Randomized and Approximate Computation (RAND-APX) Workshop
International Centre for Mathematical Sciences
Edinburgh, 17-19th September 2000
Overview
Most computational tasks that arise in realistic scenarios
are intractable, at least if one insists on exact solutions delivered
with certainty within a strict deadline. Nevertheless, necessity dictates
that acceptable solutions of some kind must be found.
Two means for circumventing the intractability barrier are
randomized computation, where the answer is required to be
optimal with high probability but not with certainty,
and approximate computation, where the answer is guaranteed
to be within, say, 5% of optimality.
The RAND-APX Thematic Network
RAND-APX ("Randomized and Approximate Computation") is a Thematic Network
funded under the European IST Programme, with sites in Bonn, Edinburgh,
Leeds, Lund, Oxford, Paris, and the Weizmann Institute, Rehovot.
Its aim is to promote research in foundational aspects of randomised
and approximate computation.
The Workshop
The RAND-APX Network will hold a workshop under the auspices of the
International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) at Edinburgh
from Sunday 17th to Tuesday 19th September, 2000. The workshop will
take place at the ICMS's headquarters at 14 India Street, Edinburgh,
the birthplace of James Clerk Maxwell, which has been adapted to
support meetings with up to about 40 participants. Although the
workshop will cover all aspects of randomised and approximate
computation, connections with Statistical Physics, the special
theme of the meeting, will receive particular attention. The workshop
will be open to non-RAND-APX members, subject to a limit on total
number of participants.
Invited speakers at the meeting are:
- Marek Biskup (Microsoft Research)
- Roman Kotecky (Charles University, Prague)
- Andrew Stuart (Warwick)
- Prasad Tetali (Georgia Tech)
Contributed talks
Contributed talks of 30 minutes duration (including questions) are welcomed.
In the case of non-RAND-APX members, acceptance of a contributed talk
will be subject to sufficient time being available within the programme.
Programme
The final programme is available
together with a complete list of abstracts.
How to register
Online
registration is available.
Stop press: In addition to the
hotels listed in the "Accommodation near ICMS" list, there is also the
Royal
British Hotel right opposite Waverley (i.e., main) Station and
airport bus terminus (and hence about 15 minutes walk to ICMS)
which has a special University of Edinburgh rate
of £55/night including breakfast. Just quote the secret code
"University of Edinburgh".
Contact me if you experience any problems obtaining the special rate.
Contacts
On scientific matters, please contact
Mark Jerrum
Department of Computer Science
University of Edinburgh
The King's Buildings
Edinburgh
EH9 3JZ
United Kingdom
E-mail: mrj@dcs.ed.ac.uk
Tel: +44 131 650 5134
Fax: +44 131 667 7209
On organisational matters, please contact
ICMS
14 India Street
Edinburgh
EH3 6EZ
United Kingdom
E-mail: icms@maths.ed.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 131 220 1777
Fax: +44 (0) 131 220 1053
URL: http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/icms/
Other meetings nearby
Information on Edinburgh
Information on Scotland
Information on Transport
Return to the ICMS
Programme for 2000-01
Web page maintained by Mark Jerrum, mrj@dcs.ed.ac.uk