From: keller@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov (Rich Keller)
Newsgroups: news.announce.conferences
Subject: Symposium on Intelligent Scientific Computation
Date: 7 Apr 92 00:02:25 GMT
Expires: Mon, 11 May 1992 07:00:00 GMT
Organization: NASA/ARC Information Sciences Division


			Call for Participation
         American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)
                      Fall 1992 Symposium Series
                              Cambridge MA
                           October 23-25, 1992

                      (Following Visualization '92)


 	   SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLIGENT SCIENTIFIC COMPUTATION

The purpose of this symposium is to identify the scope of contributions
that artificial intelligence has and might make to scientific
computing and vice versa.  By scientific computing we mean the
practical application of computer programs to solve difficult
real-world problems such as the super-computer-sized grand challenges
(e.g., forecasting severe weather events, predicting superconductors,
or energy conservation and turbulent combustion, as proposed in the
Office of Science and Technology report "Grand Challenges: High
Performance Computing and Communications").  These problems often
involve the formulation and use of mathematical models in the form of
differential equations.  We include also the significant improvement
of solution techniques or solution time for engineering problems
routinely tackled today, such as seismic modeling or ship design.  We
use the term "scientific computation" broadly to include engineering
computation as well.  Although purely theoretical work on small,
highly distilled "toy" problems is interesting and useful in its own
right, we exclude such work from the scope of this symposium unless it
also is applied to solving hard engineering and scientific problems.

The result of the symposium should at a minimum be both 1) familiarizing AI
researchers with the types of problems faced in scientific computing
and the work to date addressing the problems by those outside as well
as in AI; and 2) familiarizing those outside AI with the
contributions, past and potential, from AI.  In addition, we would
like to explore ideas about what further leverage could be gained in
future research by specifying well defined interfaces between (quasi)
independent components of solution tools, by documenting and/or
standardizing knowledge bases in enough detail to reuse them or
reimplement them quickly, and by working with the targeted user
community early enough to understand the problems and gain acceptance
for the approaches.


Submission Topics.
Appropriate topics include descriptions of research, completed
or in progress, on the application of AI techniques to the various
phases of scientific and engineering computing (e.g., problem
definition, solution formulation, software construction,
experimentation, analysis, revision).  Equally important are summaries
of work from technologies other than AI that impact on the role of AI
in scientific computing.

We encourage the submission of summaries of a related technology such as
symbolic manipulation systems, compiler optimization,
vectorizing/parallelization tools, scientific databases, shared
knowledge representations, or numerical libraries.  Such a presentation
could summarize the current state of the art, the strengths and
weaknesses of the approach, and speculate on how that technology could
help, replace, or benefit from related AI approaches.  Alternatively,
a submission might describe contributions of scientific computing to
AI, such as a good application problem to work on, or an alternative
model of intelligent behavior.

Submissions on intelligent scientific computing should address aspects such as:

 o Specifying specific instances of problems to be solved (e.g., by equations,
   geometries, construction from primitive components, formal languages,
   domain-specific languages)

 o Solution techniques (applying numerical approximations, symbolic
   manipulation, problem reformulation or specialization, program
   synthesis, special-purpose simulation generators, adaptive control of
   the simulation/analysis, knowledge-based methods)

 o Representing knowledge of physics (directed at scientific computing tools)

 o Software issues such as performance and reliability, modifying models and
   algorithms, recording design rationales, documentation, and validation

 o Visualization or interpretation of results


 o Experiment guidance and management (parameter set up, model/data management,
   computational steering, results maintenance/tracking)

Submissions can describe implemented systems for directly setting up
and/or answering specific questions, simulating classes of problems,
or synthesizing programs that solve the problem.  Live demos or
videotapes may be appropriate for implemented systems.

Submissions of AI approaches should note the competing technologies
and should address the specific contribution of the AI approach: does
it enable problems to be set up and/or solved more efficiently?  does
it enable the solution of more difficult problems?  does it interface
to or replace existing technologies such as libraries of numerical
routines?  In considering all submissions describing the use of
symbolic techniques, we will use criteria such as the following.  Does
the submission demonstrate how its techniques significantly facilitate
complex numerical computing?  Which phase(s) of the scientific
computation process is (are) being addressed?  Is the work being done
in the context of a realistic science or engineering problem?  If a
technique claims to replace numeric computing by symbolic reasoning,
has the result been demonstrated to be acceptable to a user who would
normally use numeric computing?  Surveys of the utility of some of
these areas might be more useful than details on specific
implementations.

The symposium will most likely be organized around half a dozen
topics, determined by the submissions, with each session consisting of
a few brief presentations followed by a discussant and then general
discussion.  Some sessions will allow for long discussion periods.

Submission Guidelines.
Potential participants should submit a 2-3 page summary of past and
current work in the area organized around the aspects described above.
Although a list of related publications should be included, the text
description should be thematic rather than simply chronological.  In
addition, submissions should include a 1-2 page description of a
critical issue that the author(s) would like to see addressed by the
symposium, including a description of any presentations the author(s)
would be willing to make.  Additional supporting material in the form
of copies of previous papers or extended abstracts is optional.

Submit either e-mail (Ascii or Latex) source or 4 paper copies.

Deadline for Submissions: Must be received by May 11, 1992

Notification of Acceptance: June 8, 1992

Material for Working Notes Due: August 10, 1992.

Submit to
 Elaine Kant
 Schlumberger Laboratory for Computer Science
 P.O. Box 200015
 Austin, TX 78720-0015
E-mail: kant@slcs.slb.com
Phone:  512-331-3737
Fax:    512-331-3760


Symposium Committee.
Elaine Kant, Schlumberger Laboratory for Computer Science (kant@slcs.slb.com);
Richard Keller, NASA Ames Research Center (keller@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov);
Stanly Steinberg, University of New Mexico, (stanly@crunch.unm.edu).
Newsgroups: news.announce.conferences