[Sy-cg-global] DIMACS Workshop on Geometric Optimization

[Sarah Donnelly]

DIMACS Workshop on Geometric Optimization

May 19 - 21, 2003
DIMACS Center, CoRE Building, Rutgers University

Organizers: 
    Joe Mitchell, SUNY Stony Brook, jsbm at ams.sunysb.edu 
    Pankaj Agarwal, Duke University, pankaj at cs.duke.edu 

Presented under the auspices of the Special Focus on Computational
Geometry and Applications.

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Combinatorial optimization typically deals with problems of maximizing
or minimizing a function of one or more variables subject to a large
number of constraints. In many applications, the underlying
optimization problem involves a constant number of variables and a
large number of constraints that are induced by a given collection of
geometric objects; these problems are referred to as
geometric-optimization problems. Typical examples include facility
location, low-dimensional clustering, network-design, optimal
path-planning, shape-matching, proximity, and statistical-measure
problems. In such cases one expects that faster and simpler algorithms
can be developed by exploiting the geometric nature of the
problem. Much work has been done on geometric-optimization problems
during the last twenty-five years. Many elegant and sophisticated
techniques have been proposed and successfully applied to a wide range
of geometric-optimization problems.  Several randomization and
approximation techniques have been proposed. In parallel with the
effort in the geometric algorithms community, the mathematical
programming and combinatorial optimization communities have made
numerous fundamental advances in optimization, both in computation and
in theory, during the last quarter century. Interior-point methods,
polyhedral combinatorics, and semidefinite programming have been
developed as powerful mathematical and computational tools for
optimization, and some of them have been used for geometric problems.

Scope and Format:

This workshop aims to bring together people from different research
communities interested in geometric-optimization problems. The goal is
to discuss various techniques developed for geometric optimization and
their applications, to identify key research issues that need to be
addressed, and to help establish relationships which can be used to
strengthen and foster collaboration across the different areas.

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Call for Participation:

Authors are invited to submit abstracts for talks to be given at the
workshop. Please send the organizers an abstract (up to 2 pages) and a
draft of a paper (if you have one). (Since there are no formal
proceedings for the workshop, submission of material that is to be
submitted to (or to appear in) a refereed conference is allowed and
encouraged.) Submissions will be due March 31, 2003. Notification of
acceptance: April 15, 2003.

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Registration Fees: 

(Pre-registration deadline: May 12, 2003) 

Regular rate
Preregister before deadline $120/day
After preregistration deadline $140/day

Reduced Rate*
Preregister before deadline $60/day
After preregistration deadline $70/day

Postdocs
Preregister before deadline $10/day
After preregistration deadline $15/day

DIMACS Postdocs $0

Non-Local Graduate & Undergraduate students
Preregister before deadline $5/day
After preregistration deadline $10/day

Local Graduate & Undergraduate students $0
(Rutgers & Princeton)

DIMACS partner institution employees** $0

DIMACS long-term visitors*** $0

Registration fee to be collected on site, cash, check, VISA/Mastercard
accepted.

Our funding agencies require that we charge a registration fee for the
workshop. Registration fees cover participation in the workshop, all
workshop materials, breakfast, lunch, breaks, and any scheduled social
events (if applicable).

* College/University faculty and employees of non-profit organizations
will automatically receive the reduced rate. Other participants may
apply for a reduction of fees. They should email their request for the
reduced fee to the Workshop Coordinator at
workshop at dimacs.rutgers.edu.  Include your name, the Institution you
work for, your job title and a brief explanation of your
situation. All requests for reduced rates must be received before the
preregistration deadline. You will promptly be notified as to the
decision about it.

** Fees for employees of DIMACS partner institutions are waived.
DIMACS partner institutions are: Rutgers University, Princeton
University, AT&T Labs - Research, Bell Labs, NEC Laboratories America
and Telcordia Technologies. Fees for employees of DIMACS affiliate
members Avaya Labs, IBM Research and Microsoft Research are also
waived.

***DIMACS long-term visitors who are in residence at DIMACS for two or
more weeks inclusive of dates of workshop.

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Information on participation, registration, accommodations, and travel
can be found at:

    http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/Workshops/GeomOpt/
  
  **PLEASE BE SURE TO PRE-REGISTER EARLY**

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