=================================================================
SIAM Activity group on Discrete Mathematics
DM-Net
----------------------------------------------------------------January 20, 2009
(Number 2009.01)
----------------------------------------------------------------Email contributions to:
<dm-net@siam.org>
Address changes to:
<dm-mgr@siam.org>
Archive URL:
<http://orion.math.iastate.edu/rymartin/dm-net.html>
=================================================================
=================================================================
CONTENTS:
1. Editor's Note
2. CALL FOR PAPERS -- SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics
Special Issue on Constraint Satisfaction Problems and
Message Passing Algorithms
3. LAGOS'09 CALL FOR PAPERS – V Latin-American Algorithms,
Graphs and Optimization Symposium
4. 22nd British Combinatorial Conference – July, 2009
5. Introductory Combinatorics, 5th edition, by Richard A.
Brualdi
6. A Combinatorial Approach to Matrix Theory and its
Applications, by Richard A. Brualdi and Dragos Cvetković
7. CALL FOR WORKSHOPS -- Sixth International Conference on
Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Operations
Research Techniques in Constraint Programming for
Combinatorial Optimization Problems -- May 27-31, 2009,
Pittsburgh, PA
8. CALL FOR PAPERS -- Ninth Workshop on Models and
Algorithms for Planning and Scheduling Problems
(MAPSP2009) -- June 29-July 3, 2009, Kerkrade, The
Netherlands
9. Call for Submissions - CanaDAM 2009 -- THE DEADLINE FOR
CONTRIBUTED TALKS HAS BEEN MOVED TO JANUARY 19, 2009.
=================================================================
1. *** Editor's Note ***
-----Happy 2009! Keep sending your announcements of interest to the
discrete mathematics community to dm-net@siam.org.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, we had trouble sending
a proper text file in the last email. I hope to once again send
only plain text emails. If the format of your email is
unreadable, the archive is still up. I find the MS Word
version of the document easier to read and navigate.
The URL for the newsletter archive is
http://orion.math.iastate.edu/rymartin/dm-net.html
The Open Problem Garden is located at
http://garden.irmacs.sfu.ca
-- Ryan
=================================================================
2. *** CALL FOR PAPERS -- SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics
Special Issue on Constraint Satisfaction Problems and Message
Passing Algorithms ***
-----We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of the SIAM Journal on
Discrete Mathematics, with the theme “Constraint Satisfaction
Problems and Message Passing Algorithms." The Special Issue is
intended to document some current key algorithmic and mathematical
advances in modeling and solving Constraint Satisfaction Problems
(CSPs) as well as shed new light on future directions for this
emerging cross-disciplinary research area. The Special Issue
emphasizes a number of important topics, including, but not
limited to, Probabilistic, combinatorial analysis of CSPs, Markov
chain Monte Carlo methods for CSPs and related problems, Bounds
and Algorithms for Error-correcting Codes, LP-based techniques for
algorithm analysis, Belief/Survey propagation and related
algorithms, as well as Network Reconstruction and related aspects
of Computational Biology.
In order to be considered for this Special Issue, contributions
must be submitted by the deadline of:
March 1, 2009
All interested should submit a manuscript and cover letter in PDF
format via the SIDMA online submission site at
http://sidma.siam.org/. Include a statement in the cover letter
requesting the paper be considered for the Special Issue on
Constraint Satisfaction Problems and Message Passing Algorithms.
Note the block labeled Special Section (just under the keywords
block on your submission screen) and select “Special Issue on
Constraint Satisfaction Problems and Message Passing Algorithms"
from the dropdown box. Also be sure to note in the Manuscript
Comment text box at the bottom of this page that your work is
intended for the Special Issue. Papers will be subject to review
by a guest Editorial Board. If any questions, contact Mitch
Chernoff, Publications Manager, SIAM, at chernoff@siam.org, or
Prasad Tetali, SIDMA Editor-in-Chief, at tetali@math.gatech.edu.
Guest Editorial Board:
D. Achlioptas, C. Borgs, J. Chayes, A. Frieze, D. Gamarnik, F.
Martinelli, M. Mezard, M. Molloy, E. Mossel, A. Montanari, A.
Sinclair, G. Sorkin, R. Zecchina
=================================================================
3. *** LAGOS'09 CALL FOR PAPERS – V Latin-American Algorithms,
Graphs and Optimization Symposium ***
------
http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/lagos09
Gramado (Rio Grande do Sul), Brazil
November 3-7, 2009
About the Symposium
LAGOS - Latin-American Algorithms, Graphs and Optimization
Symposium, is the union of two Latin American Conferences on these
subjects: the GRACO (Brazilian Symposium on Graphs, Algorithms and
Combinatorics) and the LACGA (Latin American Conference on
Combinatorics, Graphs and Applications). The first GRACO was held
in Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2001, and the second GRACO was in Angra
dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2005. The LACGA was held in
Santiago, Chile, in 2004. The first unified LAGOS (IV LAGOS) was
held in Puerto Varas, Chile, 2007. The format of these meetings
was similar. The proceedings of the accepted papers were published
in Electronic Notes in Discrete Mathematics: Volume 7, for the
first GRACO, Volume 19 for the second GRACO, Volume 18 for LAGCA,
and Volume 30 for the IV LAGOS. Besides, special editions of
Discrete Applied Mathematics were dedicated to these events:
Volume 141 for the first GRACO, Volume 154 (13) for LACGA, and
Volume 156 (7) for the second GRACO. The publication relative to
the IV LAGOS is due to appear soon.
Conference themes
Papers presenting new and original research on the following (and
related) topics are sought:
 algorithms and data structures
 analysis of algorithms
 approximation algorithms
 combinatorial optimization
 complexity
 computational biology
 cryptography
 enumerative combinatorics
 graph theory
 mathematical programming
 operations research
 order theory
 polyhedral combinatorics
 randomized algorithms
Important Dates
April 30, 2009: submission deadline
July 31, 2009: notification of acceptance
August 3, 2009: registration beginning
September 4, 2009: final version for publication in ENDM
November 3-7, 2009: LAGOS'09
Submissions
Authors should submit electronically an extended abstract (not a
full paper), written in good English. The submission page is not
open yet. The submission should contain a scholarly exposition of
ideas, techniques, and results, including motivation and a clear
comparison with related work. The length should not exceed six
(6) pages (including the bibliography and figures), using the ENDM
style package. Additional material (such as a technical report
containing detailed proofs) may be placed in a web page,
referenced inside the text. However, any material other than the
6-page extended abstract may be ignored at the discretion of the
Program Committee. Abstracts deviating significantly from these
guidelines risk rejection without consideration of their merits.
Submission of a paper implies that the work described has not been
previously published (except in the form of a short abstract or as
part of a lecture or academic thesis), that it is not
simultaneously submitted elsewhere, and that, if accepted, it will
not be published elsewhere in the same form.
Accepted papers
Papers accepted for presentation at LAGOS'09 will be published in
a special issue of ENDM - Electronic Notes in Discrete
Mathematics. Following the tradition of LAGOS, a special issue of
Discrete Applied Mathematics will be prepared after the LAGOS'09.
All authors of accepted papers at the symposium are invited to
contribute to this special volume. The topics should relate to the
central themes of the symposium, but are not necessarily
restricted to the presentations at LAGOS'09. All articles will be
refereed according to the standards of Discrete Applied
Mathematics.
Invited Speakers
Celina M. H. de Figueiredo (UFRJ, Brazil)
Pavol Hell (Simon Fraser, Canada)
Robert E. Jamison (Clemson, USA)
Robert Sedgewick (Princeton, USA)
David P. Williamson (Cornell, USA)
LAGOS Steering Committee: Thomas Liebling (EPFL, Switzerland),
Jayme Szwarcfiter (UFRJ, Brazil)
=================================================================
4. *** 22nd British Combinatorial Conference – July, 2009 ***
-----Preliminary registration is now open for the 22nd British
Combinatorial Conference, to be held at the University of St
Andrews, Scotland, UK, from the 5th to the 10th of July, 2009.
The invited speakers are:
Arrigo Bonisoli (Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy)
Peter J Cameron (Queen Mary, University of London, UK)
Willem H Haemers (Tilburg University, The Netherlands)
Gholamreza B Khosrovshahi (IPM, Iran)
Alexandr V Kostochka (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
Daniela Kuhn (University of Birmingham, UK)
Marc Noy (Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain)
Oliver Riordan (University of Oxford, UK)
Gordon Royle (University of Western Australia)
Programme: The speakers above will each give a 1 hour talk. These
talks are intended to be accessible to postgraduate students,
postdoctoral fellows, and researchers in all areas of
combinatorics. In addition, participants are invited to give a
talk of 20 minutes on any combinatorial topic. A problem session
will be held on the last day.
The conference and accommodation will be at the University of St
Andrews.
Social Programme: There will be a wide-ranging social programme,
including a conference banquet, an excursion and a musical
evening.
Organising Committee: Sophie Huczynska, James Mitchell and Colva
Roney-Dougal.
email: bcc2009@mcs.st-and.ac.uk
Web site: http://bcc2009.mcs.st-and.ac.uk
=================================================================
5. *** Introductory Combinatorics, 5th edition, by Richard A.
Brualdi ***
-----From: Richard Brualdi
I am pleased to announce that the 5th edition of my book
"Introductory Combinatorics" has now been published by PrenticeHall.
For those familiar with the 4th edition, the following comments
from the preface of the 5th edition explain the changes that have
been made.
-------------------------------------------------I have made some substantial changes in this new edition of
Introductory Combinatorics, and they are summarized as follows:
In Chapter 1, a new section (Section 1.6) on mutually overlapping
circles has been added to illustrate some of the counting
techniques in later chapters. Previously the content of this
section occurred in Chapter 7.
The old section on cutting a cube in Chapter 1 has been deleted,
but the content appears as an exercise.
Chapter 2 in the previous edition (The Pigeonhole Principle) has
become Chapter 3. Chapter 3 in the previous edition, on
permutations and combinations, is now Chapter 2. Pascal's formula,
which in the previous edition first appeared in Chapter 5, is now
in Chapter 2. In addition, we have de-emphasized the use of the
term combination as it applies to a set, using the essentially
equivalent term of subset for clarity. However, in the case of
multisets, we continue to use combination instead of, to our mind,
the more cumbersome term submultiset.
Chapter 2 now contains a short section (Section 3.6) on finite
probability.
Chapter 3 now contains a proof of Ramsey's theorem in the case of
pairs.
Some of the biggest changes occur in Chapter 7, in which
generating functions and exponential generating functions have
been moved to earlier in the chapter (Sections 7.2 and 7.3) and
have become more central.
The section on partition numbers (Section 8.3) has been expanded.
Chapter 9 in the previous edition, on matchings in bipartite
graphs, has undergone a major change. It is now an interlude
chapter (Chapter 9) on systems of distinct representatives (SDRs)
-- the marriage and stable marriage problems -- and the discussion
on bipartite graphs has been removed.
As a result of the change in Chapter 9, in the introductory
chapter on graph theory (Chapter 11), there is no longer the
assumption that bipartite graphs have been discussed previously.
The chapter on more topics of graph theory (Chapter 13 in the
previous edition) has been moved to Chapter 12. A new section on
the matching number of a graph (Section 12.5) has been added in
which the basic SDR result of Chapter 9 is applied to bipartite
graphs.
The chapter on digraphs and networks (Chapter 12 in the previous
edition) is now Chapter 13. It contains a new section that
revisits matchings in bipartite graphs, some of which appeared in
Chapter 9 in the previous edition.
=================================================================
6. *** A Combinatorial Approach to Matrix Theory and its
Applications, by Richard A. Brualdi and Dragos Cvetković ***
-----We are pleased to announce the publication of our book
A COMBINATORIAL APPROACH TO MATRIX THEORY AND ITS APPLICATIONS
by Richard A. Brualdi and Dragos Cvetković
(CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), copyright date 2009).
To understand what the book is about, its preface is excerpted
below. The book is now available at www.crcpress.com.
----------------------Preface
Matrix theory is a fundamental area of mathematics with
application not only to many branches of mathematics but also to
science and engineering.
Its connections to many different branches of mathematics include:
(i) algebraic structures such as groups, fields and vector spaces,
(ii) combinatorics including graphs and other discrete structures,
and (iii) analysis including systems of linear differential
equations and functions of a matrix argument.
Generally, elementary (and some advanced) books on matrices ignore
or only touch on the combinatorial or graph-theoretical
connections with matrices. This is unfortunate in that these
connections can be used to shed light on the subject, and to
clarify and deepen one's understanding. In fact, a matrix and a
(weighted) graph can each be regarded as different models of the
same mathematical concept.
Most researchers in matrix theory, and most users of its methods,
are aware of the importance of graphs in linear algebra. This can
be seen from the great number of papers in which graph-theoretic
methods for solving problems in linear algebra are used. Also,
electrical engineers apply these methods in practical work. But,
in most instances, the graph is considered as an auxiliary, but
nonetheless very useful, tool for solving important problems.
The present book differs from most other books on matrices in that
the combinatorial, primarily graph-theoretic, tools are put in the
forefront of the development of the theory. Graphs are used to
explain and illuminate basic matrix constructions, formulas,
computations, ideas, and results. Such an approach fosters a
better understanding of many ideas of matrix theory and, in some
instances, contributes to easier descriptions of them. The
approach taken in this book should be of interest to
mathematicians, electrical engineers, and other specialists in
sciences such as chemistry and physics.
Each of us has written a previous book which is related to the
present book:
I. R.A. Brualdi, H.J.Ryser,
Combinatorial Matrix Theory}, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 1991; reprinted 1992.
II. D. Cvetković, Combinatorial Matrix
Theory, with Applications to Electrical Engineering, Chemistry and
Physics}, (in Serbian), Naucna knji-ga, Beograd, 1980; II edition
1987.
This joint book came about as a result of a proposal from the
second-named author (D.C.) to the first-named author (R.A.B.) to
join in reworking and translating (parts of) his book (II). While
that book---mainly the theoretical parts of it---has been used as
a guide in preparing this book, the material has been rewritten in
a major way with some new organization and with substantial new
material added throughout. The stress in this book is on the
combinatorial aspects of the topics treated; other aspects of the
theory (e.g. algebraic and analytic) are described as much as
necessary for the book to be reasonably self-contained and to
provide some coherence. Some material which is rarely found in
books at this level, for example, Gersgorin's theorem and its
extensions, Kronecker product of matrices, and sign-nonsingular
matrices and evaluation of the permanent, is included in the book.
Thus our goal in writing this book is to increase one's
understanding of and intuition for the fundamentals of matrix
theory, and its application to science, with the aid of
combinatorial/graph-theoretic tools. The book is not written as a
first course in linear algebra. It could be used in a special
course in matrix theory for students who know the basics of vector
spaces. More likely, this book could be used as a supplementary
book for courses in matrix theory (or linear algebra). It could
also be used as a book for an undergraduate seminar or as a book
for self-study.
=================================================================
7. *** CALL FOR WORKSHOPS -- Sixth International Conference on
Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Operations Research
Techniques in Constraint Programming for Combinatorial
Optimization Problems -- May 27-31, 2009 ***
-----Pittsburgh, PA
www.cpaior.org
----------------------------------------------The CP-AI-OR program committee invites proposals for the
Workshop Program, to be held in conjunction with the conference.
Workshops provide a forum for researchers from constraint
programming (CP), artificial intelligence (AI), and operations
research (OR), to exchange ideas in an informal setting.
Workshops provide an opportunity to disseminate work in progress,
or to promote new and emerging areas within the field of
combinatorial optimization and its applications. The Workshop
Program will take place on May 28th, as a pre-conference event,
alongside the two-day Constraint Programming Tutorial.
Potential workshops topics include, but are not limited to:
1. Relaxation methods, e.g. constraint propagation, cutting
planes, global constraints, graph algorithms, dynamic
programming, convex and Lagrangian relaxations, heuristic
functions based on constraint relaxation.
2. Search methods, e.g. branch and bound, intelligent
backtracking, incomplete search, randomized search,
column generation and other decomposition methods, local
search, meta-heuristics.
3. Integration methods, e.g. static/dynamic problem
decomposition, solver communication, transformations
between models and solvers, collaboration between
concurrent methods, models, and solvers.
4. Modeling methods, e.g., comparison of models, symmetry
breaking, uncertainty, dominance relationships.
5. Particular application areas of CP/AI/OR techniques.
6. Implementation of CP/AI/OR techniques and Optimization
Systems.
Workshop organizers will be responsible for providing a call for
papers and a website, for additional publicity, for reviewing
submissions, and for formulating the technical program. The CPAI-OR conference will provide local support. Workshop
participants must register for CP-AI-OR, but there will be no
additional fee for attending a workshop. Workshop proposals
should be sent by email to Willem-Jan van Hoeve
(vanhoeve@andrew.cmu.edu).
Workshop proposal submissions should include the following
information:
- Title and brief description of the workshop
- Motivation why the workshop is of interest to CP-AI-OR
- Description of the workshop format
- The names of the proposed organizing committee
- Contact information of the principal proposed organizer(s)
Important Dates
December 21, 2008 - Workshop proposals due
January 11, 2009 - Notification of acceptance
February 15 - Workshop call for papers and website ready
Conference Organizers and Program Chairs
John Hooker, Carnegie Mellon University
Willem-Jan van Hoeve, Carnegie Mellon University
=================================================================
8. *** CALL FOR PAPERS -- Ninth Workshop on Models and Algorithms
for Planning and Scheduling Problems (MAPSP2009) -- June 29-July
3, 2009, Kerkrade, The Netherlands ***
-----MAPSP is a biennial workshop dedicated to all theoretical and
practical aspects of scheduling, planning, and timetabling.
Previous MAPSP meetings have been held in Menaggio, Italy (1993),
Wernigerode, Germany (1995), Cambridge, UK (1997), Renesse,
Netherlands (1999), Aussois, France (2001), Aussois, France
(2003), Siena, Italy (2005) and Istanbul, Turkey (2007).
MAPSP submissions are refereed, yet MAPSP does not publish
proceedings other than a conference booklet. Hence, presenting
your paper at MAPSP will not prevent you from submitting it to
journals or to other conferences. Similarly, it is acceptable to
submit a paper that was presented at an earlier conference.
Abstracts of 2-3 pages must be submitted according to the
guidelines at http://www.unimaas.nl/mapsp2009/.
Most talks will be for 20 minutes. Some submissions will be
selected for 30 minute plenary talks. There will be five invited
talks.
A special issue of Journal of Scheduling will be dedicated to
selected papers from the conference after a second round of
refereeing in accordance with the journal's guidelines.
Confirmed invited speakers are:
Sanjoy K. Baruah (University of North Carolina) Chandra Chekuri
(University of Illinois) Fritz Eisenbrand (Ecole Polytechnique
Federale de Lausanne) Tim Roughgarden (Stanford University) Frits
Spieksma (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
-----------------------------------------Submission deadline
Notification of acceptance
Early registration
Workshop
:
:
:
:
February 12, 2009
March 16, 2009
March 30, 2009
June 29 - July 3, 2009
-----------------------------------------Detailed workshop information is available at
http://www.unimaas.nl/mapsp2009
-----------------------------------------Cliff Stein (Program Committee Chair)
Columbia University
http://www.columbia.edu/~cs2035/
Marc Uetz (Organizing Committee Co-Chair) University of Twente
http://wwwhome.math.utwente.nl/~uetzm/
Tjark Vredeveld (Organizing Committee Co-Chair) Maastricht
University http://www.personeel.unimaas.nl/t.vredeveld/
=================================================================
9. *** Call for Submissions - CanaDAM 2009 -- THE DEADLINE FOR
CONTRIBUTED TALKS HAS BEEN MOVED TO JANUARY 19, 2009. ***
-----Canadian Discrete and Algorithmic Mathematics Conference 2009
May 25-28, 2009
Centre de recherches mathematiques (CRM), Montreal (Quebec),
Canada
http://www.crm.math.ca/CanaDAM2009/index_e.shtml
Sponsored by the CRM, the Fields Institute, MITACS, and PIMS
THE DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTED TALKS HAS BEEN MOVED TO JANUARY 19,
2009. THE LIST OF CONTRIBUTED MINISYMPOSIA (INCLUDING THE
SPEAKERS) IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB SITE.
This will be the second conference in a new series on discrete
mathematics that is held every two years (in the odd years) and
has the same format as the SIAM Conference on Discrete
Mathematics. The first CanaDAM conference was held in Banff (see
www.cs.ualberta.ca/~mreza/CanaDAM).
=================================================================
=================================================================
DM-Net is a forum of the
SIAM Activity Group on Discrete Mathematics
We disseminate your contributions on anything of interest to the
discrete mathematics community. This includes personal news
about our members, conferences, mathematical problems, education
issues, job/fellowship information, research announcements, etc.
The moderator is Ryan Martin
----------------------------------------------------------------Send submissions to:
<dm-net@siam.org>
Send address changes to:
<dm-mgr@siam.org>
Info on joining SIAM and this activity group:
<service@siam.org>
Archive URL: <http://orion.math.iastate.edu/rymartin/dm-net.html>
----------------------------------------------------------------Carla Savage
North Carolina State Univ.
Chair
Bojan Mohar
Simon Fraser University
Vice Chair
Mark Kayll
University of Montana
Secretary
Lorna Stewart
University of Alberta
Program Director
Ryan Martin
Iowa State University
DM-Net Editor
=================================================================