Statement of Purpose

My former educational, professional, and personal experiences have deeply influenced my research and creative interests. They have instilled in me a unique passion for studying and exploring data science. Below, I will explain how my past educational, professional, and personal experiences have shaped my keen interest and enthusiasm for the field of computer science and the specific area of data science. Additionally, I will explain why, upon recognizing my passion for databases, I made the firm decision to pursue a PhD. degree in Data Science at XXX University.

Before attending university, I completed my education in a small city in China, where the educational standards were relatively not that high. Although I believed that learning should bring joy, I did not experience this during my actual pursuit of education. In my hometown, asking questions to teachers was not encouraged or supported, and the emphasis was more on solitary study. I felt lost and uncertain about my future and couldn't imagine a scenario where I could freely pursue my studies based on my true interests. Later, when I entered university at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, guided by my family, I chose the major of Biomedical Engineering. It was during this time that I began to truly engage with computers. Since high school, I had been fond of reading literary works by authors like Wang Xiaobo, who was also a computer enthusiast. I also enjoyed reading computer-related works like "Hackers and Painters". Therefore, upon entering university, I increasingly felt that I should pursue a major related to computer science. Thus, halfway through my first semester of my freshman year, I took the exam to switch majors and successfully transferred to the major of Software Engineering, which is closely related to computer science. However, my academic journey thereafter was not smooth. Due to my lack of exposure to computer programming before university and the delay caused by studying Biomedical Engineering for a semester before switching majors, my foundation was not strong enough to meet the rigorous demands of the software engineering major. This became apparent in the second semester of my sophomore year, which included courses such as data structures, object-oriented programming, assembly language, embedded systems, and C programming, which were challenging for me due to my limited prior experience in the field of computer science. Many classmates in similar situations suggested that we should simply aim to pass exams without truly mastering the knowledge. However, passing exams alone does not ensure true comprehension. This period was one of the most distressing times in my life. I was deeply passionate about the major and was determined to excel in it, but reality did not align with my aspirations. Therefore, after careful consideration, I decided to take a few months off from school to thoroughly supplement my computer knowledge during my break. This decision led to me spending an extra year compared to my peers in undergraduate studies. Subsequently, this decision proved beneficial as it allowed me to delve deeper into the field of computer science and gave me the courage to face similar challenges with greater resilience.

Now, let me specifically discuss the education I received during my university years. In my opinion, the academic atmosphere during university laid the foundation for my desire to truly develop in the field of academic research. I have always had a natural inclination to ask questions, which was finally fully embraced in the free atmosphere of university. While studying many computer science courses, I tirelessly asked numerous questions or raised doubts to my teachers and professors. Sometimes it might be about the details of an algorithm proof, or it could be a new question I proposed based on the teacher's lecture, such as when the teacher used the Towers of Hanoi puzzle with three pegs as an example of recursion, and I proposed the problem with four pegs to discuss together. I then searched for relevant information and discovered that this was a quite classic problem proposed by J.S.Frame in 1941, but its proof had remained unsolved until Thierry Bousch resolved it in 2014, which was a relatively recent breakthrough. I was thrilled to find that paper and read it; the excitement cannot be described in words. This is the joy of exploration. There are many such examples, but in summary, I am someone sensitive to questions. I enjoy raising questions, discussing them with others, and ultimately, I relish the state of solving problems. I am also grateful to my university teachers, who treated my questions with great tolerance. All of this has greatly benefited me and further strengthened my courage and confidence to continue researching in this field.

As for why I want to pursue research in computer science and focus on the field of data science, it stems from my research on input method editor. In order to improve the efficiency of Chinese and English input, I personally designed, implemented, and optimized an input method editor using C++. A core part of input method editor is the storage and retrieval of dictionaries. Although I achieved fast speeds using SQLite, my pursuit of database speed is endless. Therefore, I am eager to continue pursuing a PhD. degree, hoping to be extensively involved in data science research. I want to personally design and implement one or more efficient and robust databases. In addition to input method research, I have a strong interest in text and data. During my early days of learning Python, I attempted to acquire publicly available data and analyze public text. In the process, I realized that data access speed is a crucial factor. However, my perspective was not as broad as it is now. Now, with the opportunity to pursue a PhD, it is a dream come true for me.

The above paragraphs outline some of my educational, professional, and personal experiences. Next, I will explain the background conditions that support my pursuit of a PhD. in computer science. Firstly, my undergraduate major was software engineering, which provided me with a foundation in various computer science courses, ensuring that I have sufficient background to pursue a PhD. degree. Additionally, I possess outstanding engineering capabilities. For example, I developed an open-source input method software for the Windows platform using C++ and the CMake build tool. I also developed a personal blog system based on Spring using Java and Maven. I have extensive experience with programming languages, with at least four years of experience with Java and Python, and three years of experience with C/C++. I am also experienced with various programming tools such as IDEA, VSCode, and Neovim, and I have a habit of maintaining dotfiles, with a repository on GitHub that has garnered some attention. Furthermore, I have years of experience using both Windows and Linux operating systems. For Windows, I have an uncommon familiarity, and for Linux, I primarily use Arch Linux and have at least three years of experience. Additionally, I have a habit of blogging, especially in the technical field. I have written over 500 blogs on my two main blog sites which is built with Hexo. I believe that blogging not only deepens my understanding of knowledge but also provides reference materials for others facing similar problems. Moreover, I have a habit of continuous reading of technical books in the computer science field. I enjoy pondering and solving the problems presented in these books, finding it a pleasant activity, much like the way physicist Richard Feynman found thinking about physics problems enjoyable. Therefore, there is no doubt about my perseverance in researching problems. Finally, but equally important, I have a top 1% skill in sports, which is table tennis. This ensures that I maintain normal physical health and maintain a stable balance between work and life.

Finally, I would like to discuss my determination, motivation, and expectations for pursuing a PhD. For me, having at least five years to consistently and passionately research a field I truly love is an incredibly fulfilling prospect. My eagerness to engage in research in the field of computer science stems from a desire to discover innovative solutions, as opposed to engaging in repetitive tasks common in corporate settings such as backend Java development or routine frontend work. Take, for example, the database direction I aspire to research. In a corporate environment, developers typically utilize pre-packaged frameworks or APIs without delving into the underlying technical principles of the database they are using. This lack of encouragement for technical exploration in favor of business focus is something I find unacceptable. I fear that prolonged exposure to such an environment would stifle my ability to think critically, and without critical thinking, innovation cannot thrive. I firmly believe that the pursuit of innovative breakthroughs in cutting-edge computer technologies and mathematical concepts, such as my interest in utilizing progressive software like Neovim or cutting-edge operating systems like Arch, is essential.

In the realm of data science, I am particularly enthusiastic about comprehensively understanding the design and implementation of databases and then innovating upon that foundation. Personally designing and implementing an efficient database would be an incredibly invigorating achievement. Additionally, I am drawn to database research because I see it as a solid foundation for my future endeavors. Databases are integral components of many applications, and a robust understanding of them is crucial for application development. Post-PhD, I envision establishing a startup, and my entrepreneurial ideas, such as those in input methods or knowledge-based question-and-answer websites, would heavily rely on efficient database systems, and the high-performance computing. However, my current undergraduate level of expertise does not suffice for realizing these visions, hence my strong desire to further my education through a PhD, enhancing both my research and engineering capabilities to support my entrepreneurial ambitions.

To conclude, I firmly believe that XXX University can provide me with a profound understanding of computer science, particularly in the data science domain, thereby facilitating the realization of my research goals. That’s why I am very eager to apply for this program.