LaSh08 - WORKSHOP ON LOGIC AND SEARCH
     Computation of structures from declarative descriptions

                        Call For Papers

              Leuven, Belgium, November 6-7, 2008

             http://www.cs.kuleuven.be/~dtai/LaSh08

................................................................

IMPORTANT DATES:

Submission: August 15, 2008
Notification: September 15, 2008
Workshop: November 6-7, 2008

SCOPE:

In many real-life problems, we search for objects of complex nature --
plans, schedules, assignments. Such objects are often represented as
(finite) structures, which are implicitly specified by means of
theories in some logic. Thus, languages are needed to describe
structures, and algorithms to extract them from these implicit
descriptions. Propositional Satisfiability (SAT), Constraint
Programming (CP), and Answer Set Programming (ASP) are arguably the
three most prominent areas that develop such languages and techniques.

Each of these areas has been proposed as a declarative programming
approach to solving NP-complete combinatorial problems. Such problems
abound in computer science, engineering, operations research
computational biology and other fields. In many cases, progress is
limited by the difficulty of designing implicit representations of
structures (modeling), which hinders common acceptance of the aproach,
and the inability to solve sufficiently large instances of the
problems in practical time bounds (search algorithms). Therefore,
these three areas have as a major goal the development of practical
modeling languages and methodologies that support the modeling, and
algorithms and tools for efficient problem solving.

Despite the similar goals of these areas, in many respects SAT, ASP and
CP develop as three independent disciplines, focusing on rather different
particular problems or questions.  There are few, if any, researchers
who are experts in all three areas. To date, we are not aware of any
meeting which specifically aims at bringing these three areas together.


Objectives
==========

LaSh08 aims to offer a discussion forum for research in SAT, ASP and
CP that focuses on the computation of structures from declarative
descriptions.  We invite contributions on modeling languages,
methodologies, theoretical analysis, techniques, algorithms and
systems. The forum is an occasion to exchange ideas on the
state-of-the-art; to discuss specific technical problems; to formulate
challenges and opportunities ahead; to analyse differences and
simularities between the different areas; to study opportunities for
synergy and integration.

In particular, we would like to foster exchange at least on the
following topics:

 -- integrations of  SAT, ASP and/or CP technologies
 -- comparisons of modeling languages 
 -- criteria for choice of modeling languages 
	 (for modeling convenience or efficiency) 
 -- new algorithm directions
 -- efficient modeling  strategies 
 -- new  applications 
 -- complexity results, tractable subsets  
 -- completeness results (e.g. capturing complexity classes)
 -- methods for taking advantage of tractability results
 -- solver implementation techniques,
 -- algorithms for grounding 
 -- modeling languages and constructs 
	(aggregates, global constraints,..)
 -- search control and heuristics in the context of model generation
 -- symmetry breaking in model construction
 -- optimisation problems in model construction: 
     	-- languages for optimality criteria; 
     	-- algorithms for computing optimal models


Systems and Tools:
===================

LaSh08 will also provide an opportunity for presentation of implemented
systems and tools at a demo session. Thus, we invite submissions of
systems and tools that reflect the above ideas, and aim at facilitating
declarative problem solving, and making it practical and used.


Workshop format:
================

The workshops objective is to create an informal, stimulating
atmosphere for exchange of ideas. We invite also reports of work in
progress. There will be informal proceedings. 


Organizing Committee 
====================
    * Enrico Giunchiglia,  University of Genova
    * Victor Marek,  University of Kentucky
    * David Mitchell,   Simon Fraser University
    * Eugenia Ternovska  Simon Fraser University 
    * Mirek Truzczynski,  University of Kentucky
    * Marc Denecker, K.U.Leuven 

Program Committee
=================
    * Peter Baumgartner, The Australian National University
    * Francesco Calimeri, University of Calabria
    * Thomas Eiter, Vienna University of Technology
    * Wolfgang Faber, University of Calabria
    * Pierre Flener, Uppsala University
    * Alan Frisch, University of York
    * Enrico Giunchiglia, University of Genova
    * Daniel LeBerre,  Universite d'Artois
    * Fangzen Lin, Hong kong University of Science and Technology
    * Ines Lynce, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa
    * Tony Mancini, Sapienza Universita di Roma
    * Victor Marek, University of Kentucky
    * David Mitchell, Simon Fraser University
    * Pierre Marquis, Universite d'Artois
    * Ilkka Niemela, Helsinki University of Technology
    * Karem Sakallah, University of Michigan
    * Torsten Schaub, University of Potsdam
    * Barry O'Sullivan, University College Cork
    * Eugenia Ternovska  Simon Fraser University
    * Mirek Truszcznski, University of Kentucky
    * Pascal Van Hentenryck, Brown University 
    * Toby Walsh, University of New South Wales


Local organisation
====================
    * Marc Denecker, K.U.Leuven
    * Joost Vennekens, K.U.Leuven 


Location 
=========

The conference will take place in the Beguinage of Leuven,
Belgium. Leuven is an old flemish town, hosting the oldest university
of the lower countries. The Beguinage is a medieval city in the city,
where the beguines lived together to form a religious community. The
Beguinage is recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site.