Final Call for Papers: I A T '9 9 The 1st Asia-Pacific Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology Hong Kong, December 14-17, 1999 Home Page: http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/IAT99 --------------------------------------- | ( PAST !) Papers Due: May 31, 1999 | --------------------------------------- ************ * SPONSORS * ************ Hong Kong Baptist University The Croucher Foundation Epson The MIT Press ACM Hong Kong IEEE Hong Kong Section Computer Chapter *********************** * IN COOPERATION WITH * *********************** ACM Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence (SIGART) ACM Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery in Data (SIGKDD) ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI) ******************** * INVITED SPEECHES * ******************** "How Can AI Systems Deal with Large and Complex Problems" Setsuo Ohsuga (Waseda University, Japan) - * - "Steps Toward the Permanent Colonization of Cyberspace" Jeffrey Bradshaw (The Boeing Company, USA) - * - "Intelligent Agents: Embodied and Disembodied" Dan Ling (Microsoft Corporation, USA) - * - "Robot-Discoverer: A Role Model for Any Intelligent Agent" Jan Zytkow (University of North Carolina, USA) - * - The Asia-Pacific Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology (IAT) is an international forum for researchers and practitioners (i) to present the state-of-the-art in the development of intelligent agents, (ii) to examine performance characteristics of various approaches in intelligent agent technology, and (iii) to cross-fertilize ideas on the development of autonomous agents and multiagent systems among different domains. By idea-sharing and discussions on the underlying logical, cognitive, physical, and biological foundations as well as the enabling technologies of intelligent agents, IAT'99 is expected to stimulate the future development of new models, new methodologies, and new tools for building a variety of embodiments of agent-based systems. ********** * TOPICS * ********** IAT'99 welcomes submissions of original papers. The technical issues to be addressed include, but not limited to: * Applications: - Data and knowledge intensive domains (e.g., large databases, Internet, digital libraries, financial engineering, business information systems, CSCW). - Interaction with software/interface agents (e.g., E-commerce, personal assistant, information filter, tutor). - Computational intelligence (e.g., pattern analysis and recognition, imaging, optimization, resource allocation, constraint satisfaction, planning). - Physically embodied systems (e.g., autonomous robots). - Very-large, complex, integrated intelligent systems. * Computational Architecture and Infrastructure: - Computational architectures. - Ontology models. - Agent-level and multiagent-level infrastructure. - Communication languages. - Multimodal systems and interfaces. - Protocols. - Tools and standards. - Heterogeneity and interoperability. - Scalability. * Learning and Adaptation: - Uncertainty management in multiagent systems. - Integrated exploration and exploitation. - Long-term reliability. - Neural networks. - Artificial life. - Behavioral selection. - Coordinating perception, thought, and action. - Behavioral self-organization. - Believable lifelike quality. - Classifier systems. - Evolution and learning in dynamic environments. - Adaptation and self-adaptation. - Emergent behavior. - Evolutionary computation. * Data and Knowledge Engineering/Communication: - Human-agent interaction. - Information filtering. - Data mining. - Heterogeneous data integration and management. - Knowledge discovery. - Knowledge sharing. - Knowledge aggregation. - Reasoning and planning. - Adaptation and evolution of knowledge networks. - Distributed knowledge systems. * Distributed Intelligence: - Dynamics of groups and populations. - Swarms. - Population evolution. - Coevolution. - Collective group behavior. - Coordination and cooperation. - Distributed intelligence. - Social integration. - Market-based computing. * Formal Theories of Agents: - Formal/computational modeling. - Chaotic and fractal dynamics. - Computational complexity. - Efficiency in distributed systems. - Taxonomy of agent environments. - Classification and characterization of complex behaviors. - Theories of perception, rationality, intention, emotion, coordination, action, and social behaviors. ******************* * IMPORTANT DATES * (updated!) ******************* May 31, 1999 Electronic abstract and 4 hardcopies of full paper due June 30, 1999 Tutorial and workshop proposals due July 15, 1999 Acceptance of tutorial and workshop notification July 20, 1999 Notification of paper acceptance emailed and announced on IAT'99 home page August 2, 1999 Video and demo submission deadline September 3, 1999 Notification of video and demo acceptance emailed and announced on IAT'99 home page August 24, 1999 Camera-ready copies of accepted papers due November 1, 1999 Cutoff date for early registration December 14, 1999 Tutorials and Workshops December 15-17, 1999 Conference technical sessions ******************************* * DETAILS ON PAPER SUBMISSION * (updated!) ******************************* NOTE: Both electronic abstract submission and hardcopy full paper submission are required: 1. Electronic Abstract Submission ================================= An electronic abstract submission is an ASCII file, consisting of the following: (i) Title of the paper. (ii) Subject areas of the paper. (iii) Name of the author(s). (iv) An abstract of at most 250 words. (v) Contact addresses (BOTH postal and email). The above information should be sent to: zhong@ai.csse.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp by May 31, 1999. 2. Full Paper Submission ======================== Four (4) hardcopies of the completed full paper should be submitted by May 31, 1999 to: Prof. Ning Zhong (IAT'99) Dept. of Computer Science and Sys. Eng. Faculty of Engineering, Yamaguchi University Tokiwa-Dai, 2557, Ube 755, Japan Each submitted paper must include a title, an abstract, a list of keywords, the name, mailing address, and email address of the author(s), and the main body. The length of submitted paper should NOT exceed ten (10) single-spaced, single-column pages including all figures, tables, and bibliography. All manuscripts must be formatted using the World Scientific's style files for proceedings. The style files can be found at: http://www.wspc.com/others/style_files/proceedings/proceedings_style_files.html -- use the style files appropriate to a page size of 8.5"x6". Submitted papers will be reviewed on the basis of technical soundness, relevance, originality, significance, and clarity. **************** * PUBLICATIONS * **************** All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings by World Scientific, An International Publisher, as a hardcover book. A selected number of IAT'99 accepted papers will be expanded and revised for inclusion in ``Knowledge and Information Systems: An International Journal'' by Springer-Verlag and an edited volume published by World Scientific. The IAT best paper awards will be conferred on the authors of the best papers at the conference. ************************* * VIDEO SESSION & DEMOS * ************************* The IAT'99 Program Committee welcomes video and demo submissions of research projects, prototypes, experimental systems, and commercial products for presentation and demonstration at the conference. Each submission should include: (i) A title. (ii) An abstract of at most 250 words. (iii) A list of keywords. (iv) Name of the presenter(s). (v) Contact addresses (postal and email). (vi) A two-page description of the video contents or the demo system. Videos and demos should be submitted by August 2, 1999 to: Dr. Jianchang Mao (IAT'99) IBM Almaden Research Center Image and Multimedia Systems, DPE/B3A 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120, USA Email: mao@almaden.ibm.com The submission of full-length papers that describe in depth the works presented in videos and/or demos is also encouraged. Please refer to "DETAILS ON PAPER SUBMISSION" above. ******************************** * TUTORIAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION * (updated!) ******************************** The IAT'99 Program Committee invites tutorial proposals. The tutorials will be given on December 14, immediately before the start of the main conference. Each tutorial will run for 2 hours. We encourage tutorials that summarize recent technical advances in core paradigms of intelligent agent technology, as well as tutorials that educate the agent community about advanced techniques, emerging opportunities, and applications. These topics include, but are not limited to, multiagent systems, software/interface agents, communication languages, artificial life, evolutionary computation, human-agent interaction, data mining, knowledge discovery, distributed intelligence, and formal theories of agents. Anyone who is interested in presenting a tutorial at IAT'99 should submit a proposal to the tutorial chair at the address below. Email or fax submissions will also be accepted. Dr. James Kwok Department of Computer Science Hong Kong Baptist University Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Email: jamesk@comp.hkbu.edu.hk Phone: (852) 2339-5965 Fax: (852) 2339-7892 1. Submission Requirements ========================== The proposal should provide the following information: (i) Name, institutional affiliation, postal address, phone, fax, email, and WWW address of the proposed presenter(s). (ii) Title of the tutorial. (iii) A 200-300 word description of the tutorial. (iv) Detailed outline or prose description of the tutorial contents. (v) Biographical sketch of 100-200 words. 2. Important Dates for Tutorials ================================ June 30, 1999 Proposal submission deadline July 15, 1999 Acceptance notification July 31, 1999 Deadline for receipt of title, abstract, and speaker biography October 15, 1999 Deadline for receipt of course materials December 14, 1999 IAT'99 tutorials Tutorial notes will be made and distributed to the tutorial attendees. Please note that IAT'99 will normally duplicate no more than 100 pages per participant. The conference compensates tutorial speakers with a honorarium. The amounts of the honorarium will depend on the number of acceptable proposals. IAT'99 reserves the right to cancel any tutorial if deadlines are missed or if too few attendees register for the tutorial to support the costs of running the tutorial. Questions concerning the IAT'99 tutorials should be directed to Dr. James Kwok at: jamesk@comp.hkbu.edu.hk ******************************** * WORKSHOP PROPOSAL SUBMISSION * (updated!) ******************************** The IAT'99 Program Committee invites workshop proposals for the 1999 Asia-Pacific Conference on Intelligent Agent Technology. The workshops will be held on December 14, immediately before the start of the main conference. The workshops can vary in length, from half-day to a full day. The IAT'99 workshops will provide an informal setting where workshop participants will have the opportunity to discuss technical topics in an atmosphere that fosters the active exchange of ideas. Members from all segments of the agent community are invited to submit workshop proposals for review. Example topics are as those highlighted in the Topics and Tutorial Calls but proposers should not feel limited to these areas as each proposal will be assessed according to individual content, proposed structure and overall relevance. Workshop organizers will be responsible for inviting speakers, ensuring their participation, ensuring submission of preliminary texts and structuring and leading the discussion sessions. Each workshop organizing committee will be responsible for producing a Call for Participation in the workshop by July 31, 1999. This call should note that all workshop participants must register for the IAT'99 conference. 1. Submission Requirements ========================== The proposal should provide the following information: (i) A brief description of the workshop, specifying the goals and the technical issues that will be its focus. (ii) A brief discussion of why and to whom the workshop is of interest. (iii) The names, postal addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses of the proposed workshop organizing committee. This committee should consist of three or four people knowledgeable about the technical issues to be addressed. (iv) The name of the primary contact for the organizing committee. (v) A description of the qualifications of the individual committee members. (vi) If available, a list of tentatively confirmed attendees. Proposals should be sent to the workshop chair at the following address. Email or fax submissions will also be accepted. Dr. James Kwok Department of Computer Science Hong Kong Baptist University Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Email: jamesk@comp.hkbu.edu.hk Phone: (852) 2339-5965 Fax: (852) 2339-7892 2. Important Dates for Workshops ================================ June 30, 1999 Proposal submission deadline July 15, 1999 Acceptance notification July 31, 1999 Deadline for receipt of Call for Participation November 15, 1999 Deadline for list of workshop participants December 14, 1999 IAT'99 workshops IAT'99 will be responsible for the following: (i) Providing a meeting place and logistical support for the workshop. (ii) In conjunction with the organizers, determining the workshop date and time (Organizing committee constraints will be accommodated to the greatest possible extent). (iii) Duplicating working notes (up to a total of 100 pages per participant) and distributing them to the participants. IAT'99 reserves the right to cancel any workshop if deadlines are missed or if too few attendees register for the workshop to support the costs of running the workshop. To cover costs, it will be necessary to charge workshop participants a workshop fee in addition to the normal IAT'99 conference registration fee. Questions concerning the IAT'99 workshops should be directed to Dr. James Kwok at: jamesk@comp.hkbu.edu.hk ***************************** * PRE/POST-CONFERENCE TOURS * (new!) ***************************** Pre/post-conference tours, including local sightseeing tours in Hong Kong and tours to other places around the region such as China and Macau, will be arranged and organized by a local travel agency with special services to the IAT'99 participants and their guests. More information on the tours is available from the IAT'99 home page (http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/IAT99). *************************** * CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION * *************************** Honorary Chair: Benjamin Wah (U. Illinois, USA) General Chairs: Setsuo Ohsuga (Waseda U., Japan) Ernest C. M. Lam (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Program Chairs: Jiming Liu (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Ning Zhong (Yamaguchi U., Japan) Video & Demo Chair: Jianchang Mao (IBM Almaden Research Center) Organizing & Local Chair: P. C. Yuen (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Tutorial & Workshop Chair: James Kwok (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Poster Chair: Wai Wong (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Finance Chair: C. S. Huang (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Registration Chair: Kelvin Wong (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Publicity Chair: C. S. Tong (Hong Kong Baptist U.) International Advisory Board ============================ Jeffrey M. Bradshaw (The Boeing Company, USA) Jiming Liu (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Jianchang Mao (IBM Almaden Research Center) Setsuo Ohsuga (Waseda U., Japan) Tieniu Tan (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Patrick S. P. Wang (Northeastern U., USA) Xin Yao (Australian Defence Force Academy) Ning Zhong (Yamaguchi U., Japan) Program Committee ================= John A. Barnden (U. Birmingham, UK) Guy Boy (European Inst. Cognitive Sci.Eng.) Young-Tae Byun (Hong Ik U. Korea) David Cheung (U. Hong Kong) M. Desmarais (Centre de Recherche Infor. de Montreal) E. A. Edmonds (Loughborough U., UK) Mark Greaves (The Boeing Company, USA) Toru Ishida (Kyoto U., Japan) Lakhmi Jain (U. South Australia) Oussama Khatib (Stanford U., USA) David Kinny (U. Melbourne, Australia) James Kwok (Hong Kong Baptist U.) T.Y. Lin (San Jose State U., USA) Daniel T. Ling (Microsoft Corporation, USA) Chunnian Liu (Beijing Poly. U., China) Jiming Liu (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Hongjun Lu (Hong Kong U. of Sci. and Tech.) David Maluf (NASA Ames Research Center, USA) Jianchang Mao (IBM Almaden Research Center) Masoud Mohammadian (U. Canberra, Australia) Shinichi Nakasuka (U. Tokyo, Japan) Ei-Ichi Osawa (Sony Computer Science Lab., Japan) Mohamed Quafafou (U. Nantes, France) Zbigniew W. Ras (U. North Carolina, USA) Eugene Santos (U. Connecticut, USA) Zhongzhi Shi (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Yoav Shoham (Stanford U., USA) Andrzej Skowron (Warsaw U., Poland) Yuan Y. Tang (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Takao Terano (U. Tsukuba, Japan) Wayne Wobcke (BT Lab., UK) Xindong Wu (Colorado School of Mines, USA) Yiyu Yao (U. Regina, Canada) Yiming Ye (IBM T. J. Watson Research Center) Jerome Yen (U. Hong Kong) John Yen (Texas AM U., USA) Kazumasa Yokota (Okayama Prefectural U., Japan) Philip Yu (IBM T. J. Watson Research Center) P. C. Yuen (Hong Kong Baptist U.) Ning Zhong (Yamaguchi U., Japan) Lizhu Zhou (Tsinghua U., China) Jan Zytkow (U. North Carolina, USA) Please send suggestions and inquiries regarding IAT'99 to: Jiming Liu (IAT'99) Department of Computer Science Hong Kong Baptist University Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Email: jiming@comp.hkbu.edu.hk