International School on Neural Nets "E.R. Caianiello"

[Michael Jordan]

The enclosed is a correction and amplification to the earlier message 
regarding next fall's ``Learning in Graphical Models'' Advanced Study
Institute in Erice, Sicily.

Mike Jordan

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Galileo Galilei Foundation
World Federation of Scientists
Ettore Maiorana Centre for Scientific Culture

Galilelo Galilei Celebrations 
Four Hundreds Years Since the Birth of Modern Science

International School on Neural Nets ``E.R. Caianiello''

1st Course: Learning in Graphical Models

A NATO Advanced Study Institute

Erice-Sicily: 27 September - 7 October 1996

Sponsored by the: - European Union - International Institute for Advanced
                  Scientific Studies (IIASS) - Italian Institute for 
                  Philosophical Studies - Italian Ministry of Education -
                  Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research -
                  Italian National Research Institute (CNR) - Sicilian
                  Regional Government - University of Salerno

Lecturers will include:

  J. Whittaker, University of Lancaster, UK
  D. Madigan, University of Washington, USA
  D. Geiger, Technion, Israel
  U. Kjaerullf, Aalborg University, Denmark
  R. Cowell, University College, London, UK
  M. Studeny, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
  M. Jordan, MIT, USA
  S. Omohundro, NEC Research, USA
  D. Heckerman, Microsoft Research, USA
  G. Cooper, University of Pittsburg, USA
  W. Buntine, Thinkbank, USA
  L. Saul, MIT, USA
  J. Buhmann, University of Bonn, Germany
  N. Tishby, Hebrew University, Israel
  D. Mackay, University of Cambridge, UK
  D. Spiegelhalter, MRC, Cambridge, UK
  J. Pearl, UCLA, USA

Topics will include:

  Introduction to graphical models (directed and undirected graphs)
  Inference (probabilistic propagation, junction trees, conditioning)
  Properties of conditional independence (Markov properties, separation)
  Chain graphs
  Mixture models, hidden Markov models
  Neural networks
  Data structures for efficient estimation (bump trees, ball trees)
  Bayesian methods
  Structure learning (metrics, search, approximations)
  Priors
  Statistical mechanical methods (decimation, mean field)
  Markov chain Monte Carlo (importance sampling, Gibbs sampling, hybrid MC)
  Bayesian graphical models (BUGS software)
  Learning and phase transitions
  Clustering and multidimensional scaling
  Model selection and averaging
  Surface learning and family discovery
  Online learning
  Causality

Purpose of the course

Neural networks and Bayesian belief networks are learning and inference
methods that have been developed in two largely distinct reasearch communities.
The purpose of this Course is to bring together researchers from these two
communities and study both kinds of networks as instances of a general unified
graphical formalism. The Course will focus on probabilistic methods for 
learning in graphical models, with attention paid to algorithm analysis and 
design, theory and applications.

General Information

Persons wishing to attend the Course should apply in writing to:

- Prof. Maria Marinaro
IIASS "E.R. Caianiello"
Via G. Pellegrino, 19
84019 Vietri sul mare (SA), Italy
Tel: + 39 89 761167
Fax: + 39 89 761189

They should specify:

i) date and place of birth together with present nationality;
ii) degree and other academic qualifications;
iii) present position and place of work.

Young persons with only little experience should include a letter of
recommendation from the head of their research group or from a senior 
scientist active in the field.
The total fee, which includes full board and lodging (arranged by the
School), is $1000 USD. Thanks to the generosity of the sponsoring Institutions,
partial support can be granted to some deserving students who need financial 
help. Requests to this effect must be specified and justified in the application
letter.

Closing date for application: July 15, 1996

No special application form is required.

Admission to the Course will be decided in consultation with the Advisory
Committee of the School consisting of Professors D. Heckerman, M.I. Jordan,
M. Marinaro and A. Zichichi.
It is regretted that it will not be possible to allow any person not selected
by the Committee of the School to follow the Course.
Participants must arrive in Erice on September 27, no later than 5 p.m.

More information about this Course and the other activities of the Ettore
Majorana Centre can be found on the WWW at the following address:
             http://www.ccsem.infn.it


D. Heckerman - M.I. Jordan - J. Whittaker  Directors of the Course
M.I. Jordan - M. Marinaro     	           Directors of the School
A. Zichichi                  	 	   Director of the Centre