DIMACS Workshop on Geometric Optimization

[Pankaj Kumar Agarwal]

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  *                             DIMACS                               *
  * Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science *
  *       Founded as a National Science and Technology Center        *
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DIMACS Workshop on Geometric Optimization

Dates: May 19 - 21, 2003
Location: DIMACS Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway NJ, 08854-8018
	

Organizers:

	Pankaj K. Agarwal, Duke University, pankaj at cs.duke.edu
	Joseph S. B. Mitchell, Stony Brook University, jsbm at ams.sunysb.edu


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


Rationale:

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.


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.


Invited Speakers:  
	Sanjeev Arora,    Princeton University
	Daniel Bienstock, Columbia University
	David Eppstein,	  UC Irvine
	Micha Sharir,     Tel Aviv University
	Santosh Vempala,  MIT
	Emo Welzl,	  ETH Zurich
	

Contributed Talks: The program will be announced April 15, 2003.


Registration: (Pre-registration date: May 04, 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, Avaya, Bell Labs, NEC Research
Institute and Telcordia Technologies.

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

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

	http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/Workshops/GeomOpt/index.html

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