From: compsys@nimbus.anu.edu.au (Complex Systems Conference 92)
Subject: Final Circular: Complex Systems '92
Followup-To: comp.theory.self-org-sys
Keywords: complexity, chaos, biology, computation, emergent systems
Organization: Australian National University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 18:07:18 GMT
Expires: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 08:00:00 GMT


                          Complex Systems '92
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      FROM BIOLOGY TO COMPUTATION

      The Inaugural Australian National Conference on Complex Systems
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         December 14-15, 1992

                    Australian National University
                             CANBERRA ACT

                            FINAL CIRCULAR

THE CONFERENCE THEME

Complex systems are systems dominated by non-linearity or interactions
between their components. The last few years have seen an extraordinary
growth of interest in complex systems.  The underlying theme for this
conference - from biology to computation - reflects trends that have
been apparent in both biology and computer science.

On the one hand biologists have begun to accept the limitations of the
reductionist approach and have started investigating emergent
properties.  One of the most potent paradigms linked with this new
approach is the notion of life as a form of computation. This paradigm
finds its ultimate expression in the new field of "artificial life".

On the other hand computer scientists, trying to discover how to
organize the workings of massively parallel computers, quickly realized
that they need to look at existing multiple processors. i.e. living
organisms. This search, long apparent in the field of artificial
intelligence, has focussed chiefly on neural networks. However, the
lessons of biology are now being applied more and more widely, such as
in the introduction of genetic algorithms.

The theme of this conference, then, reflects the dual notions of life
as natural computation and computation as artificial life. The papers
cover fields from artificial life to parallel computers including
neural networks and social systems.

Please pass on this notice to interested colleagues. For further
information contact the conference secretary or the convenors.


VENUE

Robertson Theatre, Research School of Biological Sciences
                   Australian National University, Canberra

PROGRAMME

=========================
Sunday 13th December 1992
=========================

10.00am         Tutorial (ANU Computing Labs)

 6:00pm         Cocktail Party, Advanced Registration, and
                Opening of Exhibition "Visions of Complexity"
                    (Drill Hall Gallery)


=========================
Monday 14th December 1992
=========================

 8:00am Registration open (Robertson Theatre)

 9:00am Opening Address (Robertson Theatre)

----------
Session 1A: Artificial Life (Robertson Theatre)
----------

 9:10am Paulien Hogeweg: Keynote Address
            As Large as Life and Twice as Natural: Bioinformatics and
            the Artificial Life Paradigm

10:10am Paul-Michael Agapow
            Computer Viruses: the Inevitability of Evolution?

        ---

10:30am         Morning Tea and Coffee

        ---

----------
Session 1B: Emergent Behaviour (Robertson Theatre)
----------

11:00am Doug Seeley and Simon Ronald
            The Emergence of Connectivity and Fractal Time in the
            Evolution of Random Digraphs

11:20am David G. Green
            Emergent Behaviour in Biological Systems

11:40am Ann L. Preece and Craig R. Johnson
            Recovery of Model Coral Communities: Complex Behaviours
            from Interaction of Parameters Operating at Different
            Spatial Scales

12:00pm John G. Watterson
            The Wave-Cluster Model of Water-Protein Interactions

        ---

12:30pm         Lunch

        ---

----------
Session 2A (Robertson Theatre)
----------
 2:00pm Poster Session:

        Zoran Aleksic
            Computation in Inhomogeneous Cellular Automata

        Terry Bossomaier, Jevan Pipitone and Geoff Stuart
            Neural Dynamics in Biological Visual Information Processing

        Abdesselam Bouzerdoum
            Convergence of Symmetric Shunting Competitive Neural
            Networks

        Roger Bradbury and Daniel Boulet
            Crown of Thorns Starfish Outbreaks: how complex global
            dynamics emerge from simple, local ecological interactions

        David Cake
            A Computer Simulation of Plasticity in the Primary Motor
            Cortex

        Andrew Finegan
            Soft Systems Methodology: An Alternative Approach to
            Knowledge Elicitation in Complex and Poorly Defined Systems

        Patrick C. Fu and John P. Barford
            Reduction of Modelling Error of Complex Biosystems by an AI
            Approach

        Dominique Luzeaux
            From Beta-Expansions to Chaos and Fractals

        Pedro Paulo Balbi de Oliveira
            Methodological Issues Within a Framework to Support a Class
            of Artificial-Life Worlds in Cellular Automata

        JeanPierre Paillet
            Steps to an Ecology of Form

        A. P. (Tony) Roberts and Mark A. Knackstedt
            Pattern Formation in Physical and Biological Growth

        Keith Tognetti and Graham Winley
            The Uniform Emergence of Points on a Circle

        Hong Xie
            Parallel Algorithms for the Distance Embedding Problem

        ---

 3:30pm         Afternoon Tea and Coffee

        ---

----------
Session 2B: From Information to Chaos (Robertson Theatre)
----------

 4:00pm C. N. G. (Kit) Dampney, Michael S. J. Johnson and Paul Deuble
            Taming Large Complex Information Systems

 4.20pm Clive Cooper
            Complexity in C3I Systems

 4:40pm Margot L. Lyon
            Complexity and Emergence: The Seduction and Reduction of
            Non-Linear Models in the Social Sciences


 5:00pm Neville H. Fletcher
            Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos in Musical Instruments

        ---

 7:30pm         Conference Dinner (Gold Creek Homestead)

        ---


==========================
Tuesday 15th December 1992
==========================

----------
Session 3A: Self-Organization and Learning (Robertson Theatre)
----------
 9:10am George M. Bryan and Wayne E. Moore
            A Self-Organising Load Balancing System

 9:30am David Howard and William Moran
            Self Annealing When Learning a Markov Random Field Image
            Model

 9:50am Tim Payne
            Central Fusion of Sensor Information using Reasoned
            Feedback

10:10am Jonathan Baxter
            The Evolution of Learning Algorithms for Artificial Neural
            Networks

        ---

10:30am         Morning Tea and Coffee

        ---

----------
Session 3B: Fractals (Robertson Theatre)
----------
11:00am Jacques Blanc-Talon
            Recognition and Generation of Fractal Patterns by using
            Syntactic Techniques

11:20am Thomas B. Kirk and Gwidon W. Stachowiak
            Fractal Computer Image Analysis of Particle Morphology

11:40am Mark A. Knackstedt and Muhammad Sahimi
            The Effect of Permeability Heterogeneity on Viscous Fingerss
            in Porous Media

12.00am Jon McCormack
            Interactive Evolution of L-System Grammars for Computer
            Graphics Modelling

        ---

12:30pm         Lunch

        ---




----------
Session 4A: Neural Systems --- from Biology to Computation
----------      (Robertson Theatre)

 2.00pm Walter Freeman: Keynote Address
            Cooperative Behaviour in the Nervous System

 3.00pm Anthony N. Burkitt
            External Inputs to Attractor Neural Networks

        ---

 3:20pm         Afternoon Tea and Coffee

        ---

----------
Session 4B: Computing: The Way Ahead
----------

 3:50pm Geoffrey C. Fox: Keynote Address
            Parallel Computers and Complex Systems


 5.00pm Conference Ends


============================
Wednesday 16th December 1992
============================

 9:00am Workshops (to be advised)

        ---


The poster sessions and exhibition will run throughout the conference.



KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Geoffrey Fox       "Advances in parallel computing"

Professor Fox (Syracuse) is one of the world's leading authorities on
parallel computers. At Caltech during the 1980's he pioneered the
hypercube multiprocessor.  He currently heads the Northeast Parallel
Architecture Centre at Syracuse University.

Walter Freeman     "Parallel computation in biological systems"

Professor Freeman (Berkeley) pioneered the study of complex behaviour
in neural systems, with extensive published work in this field going
back over two decades. His extensive biological studies are now
yielding novel algorithms for machine pattern recognition.

Paulien Hogeweg     "As large as life and twice as natural:
		     Bioinformatics and the artificial life paradigm"

Professor Hogeweg (Utrecht) pioneered the study of informatic processes
in biotic systems.  She has modelled self-organization in a vast range
of biological systems, including prebiotic molecular evolution, cell
signalling in the immune system, and the emergence of social behaviour
in insect colonies.



TUTORIAL

On Sunday 13 December, from 10:00am-5:00pm, there will be an
introductory practical tutorial on Complex Systems. The tutorial will
cover basic ideas about:

      chaos, fractals, IFS codes, L-systems, cellular automata,
      neural networks, parallel computing.

Practical sessions on PCs and workstations will provide participants
with a hands-on introduction to each topic. It is planned to include
demonstrations running on ANU's Connection Machine supercomputer.

Enrolments for the tutorial are strictly limited; acceptance will be on
the basis of first-come, first-served.  The enrolment fee of $100 will
cover tuition, lunch, refreshments, notes and selected software.  The
venue for the tutorial will be the Computer Services Centre, Australian
National University.  To obtain further information tick the box
provided on the registration form or contact the conference
organizers.


WORKSHOPS

On Wednesday December 16, immediately following the conference, there
will be several advanced workshops.  The workshops planned so far
include Neural Dynamics, The State of the Art in Parallel Computing,
and Artificial Life.  The fee of $35 includes lunch and refreshments.


ART SHOW AND COMPETITION

Visions of Complexity (Drill Hall Gallery, ANU)

This public exhibition aims to highlight artistic aspects of images
arising from scientific research and visualization of complex systems.
Contributions are welcome.  Please contact the organizers for details
if you are able to loan a picture for display. Details of a competition
for the best picture are available from the organizers.


SPONSORS
                 Centre for Information Science Research
                 (Australian National University)

                 Research School of Biological Sciences
                 (Australian National University)

                 National Resource Information Centre
                 (Department of Primary Industry and Energy)


REGISTRATION AND FURTHER INFORMATION

The all-inclusive conference fee of $270 ($120 for students) will cover
morning/afternoon teas, lunch on each day, the opening cocktail party,
and the conference dinner.  The enrolment fee for the tutorial on
Complex Systems is $100.  The enrolment fee for the workshops is $35.
Accommodation will be available on campus at John XXIII College and
University House.

E-mail:          compsys@nimbus.anu.edu.au

Mail:            The Conference Secretary
                 (Ms. Michelle Moravec)
                 Complex Systems
                 c/- Computer Sciences Laboratory
                 Research School of Physical Sciences & Engineering
                 Australian National University
                 PO Box 4
                 CANBERRA  ACT  2601  AUSTRALIA

Telephone:       Dr Terry Bossomaier     (06) 249-2465/249-0012
                 Dr David Green          (06) 249-2490/249-5031

Fax:             (06) 249-1884

----------------------------------< Cut here >----------------------------

REGISTRATION FORM

INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPLEX SYSTEMS

14 - 15 December 1992
Australian National University


NAME:            _________________________________________________

TITLE:           Professor / Dr / Mr / Ms / Other:  ______________

STUDENT?         yes  /  no

ORGANIZATION:    _________________________________________________

ADDRESS:         _________________________________________________

                 _________________________________________________

                 _________________________________________________


TELEPHONE:       ( _____ ) _____________

E-MAIL:          _________________________________________________


[   ]     I wish to ATTEND THE CONFERENCE.

[   ]     I wish to CONTRIBUTE TO THE ART DISPLAY.

[   ]     I wish to ATTEND THE TUTORIAL.

[   ]     I wish to ATTEND THE WORKSHOP.

[   ]     I am UNABLE TO ATTEND the conference but
          would like to be kept informed.


CONFERENCE FEE
                                   $A270.00     $A_______

                          Students $A120.00     $A_______

TUTORIAL                           $A100.00     $A_______

WORKSHOP                            $A35.00     $A_______

EXTRA GUESTS FOR DINNER @ $A50.00 per guest     $A_______

          ACCOMMODATION in John XXIII College
                  (two nights) $A90.00          $A_______

        Additional nights @ $A45.00 per night   $A_______

        Please specify dates required: ____________________________


                                     TOTAL:     $A_______



PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES OR ORDERS PAYABLE TO:     Complex Systems 92

----------------------------------< Cut here >----------------------------

________________________________________________________________________
Email: complexsystems@nimbus.anu.edu.au    Mail:  Complex Systems
Phone: ((06) 249) 0012 or 2465 or 5031            CSL, RSPhysSE, ANU,
Fax:   (06) 249 4812                              GPO Box 4,
Overseas: "(06)" ==> "+61 6"                      Canberra ACT 2601
Oliphant Building, Mills Road, ANU                Australia
________________________________________________________________________