more of us are doing programming during grad school. Here are some best picks that you will use:

Python (Open-source).

Microsoft Visual Studio C++

MatLab (Scientific computing – Dave’s pick).

MapleSoft (Scientific computing).

MathCad (Pretty awesome Engineering software).

In August 2021, I polled 124 PhDs on the R3ciprocity community on YouTube on what is the best programming language for PhDs. Here it is: The most common programming language for PhDs is Python. Around 60% of PhDs use Python as their favorite programming language for their research projects. Python is preferred to Matlab 4 to 1.

phd software

Self Care/ Mindfulness

It’s important to practice self care during your doctoral studies or as a professional academic. Taking time out daily with these self care apps will help you center yourself and reduce stress. In addition they will help you stay on task and make your life one in which you can find a calm space to just be mindful wherever you are. If you have a VR headset there are some mind blowing meditation apps you can use to fully immerse yourself in a blissful meditative state. 

White Noise Generator

Some people need complete silence when writing, while some need a portion of their brain to be occupied by music or white noise. When it’s important that nothing distracts you from focusing, especially outside noise from loud environments, we recommend the following to help you stay focused and block out the noise. 

MyNoise.net

Don’t forget that your finances are super important during your PhD. You have to keep your financial life together to get through your PhD Program. Here are some that Dave suggests:

Mint.com (Free, Dave uses it everyday).

Every Dollar (Dave Ramsey’s product).

Data Transparency

Don’t forget to use tools for data transparency. For example, the Open Science Foundation (OSF) offers a suite of tools designed to facilitate transparent and collaborative research. These tools include project management platforms, data repositories, and preprint archives, all aimed at enhancing the rigor and reproducibility of scientific work. Check it out: Open Science Foundation website .

Gaining access to software and tools for free

We hope you found this list of suggestions helpful. Remember, do not spend a lot of money on software or other tools if you can get them for free through your university. Most schools now provide a Microsoft suite of tools, including OneDrive, to students for free. Check your IT department’s web page and list of free downloads. Of course, Google apps are free as well. Often, you can’t go wrong with Google but there are apps and tools that may be better that you have to purchase, just don’t spend a whole lot of money, especially if you’re a student. 

When it comes to survey or data analysis software your university may have purchased a license making the software free for students, faculty, and staff users situated on campus. In certain cases, you may also be able to access these software programs for home. What comes to mind is a university wide or department based Qualtrics license or a comprehensive Zoom license. Just check with your department or university before you purchase anything. If you must purchase SPSS for use at home as a student or university affiliated researcher go to studentdiscounts.com . They offer a full array of options for purchasing SPSS licenses for personal use on your own PC or Mac at a deep discount. You just have to provide proof of your university affiliation. 

One more recommendation is to definitely take advantage of a cloud based file storage tool such as OneDrive or Dropbox. If you are not in the habit of backing up your local computer files on a thumb drive, you must back them up on the cloud. Stephanie likes Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. Which one works best for you might depend on whether you often collaborate, which word processing software you are using, where you access your files, and which one you use for free. Many universities include limited free OneDrive storage as part of the Microsoft Suite offerings. 

Did you benefit from this post? Do you know of anyone at all that could use feedback on their writing or editing of their documents? I would be so grateful if you read this post on how to get feedback on your writing using R3ciprocity.com or let others know about the R3ciprocity Project. THANK YOU in advance! You are the bees knees.

If you enjoyed this blog, you might be interested in reading these other posts on blog.r3ciprocity.com . 

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Software Engineering Ph.D. Program

Software and societal systems department, research areas.

From software architecture to the study of open source ecologies, Software Engineering research is applying rigorous scientific approaches to address real and meaningful technical challenges. Our work not only advances the state of the art, it changes the world. 

Broadly, our research interests can be categorized into three cross-disciplinary categories: 

Software Organization and Properties

Software notations and tools, software creation and management, featured research.

Architecture & Design

Software design involves a sequence of decisions that determine the overall structure of a system and allocation of behaviors to its parts. Research in software design explores representations of design decisions and constraints, tools for reasoning about the impact of these decisions, and techniques for ensuring that the decisions are properly implemented. Software architecture is the study of design at scale, with emphasis on high-level structures and interactions that govern the overarching design and evolution of the system. Learn more about the history of Software Architecture at Carnegie Mellon.

Faculty David Garlan Eunsuk Kang Bradley Schmerl Mary Shaw

Example Research ABLE Group A Contract-Based Framework for System Decomposition

APIs & Frameworks

Most programming today makes use of APIs and Frameworks, as a key enabler of code reuse. How should these APIs and Frameworks be designed, to maximize their quality, including usability, helping programmers avoid errors, and maintainability of the API and the resulting code? What tools (often plugins for IDEs) and documentation can best help programmers learn and use APIs and Frameworks?

Faculty Heather Miller Brad Myers Josh Sunshine

Example Research API Usability

Autonomous Systems

Autonomous systems are systems that perceive information about the state of themselves and the environment they are running in, and adapt their behavior or structure to respond to changes in that state. Examples of autonomous systems are elastic cloud applications, robots and self-driving cars, and many control systems. The challenge with such systems is to develop software engineering techniques to (a) develop such systems in a principled and cost-effective manner, (b) assure that the systems work as expected as they make changes to their own behavior, and (c) build trust in their decisions by explaining them, or working with human operators. Research at CMU is looking into each of these aspects.

Faculty Jonathan Aldrich David Garlan Claire Le Goues Bradley Schmerl

Example Research Model-Based Adaptation of Robotic Systems Explainable Systems: Improving Confidence in Autonomous System Runtime Safety Monitoring of Intelligent Vehicles

Distributed Systems

Nowadays, most software applications involve multiple devices. For example, a mobile app might interact with one or dozens of other cloud services, or a data scientist might search for insights in a dataset that sits in the memory spanning many computers. These applications are distributed systems , and are challenging and error-prone to develop. Research on programming for distributed systems focuses on ensuring the correctness of computations that span multiple  compute nodes, improving the performance and reliability of these systems, and exploring new techniques for composing and reusing software abstractions in the design and implementation of these systems.

Faculty Heather Miller

Example Research Programming language support for eventual consistency Composition and correctness of eventually consistent datatypes Composition of serverless functions Verifying configurations of microservices

Requirements

Modern information systems must conform to a complex set of requirements that include functional requirements to satisfy stakeholder goals, as well as, policy and legal requirements to conform to societal norms. Systems that cut across individual and societal needs include mobile and web-based applications developed using lightweight, agile methods, and traditional plan-driven designs in health, finance and aviation. In each category, requirements engineering is concerned with the use of different forms of expression, from natural language to formal logic, to describe and (semi-automatically) reason about problems and solutions at-scale. This topic combines research from natural language processing, formal methods, knowledge representation and judgement and decision-making to predict how systems are intended to operate and how and why they might fail to operate, correctly.

Faculty Travis Breaux

Example Research Composable and Usable Security and Privacy Requirements Handling Risk and Uncertainty in Security Requirements Analysis Harmonizing Multi-Jurisdictional Privacy and Security Policy.

Security and Privacy

In today's interconnected world, security and privacy are becoming ever more central to software.  Our research helps to ensure that software's privacy policies meet the needs of users and serve the public interest; that software systems conform to these privacy and security policies; and that systems can adapt and continue to provide service even while  under attack.

Faculty Jonathan Aldrich Travis Breaux David Garlan Rohan Padhye Eunsuk Kang Bill Scherlis Bradley Schmerl

Example Research Self-Protection/Security-Related Self-Adaptation Modeling and Analysis of Cross-Layer Security Attacks

Analysis & Assurance

As software becomes a more critical part of the economy and of our daily lives, its developers and users need assurance that the software has desired properties.  We are developing new analysis techniques and tools that verify new kinds of properties of both specification and code, and which scale to larger systems and more diverse configurations than ever before. Faculty Vincent Hellendoorn Eunsuk Kang Christian Kästner Claire Le Goues Heather Miller Rohan Padhye Bill Scherlis Example Research TypeChef Alloy*: An Analysis Engine for Higher-Order Logic Specifications

Developer Tools

Developers use a wide variety of tools in the course of their normal work, across the entire software engineering life-cycle. These include compilers, debuggers, integrated development environments (IDE), and tools that do static analysis, visualization, web analytics, etc. These tools help developers enter code efficiently and correctly, understand existing code, and evaluate the code for an increasing variety of properties, including correctness across various dimensions, performance, and even the usability of the resulting design. Research focuses on increasing the range of what can be automatically evaluated, the quality of the resulting code and developers’ insights, and improving the usability of the tools so developers can use them successfully.

Faculty Vincent Hellendoorn Brad Myers Rohan Padhye Bradley Schmerl Joshua Sunshine Bill Scherlis

Example Research ACME Project Support for Exploratory Programming Natural Programming

Programming languages are the most basic tool of the software engineer, and language research provides fundamental advances in our ability to express programs and their designs.  S3D's research focuses on language and type system abstractions that provide strong theoretical guarantees while at the same time increasing the productivity of developers and helping them avoid introducing defects.

Faculty Jonathan Aldrich Heather Miller Brad Myers

Example Research Obsidian: a Safer Blockchain Programming Language Usable Design-Driven Assurance in the Wyvern Language Natural Programming

Software Data Analysis

Software Data Analysis is  a field that analyzes the rich data available in software repositories (e.g., version control systems, archived communications, online communities) to uncover interesting and actionable information about software systems, software development projects, and the teams managing them.

Faculty Vincent Hellendoorn Jim Herbsleb Claire Le Goues Joshua Sunshine Bogdan Vasilescu

Example Research Repository Badges on npm Statistical Name Recovery

Organizations

Organizations focuses on the human and organizational aspects of software development: how people organize to develop software and how these organizations influence the structure and quality of the resulting software.

Faculty Jim Herbsleb Claire Le Goues Joshua Sunshine Bogdan Vasilescu

Example Research Breaking APIs Diversity in Online Software Teams

AstroBackyard

5 Tips for Better PHD2 Guiding

PHD2 is a telescope autoguiding software that automates the process of tracking a guide star. This is an important aspect of deep sky astrophotography because it allows you to focus on capturing successful long exposure images and get the most out of your telescope mount .

PHD2 is easy enough for a beginner to use right away, yet also includes sophisticated guiding analysis tools that experienced users will appreciate. The software is available for Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. The built-in help file inside PHD2 contains a wealth of information, or you can download the instruction manual here .

EQ6-R autoguiding graph

My autoguiding graph in PHD2 using the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro telescope mount

PHD2 Guiding Settings for Astrophotography

I have found PHD2 Guiding to be an incredible tool for my backyard deep sky astrophotography. I have been using this software for a long time, starting with the original PHD “1” verion. The latest version of the software (PHD2) has been totally overhauled by a team of passionate developers that aim to make autoguiding even better.

Download the latest version of PHD2 Guiding

The guys over at the Astro Imaging Channel released an informative video featuring one of the team members of PHD who worked on the software.  Andy Galasso quickly reveals just how passionate he is about the project, and how knowledgeable he is with the PHD guiding software.

The video is quite long, but contains a wealth of information about autoguiding with PHD:

The intelligent folks over at PHD can explain the full power of PHD2 guiding better than I can, but I thought I would share what I personally took away from this enlightening presentation.  Before adjusting the settings in PHD2 Guiding, it is important to make sure that your equipment is prepared for imaging.  This includes accurate Polar Alignment and balancing the weight of your payload.

How to use PHD2 Drift Alignment

Here are the top 5 tips I gathered from watching Andy explain exactly how to use PHD2 guiding for best results:

Use the Guiding Assistant

PHD2 Guiding Assistant

Find this feature under Tools > Guiding Assistant

As Andy puts it, you’ll want to observe an unguided star motion to see what you are up against. This gives you a window into the amplitude of the RA (Right Ascension) periodic error.  Again, explore this tool for a more detailed insight into your particular mount’s characteristics.

The Right Ascension Max Drift rate displayed in the guiding assistant will display a recommended guide exposure length.  Very handy!

Create a New Profile using the Wizard

PHD2 Guiding Profile Wizard

The built-in equipment profile wizard in PHD2 guiding allows you to tell PHD exactly which hardware you are using.  Here you can set all of the specific details of your gear.  This includes entering in your guide scope focal length and autoguiding camera pixel size.

At this point it will also prompt you to build a dark frame library.  You’ll want to make sure that PHD2 Guiding is making the necessary corrections relevant to your unique setup.

Use Auto Star Select

PHD 2 Guiding has an advanced feature that calculates the best possible star in your field of view to use for guiding.  It will select a star based on algorithms to avoid over saturated or poorly sized stars.  Why not let PHD choose the best possible star, rather than guessing yourself!

In the past, I would try to select a star that was “medium-sized” and near the center of the frame.  This guessing game no longer takes place thanks to the auto star select feature within PHD2 Guiding.

Try using longer guide exposures

In the video, Andy explains that his tests show that using longer guide exposures results in fewer pulse corrections needed. This was a big eye-opener for me, as I had never given much thought to the guide exposure length I would use.  Generally, my guide exposures were about 1 to 1.5 seconds.  The diagram below illustrates how longer guide exposures can provide a smoother graph:

Offset vs. exposure

He recommends using longer guide exposures for improved performance. Earlier, I mentioned using the guiding assistant to give you a recommended guide exposure length.  In the example used for Andy’s equipment, that was an exposure of 2.7 seconds.  As a rule of thumb, do not expose so long that the stars begin to over saturate, or PHD will not be able to provide an accurate pulse correction.

Use the graph. Over/Under Correcting

When looking at the graph in PHD, remember that blue is RA , and red is DEC .  If your graph displays a zigzag pattern like the one below, it is a good sign that you are over-correcting.  Toggle the “corrections” check box to get a visual reference for exactly what PHD is doing.

Over-correcting

If you are over correcting, the solution is to decrease the aggressiveness and increase your RA minimum motion.  On the other side of the coin, if you are under-correcting, your graph will look like the image below:

Under-correcting

For more information about autoguiding with PHD2 Guiding, please visit the Open PHD Guiding Google Group Forum or the Stark Labs Astronomy Software Forum on Yahoo .  These forums offer answers to many of the troubleshooting issues you may experience while using PHD for astrophotography.

Clearly, I am still learning the ins and outs of this software myself.  I hope to improve my knowledge of PHD2 this year to get the most out of this amazing free resource for astrophotographers.

Improved Autoguiding with the iOptron CEM60

In October 2017, I tested out a new astrophotography mount, the iOptron CEM60 .  One of my main goals was to see if this mount could outperform my Sky-Watcher HEQ-5 Pro in terms of autoguiding, and overall tracking performance.

Have a look at the PHD2  graph I was able to achieve while imaging early on in my testing.  The total RMS error was less than 1 second, and noticeably better than anything I had seen using the HEQ-5 Pro. 

However, the fact that I was now pulse guiding via ASCOM to the mount directly may have made a difference as well.  (This can be done on the Sky-Watcher HEQ5 as well)

PHD Guiding with the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R

A new telescope mount presents an opportunity to compare guiding performance. The Sky-Watcher EQ6-R was very impressive in terms of autoguiding performance right out of the gate. Using the default settings with PHD and the generic ST-4 mount connection, I was able to achieve an impressive guiding graph.

In the screenshot below, you’ll notice that the total RMS error is 0.16 (0.63″). This resulted in an incredibly sharp image with round, pinpoint stars in each frame. Autoguiding with a telescope mount like this means that you will never have to discard image exposures due to bad guiding, and elongated stars. 

EQ6-R autoguiding graph

My PHD guiding graph using the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R mount

Related Posts:

  • Using PHD2 Guiding with the Lodestar X2 Guide Camera
  • Autoguiding Camera for the ASIair – ZWO ASI290mm Mini
  • Astrophotography Resources: Software and Tools 
  • Documentation
  • Getting Help

PHD2 Development Snapshot Builds

This page contains the latest development builds of PHD2. These builds contain the latest bug fixes and enhancements to PHD2. Although these builds may not be as well tested as the general releases available on the main Downloads page , they have been tested by the developers and are generally stable for imaging use. We would welcome your help testing them out, and if you do encounter any issues, please let us know .

The changes in each snapshot build are summarized below; you can see the detailed changes in the project’s Git commit log

The online version of the help file for the latest snapshot build is here .

v2.6.11dev6

  • Svbony Cameras: update SDK to version v1.11.2 (2023-04-24)
  • Touptek Cameras: update Touptek lib to version 54.22587.20230516
  • Calibration Assistant: minor UI tweaks and help file updates
  • Updated Japanese translation

v2.6.11dev5

  • New Calibration Assistant tool
  • Multi-star guiding: fix possible loss of secondary stars after a huge dither
  • QHY cameras: update to SDK version 2023-05-10
  • Touptek cameras: update SDK to version 53.22412.20230409
  • Updated Czech, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese translations
  • PHD2 now compatible with INDI 2.0

v2.6.11dev4

  • Improved alert messages for camera geometry mismatches
  • Fix problem launching PHD2 on some Windows computers (missing vcomp140.dll)
  • Updated Czech translation from Stanislav
  • Updated Japanese translation from nabePla
  • Updated Simplified Chinese translation from Linkage

v2.6.11dev3

  • Protect against mount drivers that report invalid guide speeds
  • Clarify some error messages
  • New profile wizard now asks for a Rotator selection (optional)
  • Svbony Cameras: update SDK to v1.10.0
  • ZWO ASI Cameras: update SDK to version V1.27
  • Help file updates

v2.6.11dev2

  • Reduced CPU utilization when rendering the camera image on the screen
  • Help content overhaul and restructuring
  • INDI Cameras: reduced CPU utilization
  • ZWO ASI Cameras: reset colour balance to unity on connection
  • ZWO ASI Cameras: update SDK to v1.26
  • Moravian cameras: update SDK to version v4.11
  • Svbony Cameras: update SDK to v1.9.4
  • Svbony Cameras: native support enabled for Linux and Mac
  • Svbony Cameras: wait for ST4 guide pulse to complete before starting the next exposure
  • Updated Traditional Chinese translation
  • Updated Portuguese (Brazilian) translation
  • New Czech translation

v2.6.11dev1

  • New option for variable exposure delays -- helpful for very accurate mounts
  • New Profile Wizard and Guiding Assistant: improved for mounts with high precision encoders
  • Allow selecting lower values of the minimum HFD setting
  • For new profiles the default is now to enable multi-star guiding and disable star mass checking
  • Display centroid coordinates in the star profile window
  • Add support for observatory-class focal lengths
  • ZWO ASI cameras: update SDK to version v1.20.3
  • Svbony Cameras: update SDK to v1.6.4 and fix possible camera hangs when changing binning or ROI

v2.6.10dev3

  • Minor adjustments to Guiding Assistant, minMove floor, SNR checking
  • Enable Min HFD checking by default
  • Svbony cameras: update to SDK v1.6.1
  • Updated Spanish translation

v2.6.10dev2

  • ZWO ASI cameras: update SDK to version V1.20 - Windows, Mac, and Linux
  • Linux: update launcher icon to work better with Ubuntu/Gnome
  • Svbony cameras: update SDK to version 1.4.4
  • Svbony cameras: add support for SV305M PRO and other monochrome cameras

v2.6.10dev1

  • Svbony cameras: update SDK to version 1.4.2
  • Touptek cameras: fix problem on MacOS locating the SDK dylib
  • Updated French translation
  • Svbony cameras: update SDK to version 1.3.7
  • ToupTek cameras: update SDK to version 48.18081.2020.1205
  • ZWO ASI cameras: update SDK to version 1.19
  • Updated Spanish and Traditional Chinese translations
  • QHY cameras: update to SDK version 20210313_17 (Windows)
  • Altair cameras: add an option to discard initial camera frames
  • ASCOM cameras: fix an error from some cameras about invalid frame size after disconnecting and re-connecting the camera
  • INDI cameras: fix a problem where the INDI server's binning value could override PHD2's binning setting
  • Stats window - restore the size and position when PHD2 is restarted
  • event server API: add star info to the LoopingExposures event
  • Updated Catalan and Spanish translations
  • Tool-tip and status bar message updates
  • Windows installer: fix 32-bit Windows incompatible version of vcruntime140.dll added in v2.6.9dev3
  • Multi-star: change display when primary star is lost
  • Multi-star: reduce aggressiveness of dropping lost secondary stars
  • Guide stats: fix incorrect max deflection calculation
  • ZWO cameras: update SDK to V1.16.3 (Windows, Mac, Linux)
  • New Catalan translation
  • Updated Help file
  • Altair cameras: update SDK to version 2020.1223
  • Graph stats: exclude dither recovery frames from stats
  • Multi-star: correctly report guide star distance to imaging apps
  • Multi-star: do not automatically reset the Use MultiStar option in the UI
  • WDM cameras: fix divide-by-zero crash when camera driver does not report AvgTimePerFrame
  • Windows installer: include vcruntime140.dll
  • Help file updates: add info about star-saturation controls and camera cooler
  • New: Multi-star guiding
  • New: Moravian camera support
  • Bug fix: ensure Dec comp is applied when meridian flip is accompanied by a Dec slew
  • ZWO: update ZWO ASI SDK to version 1.16 - Windows, Linux, and Mac
  • SBIG cameras: remember choice of whether to use the tracking CCD
  • ZWO / INDI / ASCOM cameras: use binned frame size reported by camera
  • ZWO camera: fix possible crash when changing binning
  • INDI cameras: discard stale video frames when switching binning
  • INDI cameras: improved verbose INDI logging
  • Fix crash when cancelling AO port selection
  • Fix crash when new profile created with mount set to None
  • Fix incorrect pixel size change warning when new profile is created
  • Updated French, Polish and Traditional Chinese translations
  • New Svbony camera support
  • Altair cameras: update to SDK 46.17427.2020.0704
  • ZWO cameras: update SDK to version V1.15.0617
  • Disable Dec guide param controls if Dec guide mode is None
  • Updated dark subtraction method fixing a problem with pedestals being set too high
  • Shift-click on the auto-select button now de-selects the guide star
  • Updated Help
  • Guiding Assistant: improved dec backlash measurement to better handle some poorly behaving mounts
  • Polar Drift Align: add Mirror option for OAG users
  • Log uploader: do not display empty logs by default
  • Fix background color in the Drift Align window to honor the window manager color theme
  • INDI: remove the obsolete driver port selection option
  • New Galician translation
  • Updated Portuguese translation
  • No longer display an alert when little South movement is detected after calibration
  • Altair cameras: update to SDK version 46.16909.2020.0404 (Windows)
  • Altair cameras: update SDK to 39.15529.2019.0906 (Windows)
  • Guiding Assistant: display guide pulse duration on the backlash test graph
  • QHY cameras: fix incorrectly-reported bits-per-pixel value for 16-bit cameras
  • QHY cameras: fix problem with camera going unresponsive after the stop button
  • Better tolerance of INDI/ASCOM drivers that incorrectly report guide speed
  • Linux/Mac: save PHD2 settings after significant changes, like after calibration completes
  • Mac: no longer need to restart PHD2 when first run to disable AppNap
  • server: added option to specify a region of interest for star auto-selection
  • logging enhancements
  • Updated Korean, Russian and Traditional Chinese translations
  • PHD2 now produces a single debug log and guide log per night rather than a set each time the app is launched
  • Saturation detection by max ADU value is now the default setting for new equipment profiles
  • Guiding Assistant: slightly more aggressive RA min-move recommendation
  • Log upload tool improvements
  • Guide log now includes the orthogonality error value and the RA guide rate normalized to Dec 0
  • Improved handling of guide speed and image scale changes
  • EQMOD ASCOM: display EQMOD-specific instructions in the new profile wizard
  • iOptron iGuider camera support (Windows)
  • QHY cameras: Linux/Mac: remove unnecessary debug messages when run from command-line
  • QHY cameras: Linux: updated SDK to V2019.11.15.0
  • Add check for problematic AP ASCOM driver synchronous guide pulse mode
  • Bug fix: do not repeatedly show alert about dark file mismatch when disconnected camera reconnects
  • Bug fix: do not display pulse guide limit reach alert after a long Guiding Assistant run
  • Linux: show the translated language names (as we already do on macOS and Windows)
  • Display the "you must restart phd2 for the language change to take effect" message translated
  • cfitsio package updated to version 3.47
  • Fixed flicker of controls in graph window
  • Updated Korean and Russian translations, plus a new Japanese translation of the Help file
  • event server: add an optional ROI argument to find_star and guide methods
  • event server: add LockPositionShiftLimitReached event notification
  • event server: add option to get_lock_shift_params method to ask for x/y shift rate
  • debug log improvements
  • Mac: 64-bit version of PHD2 for macOS Catalina
  • QHY cameras: update macOS SDK to version V20191115_0 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • QHY cameras: log the QHY SDK version in the debug log
  • ZWO cameras: update to SDK version V1.14.1108 (windows, mac, linux)
  • Workaround for imaging apps which fail to un-pause PHD2: stop button un-pauses guiding
  • Fix potential crash when AO graph is updated by a thread other than the main UI thread
  • Fix unlikely crash if imaging app tells phd2 to start guiding just as user closes app
  • Extend auto-adjustment of guiding params for changes to pixel size, binning, or focal length

10 September 2019

  • New button on the main toolbar for auto-selecting a star
  • New option to enable/disable audible beep for lost star
  • Soften wording of some calibration alert messages to be more advisory in nature
  • Fix various problems running the Guiding Assistant with an AO unit
  • Changing the Dec Flip calibration option now triggers a new calibration
  • Guiding Assistant: better recommendation for polar alignment
  • Guiding Assistant: rework min-move recommendations to handle long G.A. runs
  • Guiding Assistant: fix incorrect display of +/- symbol
  • New profile Wizard: added an option for auto-restoring calibration
  • Polar drift: allow window to be resized; save size and position across sessions
  • Altair cameras: update to SDK version 38.15031.2019.0706 (Windows)
  • INDI cameras: new option to suppress fallback to streaming mode
  • INDI cameras: do not start exposure until prior exposure has completed
  • INDI: ensure device names always include "INDI"
  • ASCOM cameras: fix crash attempting to set cooler after camera is disconnected
  • Server: add star HFD to guide step event
  • Server: new ConfigurationChange event
  • Server: allow clients to send multiple overlapped requests
  • Updated Help content
  • Equipment profile wizard and Guiding Assistant now recommend Lowpass2 Dec guiding for mounts with high-res encoders or near-zero backlash
  • Calibration is now automatically cleared if the camera selection is changed
  • Predictive PEC: enable the model retaining option by default for new profiles
  • ZWO cameras: update to SDK version 1.14.0227 (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
  • New Omegon Pro camera selection
  • INDI mounts: fix incorrect LST fallback calculation for mount drivers that do not provide LST
  • Guide log: ensure monotonically increasing timestamps regardless of changes to the system clock
  • Minor debug log cleanup
  • Camera simulator: fix crash when no mount or AO is selected
  • Fix crash in connect equipment or advanced dialog when AO is selected but mount is None
  • Mac: MallinCam SkyRaider camera support
  • INDI SBIG AO support
  • Drift Align tool: auto-select a new star if star was lost in the Adjust phase
  • Fix Advanced Settings window problem where typing invalid characters in the focal length field could set it to zero
  • Minor UI updates: improve some tool tips; re-enable the camera selection button after the camera is disconnected
  • Server API: include calibration declination in get_calibration_data message
  • Added command-line options for saving and loading the full set of config settings to/from a file
  • Additional logging in the debug log
  • Updated French and Traditional Chinese translations
  • Guiding Assistant: new feature to review prior G.A. run results
  • Guiding Assistant: avoid too large min-move recommendations
  • Guiding Assistant: check for poor camera focus
  • Guiding Assistant: recommend binning when image scale is too low
  • Calibration review: show calibration side of pier
  • Add menu items for toolbar button functions
  • Backlash compensation: better resiliency against stiction
  • Dark libraries: fix problem loading the wrong dark frame for exposures below 0.02s
  • Connect gear: only enable camera selection button when camera driver supports multiple cameras
  • ASCOM scopes: better handling for ASCOM drivers that terminate outside of PHD2
  • Altair cameras: update to SDK version 30.13270.2018.1102
  • ToupTek cameras: update to SDK version 33.13814.2019.0120
  • ZWO cameras: use snap mode for USB cameras USB2 mini cameras - fixes various guiding stability problems caused by video mode
  • Linux: add Touptek camera support
  • Linux: fix a potential crash related to INDI text properties
  • Fix long-standing possible crash when Manual Guide tool is run with On-camera mount
  • New Meridian flip calibration tool
  • New: ToupTek camera support for Windows; using ToupTek SDK version 30.13059.2018.1003
  • Guiding Assistant: improved min-move recommendations
  • Guide camera pixel scale is now shown in the new profile wizard and the stats window
  • Added a button to reset camera gain to camera's default value
  • Altair cameras: update to SDK version 30.13010.2018.0926
  • Altair cameras: new option to use older SDK for 2015/2016 era cameras
  • Altair cameras: prevent connecting to the wrong camera when reconnecting after a disconnect
  • Lowpass2: insure guide pulse never goes in the wrong direction; more debug logging
  • Fix glitchy display when changing profiles by clearing the displayed image
  • New profile wizard: center the dialog on the screen, not on the gear dialog
  • Windows: fix PHD2 crash when opening the mount setup dialog after the RPC server has been terminated
  • Fix bug in ProfileWiz - camera properties were being displayed on AuxMount tab if camera was Simulator
  • Ensure backlash compensation is enabled only when Dec guide mode is Auto
  • INDI: fix problem connecting Aux Mount that does not provide guiding properties
  • Event server: send calibration step events
  • Updated Traditional Chinese Translation
  • Help file: add help for too-little east/south moves in calibration; fix broken link re focusing with Star Profile tool
  • ZWO Cameras: fix a bug in 2.6.5dev4 that could prevent camera from connecting
  • Simplified Z filter settings interface
  • Bookmarks are now persistent across PHD2 sessions
  • ZWO cameras: update SDK to version v1.13.0821 (Window, Linux, Mac)
  • ZWO cameras: provide an option to operate camera in 8-bit or 16-bit mode
  • ZWO cameras: use camera model name to decide which camera to connect to
  • SBIG cameras: do not rely on camera name to distinguish color vs mono
  • More detailed tooltip for status bar calibration indicator
  • Update the Flip Calibration menu item and tooltip to make it more explicit that it flips the calibration immediately
  • Server interface: return an error response for an invalid JSON RPC request
  • Server interface: fix invalid JSON message output for alert messages with embedded newline characters
  • Windows: better Windows version reporting in the debug log
  • Better handling of errors that occur during application startup
  • INDI Aux Mount selection no longer excludes mounts that do not have the GUIDER interface
  • New Profile Wizard: use an 'on-camera' mount if camera = 'simulator'; add warning dialog if selected gear has no pointing info
  • Remove the None guide algorithm (aka Identity guide algorithm) selection
  • Updated calibration settings window
  • Calibration distance is now configurable
  • New option to display mount corrections to scale on the graph
  • New low-pass ZFilter guide algorithm (experimental)
  • ZWO Cameras: use default gain setting reported by the driver (default gain was way too high)
  • Guiding Assistant: fix problem with invalid min-move recommendations when GA is stopped and re-started
  • Guiding Assistant: enforce minimum sampling time for making recommendations
  • Remove unwanted check on guide rates when dec compensation is disabled
  • Fix incorrect range checks on aggressiveness for Hysteresis and Resist Switch guide algorithms
  • Log uploader: fix problem with log timestamps being garbled in some time zones
  • Fix display of calibration graphs on Linux
  • Fix problem with star profile not being displayed when search region is less than 15 pixels and star is close to the edge of the frame
  • INDI: fix phd2 crash when another app sets the camera or mount Connected property to false
  • event server: remove excessive debug log output when client is calling get_star_image
  • ZWO ASI Cameras: update SDK to v1.13.0523 (Windows) and v0.7.0503 (Linux & Mac)
  • SBIG cameras: fix problem not recognizing multiple SBIG cameras
  • SSAG cameras (Mac): fix possible crash after connecting camera and allow entering arbitrary USB VID/PID values for cameras with corrupted firmware
  • PPEC: allow stopping/starting guiding without resetting the model
  • Guiding Assistant: fix handling of very large backlash to always show recommendations
  • Updated Traditional Chinese, French, and Russian translations
  • Debug log improvements
  • More informative alert messages when runaway guiding is detected and for failed calibrations
  • QHY cameras: update Windows SDK to V20180502_0 from QHY
  • AO: remove irrelevant guide algo choices
  • Update to wxWidgets 3.0.4
  • Fix layout bug in BLC controls
  • Minor debug logging improvements
  • INDI cameras: automatically de-bayer color cameras
  • do not allow overlapping RA and Dec guide pulses (overlaps can trigger a bug in some INDI drivers)
  • better logging including a verbose logging option
  • display the selected INDI devices in the Connect Equipment window
  • only show camera drivers in the camera selection list and mount drivers in the mount selection list
  • much better resilience to dropped connections from the INDI server
  • cancellable progress window for INDI device connection
  • fix INDI GUI excessive window updates by displaying the GUI after properties have been received from the server
  • A bunch of help file updates
  • Various improved tool-tip messages
  • Updated Korean and Russian translations
  • Backlash compensation improvements
  • Updated Russian and Traditional Chinese translations
  • Updated Russian Help File
  • Server API enhancements (fix a potential crash when the client instructs PHD2 to shutdown; add methods for setting and allow clients to get the name of the current guide algorithm on each axis.)
  • Improved logging of events in the Guide Log, like exposure duration changed and PPEC parameter changes

v2.6.4dev10

  • improved backlash compensation dynamic adjustment
  • add additional control options for backlash compensation
  • apply backlash comp for "fast recovery" moves after dithering
  • apply backlash comp for AO mount bumps in declination
  • simulator: fix lag in response to manual guide motions during long exposures
  • Updated Russian translation
  • Updated Russian help file
  • Windows: fix problem with log file uploader not seeing the full contents of the current session's logs
  • log file uploader: fix layout of grid for non-English translations
  • Polar drift tool: status line fix
  • Polar drift tool: restore guiding on close
  • Add some new options for better control of backlash compensation
  • fix a problem that prevented some cameras from automatically re-connecting after a disconnect
  • ZWO cameras: update SDK versions to V0.7.0118 (Linux/Mac) and V1.13.1.12 (Windows)
  • Polar drift tool: re-enable guiding when done
  • min motion controls allow changing with finer increments
  • server: fix problem with receiving empty commands from some clients
  • fix problem with graph sometimes displaying the correction incorrectly when the Predictive PEC guide algorithm is in use
  • simulator minor improvements for changing settings on the fly
  • New tool to upload log files to openphdguiding.org
  • Guiding Assistant: improved backlash test
  • Altair cameras: updated SDK to version 20_12_2017
  • fix bug introuced in 2.6.4dev6 causing a new equipment profile to replace an existing profile
  • updated help file
  • updated French translation
  • fixed spacing in polar drift align window
  • Guiding Assistant: correct for dec drift and show an uncertainty estimate
  • ZWO Cameras: update Windows SDK to V1.13.1.9
  • SX Camera: fix pixel size value being reported incorrectly when square pixels option is enabled
  • Updated German translation
  • Dither settling now ignores dec distance when dec guide mode is None
  • Show help info in status bar as menu items are highlighted
  • Drift align tool: fix problem with alignment circle sometimes following the guide star in Adjust mode when it is supposed to remain stationary
  • Fix bug when guiding is initiated at the pole
  • New Polar drift tool - drift alignment using a star field near the pole
  • Static Polar Align tool updates
  • Better detection and handling of changes to mount guide speed and camera binning
  • Improvements to New Profile Wizard
  • Updated help file
  • Star auto-selection no longer has 40-pixel edge distance restriction
  • More explicit labeling of pixels vs arc-seconds units in graph window and stats window
  • Remove modal dialog boxes from most camera connect functions
  • Static Polar Align tool improvements
  • Add RA to guide log guide section heading
  • Static Polar Alignment tool improvements
  • Atik cameras: binning support added
  • Server API: new methods for sensor temperature and cooler status
  • Add Static Polar Align and Drift Align tutorials to the Help file
  • High resolution (4K) screen UI layout fixes
  • New Static Polar Align tool that uses the center of rotation of a polar field to align on the pole.
  • Fix bugs in calibration review and calibration sanity check when Dec guiding is disabled
  • Update to latest ZWO ASI SDK
  • Altair cameras: update to new SDK version (2017-09-01)
  • Updated French translation from Cyril
  • Guide log: only show gain value when PHD2 is controlling the gain
  • AO: better handling of step failures: show an alert and suggest new AO travel limit setting
  • AO: fix bump instability when guide star is far from lock position
  • AO: make sure calibration covers full travel range
  • Updated Windows INDI client libs
  • Do not allow invalid hysteresis setting (100%)
  • Fix problem with server sometimes not restarting when PHD2 is restarted
  • Allow cam simulator to simulate async ST4 guiding
  • Do not tie up main UI thread for GPxxx and INDI mounts and AO moves
  • Include milliseconds in FITS header timestamps
  • Debug log enhancements
  • Enable INDI support on Mac and Windows
  • Disable Auto-select star when calibrating or guiding
  • Updated French, Spanish and Traditional Chinese translations
  • Reset graph when gear profiles changes
  • Event server: send a SettleBegin event when settling starts; added a new method to expose a single camera frame
  • Windows: prevent windows firewall warning message after installing PHD2

13 June 2017

  • QHY cameras: fix incorrect guide directions when using On-camera (ST4) guiding
  • Restart PHD2 automatically when language changes or when the Reset Configuration option is selected
  • New option to automatically check for software updates

31 May 2017

  • Windows installer - do not run the VC++ redistributable installer
  • Fix text truncation with some translations in spctrograph slit position window
  • Mac: fix crash when disconnecting GPUSB
  • Adjust guiding parameters automatically when camera binning is changed
  • PPEC: fix problem with min-move parameter not being honored
  • Make sure not to retain calibration unless auto-load calibration is selected
  • Display AO correction rate in AO graph window
  • Guard against too-small aggressiveness or hysteresis settings being entered
  • Allow custom camera exposure duration selection

29 April 2017 

  • fix RA/Dec overlay when AO is in use
  • server API additions to get calibration information and send guide pulses to scope
  • improve Guiding Assistant text layout for some translations
  • additional debug log output for the PPEC guide algorithm
  • A new Portuguese (Brazilian) translation
  • Default Gain for QHY cameras is now 40
  • update QHY camera SDK to V7.4.16.4
  • Update Altair SDK to latest 1.1.4 version to support new camera models
  • fix crash when stats window is updated and Camera = None
  • update ZWO Linux/Mac SDK to V0.6.0328
  • don't allow Predictive PEC period value to be disrupted when the guiding assitant is run

10 April 2017

  • updated translations
  • more strict protection against windows being placed off-screen after screen resolution changes
  • Predictive PEC settings UI improvements in Advanced Dialog
  • Predictive PEC key settings added to Graph window
  • additional information saved to FITS headers when saving an image
  • QHY cameras: we now use an up-to-date QHY camera SDK for native support of QHY cameras on Windows, Mac, and Linux

28 March 2017

  • New Predictive PEC guide algorithm!
  • Mac: fix problem with SX camera not being found
  • camera gain setting should not allow value 0
  • comet tracking: adjust RA shift rate for scope declination

20 March 2017

  • New image logging options based on trigger events, like star lost or large error offset
  • Option to determine star saturation based on ADU value rather than star profile
  • Improved detection of low-snr stars by more accurate background calculation
  • Improved star mass change detection
  • New option to reject stars below a minimum size (HFD)
  • AO: fix bug with AO bump continuing after server received Pause command
  • add more info to fits headers when saving images
  • event server: add get_settling method

News & Resources

February 4, 2020 - PHD2 v2.6.11 Released

December 21, 2019 - PHD2 Best Practices

December 7, 2019 - macOS Catalina

April 26, 2018 - Polar Alignment tool video tutorials

June 12, 2016 - PHD2_Broker package available

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PhD in Software Engineering: Colleges, Salary, Syllabus

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  • Apr 20, 2023

PhD in Software Engineering

PhD Software Engineering, sometimes known as Doctorate of Philosophy in Software Engineering, is a three-year academic research programme. It is a subfield in engineering. Computer engineering is a computer-focused career that entails creating user-friendly, creative computer programmes and systems that fulfil the needs of consumers and customers. Software Engineering is a branch of computer science or information technology that is studied. PhD Software Engineering programmes can last anywhere from three to five years. Progression beyond the first year necessitates satisfactory performance, which determines the duration of the PhD Software Engineering. let’s clear all your queries in this blog. Read on to know more!

This Blog Includes:

What is phd in software engineering, why study phd in software engineering, universities offering phd in software engineering abroad, universities offering phd in software engineering in india, phd software engineering entrance exams, syllabus for phd software engineering, eligibility , documents required, cost of studying phd in software engineering, average salary.

PhD in Software Engineering is the highest degree and is designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire maximum expertise in their chosen field through intensive research. A doctoral program provides the student with the knowledge and skills that they need to perform analytical and/or experimental research under the supervision of an experienced researcher. Insights from the industry are encouraged whenever possible. In addition to the needs of institutions of higher learning, the PhD in Software Engineering program’s objective is to train highly qualified researchers who are required for the expansion of fundamental knowledge and technological innovation.

  • Because software engineering is such a particular, research-based, and technically oriented field, special training and formal degrees are required.
  • The PhD in Software Engineering programme leads to the highest degree available and is designed to give students the opportunity to gain the most experience possible via rigorous study in their chosen field.
  • Students of software engineering study how to apply engineering concepts to the development of software and computer programmes that are utilised and accessed on a variety of devices.
  • The development of theoretical and/or experimental abilities through a mix of advanced courses and a research thesis under the supervision of an expert researcher is a fundamental feature of the doctoral curriculum.
  • Aside from the core curriculum, the majority of PhD programmes in Software Engineering are designed to be highly flexible, allowing students to conduct independent research.
  • It prepares students for professorships in software engineering, research positions in industrial R&D, and growth leadership roles in the computer industry and technology shops.
  • Large organisations also instantly place those with PhDs in higher-level roles, and it is common for employers to reserve their top-level positions exclusively for doctoral graduates.

Here is the list of universities that offer the course of PhD in Software Engineering which you can find below:  

Want to consider colleges in India? Find the list of colleges below:

  • IIT, Kanpur
  • IIT, Guwahati
  • IIT, Indore
  • IIT, Hyderabad
  • Amity University
  • BMS College of Engineering
  • Shiv Nadar University
  • Jawaharlal Nehru University
  • Christ University

Candidates interested in pursuing a PhD in Software Engineering must meet the following minimal qualifying requirements:

  • Candidates must have a Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of Technology and a Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised institute.
  • A minimum of 60% in aggregate, or comparable grade B on the UGC 7-point scale, or equivalent in the Bachelor’s Degree.
  • Candidates in their last year of a Master’s degree may also apply for a PhD in Software Engineering.
  • Candidates from the SC/ST/OBC/PH categories are eligible for a 5% or equivalent grade relaxation per UGC rules.
  • Candidates with NET JRF / NET LS / M.Phil will not be able to sit for a university entrance written exam, but will be able to participate in the personal interview round.
  • There is no age limit for applying for PhD Software Engineering.

Admission Process

The process of applying to a university is the crucial part and you must consult and take the help of the experts. So, experts at Leverage Edu are here to help you out in each and every step of your admission stage. For your reference, the process is listed below:

  • Go to the website of the university you want to enrol in.
  • Fill out the online form.
  • Submit the required documents.
  • Wait for the response and further instructions from the university.

In order to get into the PhD programs, students must submit a long list of documents. Below are the documents students need:

  • An updated CV in the correct format
  • Copy of Passport or Visa (if available)
  • A research proposal of at least 1000 to 1500 words
  • Academic transcripts and certificates
  • Certificate of English proficiency – IELTS / TOEFL / PTE Test /Duolingo 
  • Personal Statements
  • Reference Letters
  • A formal application form

The cost of studying varies from one country to another but still for your reference, an average cost is provided below:

Future Scope after PhD Software Engineering

  • PhD The highest level of education in the discipline is Software Engineering.
  • In terms of specialisations available in Software Engineering, the career is wide.
  • With such rapid growth in a wide range of businesses, software engineers will pursue employment in a variety of fields.
  • Technology, healthcare, automobile manufacturing, renewable energy, remote sensing, aeronautics, business, non-profit, and finance are all areas where the Software Engineer works.
  • In terms of distinction, there are also fellowships of professional associations awarded to prominent scholars of software engineering. While all of them are significant, those from national academies are more so.

PhDs in software engineering are well-prepared for graduate study in the field, career advancement as a major researcher within the field, or for leadership in the field.

Yes, one can opt for a part-time Ph.D. but it would take around 6 to 8 years to complete the degree, especially in the UK.

PhDs are expected to have accumulated some knowledge over the course of their previous degrees, but PhDs are unquestionably slower-paced. Ph.D. topics tend to be rather narrow, even if they may span multiple disciplines.

There is no age limit for doing a Ph.D. so one can start doing it after he/she fulfills the eligibility criteria.

 Planning to study abroad? Our Leverage Edu experts will provide you with end-to-end assistance from the application to the Visa process. Call us at 1800 57 2000 to book a FREE 30-minutes counseling session today.

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Nikita Puri

Nikita is a creative writer and editor, who is always ready to learn new skills. She has great knowledge about study abroad universities, researching and writing blogs about them. Being a perfectionist, she has a habit of keeping her tasks complete on time before the OCD hits her. When Nikita is not busy working, you can find her eating while binge-watching The office. Also, she breathes music. She has done her bachelor's from Delhi University and her master's from Jamia Millia Islamia.

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Summer 2024 Intern – Software Development – Digital Twin (Masters/PhD)

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SUMMARY Ansys empowers the world’s most innovative companies to design and deliver transformational products by offering the best and broadest engineering simulation software to solve the most complex design challenges and engineer products limited only by imagination. Thus, through our enriching internship program, we help develop the next generation of engineers and technologists.

As a Software Development Intern, you will work on impactful projects supporting our Digital Twin Team, with a special focus on the investigation and development of novel functionalities applied to our Digital Twin solutions. The projects involve the extension of existing simulation capabilities and supporting work for DevOps infrastructure of our products.

This internship is a 40-hour per week paid position starting May 2024 and concludes August 2024. This position is based on the Ansys HQ in Canonsburg and will require the Intern to be in office a few days a week.

RESPONSIBILITIES • Investigation and development of new features

• Improving and extending existing DevOps infrastructure

• Software development across multiple languages, stacks, and operating systems • Testing and documentation

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS • Pursuing a MS or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Science, or related technical field with a GPA of 3.0 or higher • Must be currently enrolled in a full-time degree program and returning to the program after the completion of the internship • Experience in software development with Python • Experience with GIT • Excellent software development skills • Sharp and tenacious problem-solving skills • Team player, responsible, and motivated

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with cloud-based technologies, such as REST, Docker, Kubernetes • Software testing basics (unittests, smoke tests, black-box testing, etc…) • Development experience with Windows and Linux

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Ph.d. in materials science & engineering, phd course in development economics and local systems - delos, phd course in structural biology, phd course in civil and environmental engineering, phd course in sustainable management of agricultural forestry and food resources.

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Scientist Claims Quantum RSA-2048 Encryption Cracking Breakthrough

Researcher says that a smartphone can now crack RSA-2048.

hacker

A commercial smartphone or Linux computer can be used to crack RSA-2048 encryption, according to a prominent research scientist. Dr Ed Gerck is preparing a research paper with the details but couldn’t hold off from bragging about his incredible quantum computing achievement (if true) on his LinkedIn profile. Let us be clear: the claims seem spurious, but it should be recognized that the world isn’t ready for an off-the-shelf system that can crack RSA-2048, as major firms, organizations, and governments haven’t yet transitioned to encryption tech that is secured for the post-quantum era.

In his social media post, Gerck states that a humble device like a smartphone can crack the strongest RSA encryption keys in use today due to a mathematical technique that “has been hidden for about 2,500 years – since Pythagoras.” He went on to make clear that no cryogenics or special materials were used in the RSA-2048 key-cracking feat.

BankInfoSecurity reached out to Gerck in search of some more detailed information about his claimed RSA-2048 breakthrough and in the hope of some evidence that what is claimed is possible and practical. Gerck shared an abstract of his upcoming paper . This appears to show that instead of using Shor's algorithm to crack the keys, a system based on quantum mechanics was used, and it can run on a smartphone or PC.

In some ways, it is good that the claimed breakthrough doesn’t claim to use Shor’s algorithm. Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science at the University of Surrey, told BankInfoSecurity that no quantum computer in existence has enough gates to implement Shor’s algorithm and break RSA-2048. So at least this part of Gerck’s explanation checks out. However, the abstract of Gerck’s paper looks like it is “all theory proving various conjectures - and those proofs are definitely in question,” according to Woodward.

The BankInfoSecurity report on Gerck’s “QC Algorithms: Faster Calculation of Prime Numbers” paper quotes other skeptics, most of whom are waiting for more information and proofs before they organize a standing ovation for Gerck.

If you head over to Dr Gerck’s LinkedIn post you can see that the scientist has been busy answering community queries ahead of a full paper publication. He also isn’t afraid of stoking controversy by saying the likes of IBM and Google are “plain wrong” in their interpretations of superposition and entanglement in quantum computing.

Gerck is the developer of a “ post-quantum , HIPAA compliant, end-to-end, patent-free, export-free, secure online solution” for cryptography, which he says can be used to replace RSA. This would be handy if his RSA-2048 cracking claims are correct. Naturally, that also raises the question of whether this 'crack' is merely a publicity stunt for his product. 

We will watch with interest to see how this RSA-2048 cracking story develops. It looks almost like a new LK-99 moment, but could have even greater impacts on our lives if the headline claims survive scrutiny.

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Mark Tyson is a Freelance News Writer at Tom's Hardware US. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

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  • ThomasKinsley How does a commercial smartphone use quantum mechanics? Reply
ThomasKinsley said: How does a commercial smartphone use quantum mechanics?
Admin said: The most secure RSA encryption can now be cracked using a smartphone or PC, according to a new highly-contested scientific paper. Scientist Claims Quantum RSA-2048 Encryption Cracking Breakthrough, Met With Scepticism : Read more
  • George³ I'm having a hard time navigating linked.in. The gentleman is a doctor, doctor (two titles?) in what sciences and when did he manage to dig up something hidden from the time of Pythagoras? Maybe a paleontologist? Reply
George³ said: I'm having a hard time navigating linked.in. The gentleman is a doctor, doctor (two titles?) in what sciences and when did he manage to dig up something hidden from the time of Pythagoras? Maybe a paleontologist?
  • George³ Yes, it certainly doesn't look like someone who would pick up digging tools and unearth an ancient inscription using a previously unknown mathematical technique. I don't even think there is a mathematical technique that hasn't been discovered. Of course, anyone can invent properties of numbers and actions with them that are not real and useful, even though they operate inside their own limited bubble of fictional parameters. Reply
  • View All 8 Comments

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COMMENTS

  1. - PHD2 Guiding

    PHD2 is telescope guiding software that simplifies the process of tracking a guide star, letting you concentrate on other aspects of deep-sky imaging or spectroscopy. Easy-to-use, "push here dummy" guiding for beginners Sophisticated guiding and analysis tools for experienced users Extensive support for commonly-used equipment

  2. PhD in Software Engineering

    Software engineering Ph.D. programs prepare students to create new infrastructures, conduct academic research, and manage the software development industry. Program graduates work as applied research leaders, entrepreneurs, and professors.

  3. Software Engineering PhD Program

    Our Ph.D. program in Software Engineering seeks to educate the next generation of high-impact software engineering research, development, and educational leaders who will solve the problems associated with building large-scale and critical software systems.

  4. Ph.D. Software Engineering

    The software engineering Ph.D. program offers students the opportunity to tackle these challenges, whether it is through designing new tools, performing studies of developers and teams at work, creating new infrastructures or developing new theories about software and how it is developed.

  5. Doctor of Philosophy in Software Engineering

    The PhD in Software Engineering program is tailored to the student. The student must arrange a course program with the guidance and approval of a faculty member chosen as their graduate advisor. Adjustments can be made as the student's interests develop and a specific dissertation top is chosen.

  6. Software, Tools, and Apps that PhDs Must Have

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  7. The Most Useful PhD Apps / Software That You Haven't Heard Of ...

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  8. Best PhD Apps

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  9. Software Organization and Properties

    Software Data Analysis . Software Data Analysis is a field that analyzes the rich data available in software repositories (e.g., version control systems, archived communications, online communities) to uncover interesting and actionable information about software systems, software development projects, and the teams managing them.

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    The latest version of the software (PHD2) has been totally overhauled by a team of passionate developers that aim to make autoguiding even better. Download the latest version of PHD2 Guiding. The guys over at the Astro Imaging Channel released an informative video featuring one of the team members of PHD who worked on the software. Andy Galasso ...

  11. About PHD2

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  13. 68 PhD programmes in Software Engineering

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  14. Essential Software and Academic Tools for a successful PhD

    Starting a PhD is not easy and it's difficult to identify the right software and technology. This is a comprehensive review of Word Processors, Reference Management Systems and other tools.

  15. PHD2 Development Snapshot Builds

    PHD2 is guiding software inspired by Stark Labs PHD Guiding. PHD2 is free of cost, open source, and community-developed and supported. Download v2.6.11 macOS 64-bit Download v2.6.11 for Windows. ... New option to automatically check for software updates; v2.6.3dev6 [Windows Download EXE] [macOS Download ZIP] [macOS 32-bit Download ZIP] v2.6.3dev5.

  16. PhD in Software Engineering: Colleges, Salary, Syllabus

    PhD Software Engineering, sometimes known as Doctorate of Philosophy in Software Engineering, is a three-year academic research programme. It is a subfield in engineering. Computer engineering is a computer-focused career that entails creating user-friendly, creative computer programmes and systems that fulfil the needs of consumers and ...

  17. Summer 2024 Intern

    • Pursuing a MS or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Science, or related technical field with a GPA of 3.0 or higher • Must be currently enrolled in a full-time degree program and returning to the program after the completion of the internship • Experience in software development with Python

  18. Find 10000+ PhD programmes and postgraduate doctorate studies Worldwide

    In terms of higher education, Swiss universities are constantly ranked among the best in Europe, and they shine in areas like Business, Tourism, Culinary Arts, and Engineering. When compared to Western universities, tuition fees in Switzerland are affordable, and all studies — especially PhD programmes — are world-class.

  19. Best PhD Degrees 2024

    Jul 24, 2023. Oct 9, 2023. Search for the best PhD programs in 2024 here. Save time and contact the universities directly here for your PhD Degree!

  20. PHD Software

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  21. Scientist Claims Quantum RSA-2048 Encryption Cracking Breakthrough

    In his social media post, Gerck states that a humble device like a smartphone can crack the strongest RSA encryption keys in use today due to a mathematical technique that "has been hidden for ...