From ryap@comp.nus.edu.sg Tue Jul 20 18:18:33 1999 Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 09:18:54 PDT From: Roland Yap Hock Chuan Reply-To: Theory-A - TheoryNet World-Wide Events , Roland Yap Hock Chuan To: THEORYNT@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU Subject: CFP: CP99 Workshop on Large Scale Combinatorial Optimization and Constraints [We apologize if you receive this announcement multiple times] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CALL FOR PAPERS CP99 Post-Conference Workshop on LARGE SCALE COMBINATORIAL OPTIMISATION AND CONSTRAINTS Alexandra, Virginia, USA October 16, 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Fifth International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming (CP99), October 11-15, 1999. PROGRAMME --------- The workshop focuses on hybrid methods for solving large scale combinatorial optimisation problems, most importantly, Constraint Programming (CP) techniques in combination with Mathematical Programming (MP) and Local Search (LS) techniques. Although no conclusive classification exists of problems amenable to solution by one or the other approach, these methods are perceived as being complementary to a large extent. CP has been successful in capturing certain types of complex constraints, notably in scheduling and planning, by introducing global constraints such as the "cumulative" constraint coupled with corresponding search strategies. Key techniques in MP include Linear Programming (LP) and Mixed-integer Programming (MIP). MP has developed some highly sophisticated algorithms to handle large problems of a certain kind, for instance column generation techniques in LP and cutting plane algorithms in MIP. Local search methods such as artificial neural networks, GSAT/WSAT, simulated annealing, tabu search, etc. is a complementary approach based on non-systematic incomplete search. For many large scale problems, non-systematic search gives better results than a complete, or even incomplete, systematic enumeration strategy. While non-systematic search is unable to prove optimality it may quickly find good solutions. Decision problems that may be formulated as (combinatorial) optimisation problems are widespread in today's economic environment. Application problems often combine several types of subproblems which separately are best solved by different algorithms. But in general these subproblems are interrelated, so that some hybrid algorithmic environment is needed that allows the researcher to solve the entire problem as a whole. Very recently, an increasing interest in CP techniques can be noted outside the CP community. New directions of research are being defined, especially in the traditional Operations Research community, and some interesting correspondences have been established between techniques used by the two approaches to problem solving. In many cases the exchange and collaboration is still very difficult due to problems of acceptance and lack of communication (often worsened by the specific terminology used) between different communities: the workshop makes it one of its objectives to encourage researchers in the different fields by giving them an opportunity to exchange their views and experiences on applying the different types of algorithms and new hybrid approaches to certain problem classes. We invite authors to submit original papers covering but not limited to: * integration or combination of hybrid techniques with CP * theoretical approaches to designing hybrid algorithms * use of hybrid methods to solve real life problems * issues with solving large-scale applications * special techniques/heuristics for specific problem types We seek to have the proceedings published similarly to the proceedings of a first workshop on large scale combinatorial optimisation and constraints at last year's conference, CP98. These proceedings have appeared as a volume of Electronic Notes in Discrete Mathematics (http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/disc) SUBMISSION ---------- The contributions should not exceed 12 pages (12pt font) in length. Submission should be done by sending two emails to Susanne Heipcke at sh@dash.co.uk The first email should contain the title, name of the authors and an address for communication, all in plain text. The second email should contain the paper in a portable and self-contained Postscript or PDF format. Authors will be sent a confirmation of the receipt of the paper within 3 working days. DEADLINES --------- Paper submission deadline: 12 August Notification of acceptance: 6 September Final version due: 30 September ORGANISATION ------------ Susanne Heipcke Dash Associates Quinton Lodge, Binswood Avenue Leamington Spa CV32 5TH UK Tel: +44 (0)1926 315862 Fax: +44 (0)1926 315854 Email: sh@dash.co.uk Mark Wallace IC-Parc William Penney Laboratory Imperial College London SW7 2BZ UK Tel: +44 (0) 171 594834 Fax: +44 (0) 171 5948432 Email: mgw@icparc.ic.ac.uk Yves Caseau Bouygues, France Eric Jacquet-Lagreze Euro-Decision, France Jimmy Lee The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Gilles Pesant Centre for Research on Transportation, Univ. Montreal, Canada Helmut Simonis Cosytec, France J Paul Walser, i2 Technologies, USA Roland Yap National University of Singapore, Singapore FURTHER INFORMATION ------------------- The list of accepted papers will be made available at the workshop web site: http://www.dash.co.uk/wscp99 Additional information on the CP99 conference: http://www.ise.gmu.edu/cp99