Santa Fe Institute Hiring Postdoc on Thermodynamic Costs of Distributed Computation in Neural Networks and Brains
AnnaCiaunica · x · 2026-09-01
The Santa Fe Institute (SFI) is hiring a postdoctoral fellow to work with Professor David Wolpert on the thermodynamic cost of distributed computation, ranging from digital circuits and neural networks to human brains.
Key Research Areas:
- Investigating how network coupling controls the tradeoffs among thermodynamic cost, speed, robustness, and computational precision in distributed systems.
- Focusing on the impact of hierarchical and modular network structures.
- Applying "mismatch cost" (MMC) to trained feedforward neural networks, restricted Boltzmann machines, and lightweight LLMs to relate network topology (modularity, hierarchy, communication structure) to thermodynamic cost.
- Scaling MMC calculations using techniques like coarse-graining, uncertainty quantification, tensor networks, and Monte Carlo approximation.
Requirements: Expertise in physics (or computer science), background in stochastic thermodynamics/statistical physics/theoretical CS, and strong programming skills.
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