ITC2007: Announcing additional funding

We are now at the half way point of the second International Timetabling Competition sponsored by PATAT and WATT.

I have pleasure in announcing that we have secured further funding from our sponsors to help winners travel to the PATAT conference in Montreal 2008.  In addition to the already announced prize money and free conference fees, a sum of 500 pounds will be given to the winner of each track to assist with travel expenses.

Please visit www.cs.qub.ac.uk/itc2007 <http://www.cs.qub.ac.uk/itc2007> for further information.

For your information, the original email announcing the competition is attached. If you have not already done so, register now and trial your techniques on these challenging problems.

I look forward to seeing you in Montreal!

Kind regards,

Barry McCollum
Dr Barry McCollum
Competition Chair.

_________Original EMAIL_____________


**Announcing ITC2007: the second International Timetabling Competition**

Educational Timetabling problems have stimulated innovative scientific advances at the interface of operational research and artificial intelligence since the 1960's.  This competition provides a forum for researchers from many different backgrounds to apply existing leading edge techniques and try out exciting new ones within a competitive framework.

This announcement should appeal to anyone interested in a computing challenge which is very much a combination of theory and practice.Potential competitors should read this information carefully and put their timetabling cap on!

The second International Timetabling Competition is to begin on the 1stof August 2007 and end on the 25th January 2008.  The organisers are proud to announce that 1500 GBP #9approximately US$3000 or EUR2500) has been allocated in prize money in addition to free registration at the PATAT 2008 conference in Montreal.

Building on the success of the first International Timetabling Competition which ran in 2002, ITC2007 aims to further develop interest in the general area of educational timetabling, while providing researchers with models of the problems faced within real-world organisations.  The problem datasets and eventual results will be shared with the entire research community.

The competition, which has been divided into three tracks, deals with a number of main themes which exist in educational timetabling. Competitors can enter one, two or all of the tracks if they wish to. For more information please visit and register at the dedicated competition web page at

<http://www.cs.qub.ac.uk/itc2007>

I, along with my fellow organisers, would be grateful if you could forward this email to anyone or group you feel may find it of interest.

I look forward to meeting as many of the contestants as possible in Montreal 2008.

Kind regards,

Barry

Dr Barry McCollum

This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment may still contain software viruses, which could damage your computer system: you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.