Profile

An international, creative, fully bilingual (English-French) and intellectual 32 year old, worrying about the future of humanity and what concrete steps can be taken to safeguard and improve it.

Research in Progress

• Decision theory, in collaboration with a SIAI centred group.
• Risks of artificial intelligence, in particular analysing Oracle AIs and inter-AI negotiations.
• Anthropic and foundational probability reasoning, using SIA, SSA, and UDT.
• Wire heading, from the demand-side perspective.
• Deterrence and MAD in advanced AI construction.

Publications

AI and Future Studies

• Technical Report :
  ‘Utility Indifference’ 2010.
  
• In Progress :
  ‘Anthropic decision theory for self-locating beliefs’ submitted to Philosophical Review.
  ‘Thinking inside the box: Oracle AI’ (with Anders Sandberg and Nick Bostrom), submitted to Minds and Machines.
  ‘Indefinite Survival’ (with Anders Sandberg).
  
‘Chaining God: A qualitative approach to AI, trust and moral systems’.

Biochemistry

• Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design :
  ‘Virtual screening using five dimensional ElectroShape enrichment: lipophilicity and partial charge’ (first author, with Dr. Paul Finn and Professor Graham Richards) submitted.
  ‘ElectroShape: fast molecular similarity calculations incorporating shape and electrostatics’ (first author, with Dr. Garett Morris, Dr. Paul Finn, Dr. Raman Sharma, Dr. Loris Moretti, Dr. Richard Cooper and Professor Graham Richards) 2010.
• Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design :
  ‘Molecular similarity including chirality’ (first author, with Dr. Garett Morris, Dr. Paul Finn, Dr. Raman Sharma, Dr. Loris Moretti, Dr. Richard Cooper and Professor Graham Richards) 2009.

Mathematics

• Mathematische Nachrichten :
  ‘Decomposable conformal holonomy in Riemannian signature’ (with Dr. Felipe Leitner) publication pending.
• Journal of Geometry and Physics :
  ‘Einstein connections and involutions via parabolic geometries’ 2010.
  ‘Addendum to “Ricci-flat holonomy: a Classification”: the case of Spin(10)’ 2008.
  ‘Ricci-flat holonomy: a Classification’ 2007.
  ‘Definite signature conformal holonomy: a complete classification’ 2007.
  
• International Mathematics Research Notices :
  ‘Einstein Metrics with Anisotropic Boundary Behavior’ (with Dr. Olivier Biquard) 2009
• Annals of Global Analysis and Geometry :
  ‘Projective Holonomy I: Principles and Properties’ 2008.
  ‘Projective Holonomy II: Cones and Complete Classifications’ 2008.
• Monatshefte für Mathematik :
  ‘Ambient Connections: Double-Cone Construction’ (with Dr. Thomas Leistner) 2007.

Education

• Stanford University and Udacity 2011 Introduction to AI and CS 373: Programming a Robotic Car.
  Online lecture courses by Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig, passed with 98.7% and 100%.
• Oxford University 2006 Doctorate.
  Supervisor Prof. Nigel Hitchin, Savilian Professor of Geometry. Thesis: The Holonomy of Conformal and Projective Tractor Connections (a vector bundle connection encoding the conformal or projective structures of a manifold). Completed the classification in the definite signature conformal case and the irreducible projective case. Made use of various algebraic methods, cone and ambient constructions, and the properties of Ricci-flat connections.
• Cambridge University 2001 Part III Mathematical Tripos.
  Passed with distinction mark, amongst the top 4% on the program.
  A in all 7 subjects
  A+ in Differential Geometry, Algebraic Topology, and 3-Dimensional Manifolds
• Cambridge University 1997-2000 Mathematics Tripos.
  1st Class Honours Degree (1st Class exam results every year).
• Lycée International de Ferney-Voltaire 1997 French Scientific Baccalaureate.
  9 subjects, equivalent of a very high A* in Mathematics and a standard A* in Physics. Included an Optional “International” module, covering French and English History.

Work Experience

• Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University 09/2011 - present
  Research Fellow
  A wide variety of research tasks (including in AI, future fate of civilization, decision theory, self-locating beliefs...) and some public outreach work.
• InhibOx Ltd. and Source Science 09/2008 - present
  Research director
  Interdisciplinary work, with a primary focus on shape-based ligand enrichment methods for modelling drug-protein interactions in the body, and applications of cellular automata to quantum mechanics/gravity. Intensive C++ programming and scripting used to achieve these research aims.
• Erwin Schrödinger Institute (ESI) and University of Vienna, Vienna 01/2007 - 08/2008
  Junior Research Fellow in Mathematics
  Advanced research in parabolic geometries, leading to several papers on generalisations of Einstein structures, skew-nilpotent geometries and the parabolic implications of generalised complex structures.
• IOpener, Oxford 10/2006 - 12/2006
  Consultant Researcher
  Designed and conducted statistical analysis of new models of happiness in the workplace; contributed to research papers and designed public presentations. Improved company profile through website expansion and developed an online interactive data demonstration for CNN.
• University of Oxford 10/2002 - 9/2005
  Private mathematics tutoring and university math teaching
  University and pre-university tutoring for individuals and small groups.
• Maquata Eeyou Secondary School, Wemindji, Canada 9/2001 - 8/2002
  Special Education Teacher
  Taught children (ages 14-17) with social and behavioural difficulties on a Cree Indian reserve in a very challenging environment. Subjects taught include English, maths, ecology, history and practical skills.
• Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at CERN (European centre for Nuclear Research) 7/2000 - 8/2000
  Intern
  Analysis and calibration of detectors in the CMS for the Large Hadron Collider; programmer for particle detection software; various other roles as part of the nuclear physics team.

Awards

• Pembroke College , Cambridge 2001
  William Hodge award for high academic achievement
• Pembroke College, Cambridge 1997 – 2000
  Awarded Foundress Scholar status for high academic achievement
• Lycée International de Ferney-Voltaire 1993 – 1995
  Concours Kangourou – French government-sponsored national mathematics competitions for ~120,000 students: 1995 (1st in country), 1994 (37th), 1993 (3rd).

Interests and Activities

• Film-making (2000-2005, 2007). Conceptualised, wrote, directed, produced and edited several short (10-30 minute) films, in a variety of themes. Gained invaluable experience in leading complex projects involving many individuals and a tight budget from start to end. The films were shown in Oxford and Cambridge colleges and were well received.
• Social secretary of St Cross common room (2002 - 2003). This position involved planning, budgeting, and organising all the social events, in college and out, including two major balls (themed on “Englishman Abroad” and “Moulin Rouge”). Also involved sitting on the common room committee and piloting two major redecoration projects.
• Writing short stories, poems and articles, some published in Oxford University Cherwell newspaper and ‘Sands of Time’ Anthology. Working on a longer title at the moment, ‘Diary of a conscript god’.
• Other interests : Skiing (took part in the annual Oxbridge ski contest), basketball, squash and kung-fu. History, politics & philosophy, future technology, debating, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

IT and Related Skills

• Information Technologies
  Highly computer literate; proficient in the use of LaTex, Bash, C++, standard Linux programs (sed, awk), advanced scripting. Programmed the drugfinder implementation for InhibOx. Basic HTML for web-page design.
  Proficient in all standard Microsoft Office programs (Office, Excel, PowerPoint).
  Film editing softwares, such as Premier Pro and Final Cut, as well as various video and sound-editing softwares.
• Data Analysis
  Experience using SPSS for the statistical analysis of data.
  Mathematica for equation solving and graphing/plotting.
  Analysis of data from particle detectors at CERN for calibration purposes.

Personal Details

• Born at Saint Jérome, Quebec, Canada.
• Brought up in Canada, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, UK and France. (British and Canadian nationality).
• Have travelled and lived extensively in Europe, South-East Asia and North American, recently as well as in the past.
• Perfectly Bilingual in French and English (can work, think and dream in both), with conversational German.
• Contact details:

33 Trinity Street, Oxford, UK
Public E-Mail: stuart.armstrong at stx.oxon.org