ANTS'2000: Call for papers

[Marco DORIGO]

ANTS'2000 - From Ant Colonies to Artificial Ants: Second International
Workshop on Ant Algorithms

Brussels, Belgium, September 8-9, 2000

CALL FOR EXTENDED ABSTRACTS (up-to-date information on the workshop
is maintained at http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~ants/ants2000/)

SCOPE OF THE WORKSHOP

The behavior of social insects in general, and of ant colonies in
particular, has since long time fascinated researchers in ethology and
animal behavior, who have proposed many models to explain their
capabilities.  Recently, ant algorithms have been proposed as a novel
computational model that replaces the traditional emphasis on control,
preprogramming, and centralization with designs featuring autonomy,
emergence, and distributed functioning.  These designs are proving
flexible and robust, able to adapt quickly to changing environments
and to continue functioning even when individual elements fail.  

A particularly successful research direction in ant algorithms, known
as "ant colony optimization", is dedicated to their application to
discrete optimization problems. Ant colony optimization has been
applied successfully to a large number of difficult combinatorial
problems like the quadratic assignment and the traveling salesman
problems, to routing in telecommunications networks, to scheduling
problems, and so on.  ANTS'2000 is the second edition of the only
event entirely devoted to ant algorithms and to ant colony
optimization. Also of great interest to the workshop are models of ant
colonies behavior which could stimulate new algorithmic approaches.

The aims are to give researchers in both real ants behavior and in ant
colony optimization an opportunity to meet, to present their latest
research, and to discuss current developments and applications.  The
two-day event will be held in Brussels, Belgium, from September 8 to
September 9, 2000. In the evening of September 7 there will be a
tutorial on ant algorithms.


RELEVANT RESEARCH AREAS

Submissions are invited that describe: 

(1) Models of aspects of real ant colonies behavior that can stimulate
new algorithmic approaches,

(2) Empirical and theoretical research in ant algorithms and ant
colony optimization.

(3) Application of ant algorithms and ant colony optimization methods
to real-world problems.

SUBMISSION OF PAPERS

Papers can be submitted either as extended abstracts or as full
papers. The length should be of approximately 4 or 10 pages
respectively.

Formatting and submission instructions are provided at
http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~ants/ants2000/ants2000-submission.html.

Accepted papers will be published in a booklet that is to be
distributed to workshop participants.  We are now investigating the
possibility of publishing the best papers as a journal special issue.
In this case, a further call for full papers, that may be longer than
the 10 pages workshop format, will be released.

All accepted papers will be presented at the workshop as
oral presentations or as a poster.


REGISTRATION AND FURTHER INFORMATION

Up-to-date information about the workshop will be made available at
the ANTS'2000 web site (http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~ants/ants2000/).
For information about local arrangements, registration forms, etc.,
please refer to the above mentioned web site, or contact the local
organizer at the address below. 

A registration fee of BF 7,000 will cover local organization expenses,
coffee breaks, and a social dinner on Friday 8 evening.  PhD students
reduced registration fee: BF 6,000. A proof of inscription is 
required in that case.

IMPORTANT DATES

Submission deadline                 April 15,  2000
Notification of acceptance          May 30, 2000
Camera ready copy                   June 30, 2000
Conference                          September 8-9, 2000


ANTS'98 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

PROGRAM CHAIR AND LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS

Marco DORIGO, IRIDIA, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

PROGRAM COMMITTEE

Emile AARTS, Philips Research Labs, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Hugues BERSINI, IRIDIA, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Eric BONABEAU, EuroBios, Paris, France 
Freddy BRUCKSTEIN, Technion, Haifa, Israel 
Alberto COLORNI, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
David CORNE, University of Reading, Great Britain 
Jean-Louis DENEUBOURG, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Gianni DI CARO, ATR, Kyoto, Japan
Marco DORIGO, IRIDIA, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
David FOGEL, Natural Selection, La Jolla, CA, USA 
Luca M. GAMBARDELLA, IDSIA, Lugano, Switzerland
Michel GENDREAU, Universite' de Montreal, Canada 
Deborah GORDON, Stanford University, CA, USA 
Walter GUTJAHR, University of Vienna, Austria
Owen HOLLAND, University of West England, Bristol, UK 
Vittorio MANIEZZO, Universita' di Bologna, Italy
Zbigniew MICHALEWICZ, University of North Carolina, USA 
Martin MIDDENDORF, Universitaet Karlsruhe, Germany
Thomas STUETZLE, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Germany
Eric TAILLARD, IDSIA, Lugano, Switzerland
Guy THERAULAZ, Universite' Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
Gilles VENTURINI, Universite' de Tours, France 


SUBMISSIONS ADDRESS

Submitted papers should be emailed to: mmi at aifb.uni-karlsruhe.de and
to ants at iridia.ulb.ac.be

PROGRAM CHAIR ADDRESS

Marco Dorigo, Ph.D.
Chercheur Qualifie' du FNRS       Tel +32-2-6503169
IRIDIA CP 194/6                   Fax +32-2-6502715
Universite' Libre de Bruxelles    Secretary +32-2-6502729
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50      http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/dorigo/dorigo.html
1050 Bruxelles                    http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~ants/ants2000/
Belgium                           http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/dorigo/ACO/ACO.html

CONFERENCE LOCATION

Avenue A. Buyl 87
Building C - 4th floor (IRIDIA, Dorigo's lab, is at the 5th floor of the
same building).
There will be arrows and indications to the workshop room.

LIMITED NUMBER OF PLACES

The number of participants will be limited. If you intend to participate
please fill in and send the intention form available at the workshop web
page, or drop a line to ants at iridia.ulb.ac.be.

RELATED CONFERENCES

Note that just after ANTS'2000 there will be in Paris (85 minutes by
train from Brussels) two related conferences: SAB2000, September
11-15, and PPSN-2000, September 16-20.