2nd German Workshop on Artificial Life: Final CFP

[Jan Kim]

SECOND GERMAN WORKSHOP ON ARTIFICIAL LIFE (GWAL'97)

Dortmund, April 17-18, 1997.


Intention

Artificial Life (AL) is an interdisciplinary field of science that is
focused on abstracting the essential features and dynamics of living
systems in order to create models of these systems in "artificial"
media, i.e.  media that are man-made and different from the media in
which the systems live in nature. The major goals of such activities
are:

    * To open up new pathways for investigating and understanding
      living systems.
    * To make complex features of living systems available for the
      design of artificial systems, such as computer programs and
      robots.
    * To contribute to the building of formal theories describing
      living systems.

Relevant contributions to Artificial Life have originated from
mathematics, physics, information and computer sciences, biosciences,
medicine, psychology, social sciences, and many other disciplines.
While the emergence of Artificial Life as a scientific community took
place about a decade ago, opportunities for scientists who use AL
approaches in their work to communicate with their interdisciplinary
colleagues are still rather scarce. The German Workshop on Artificial
is intended to bring together scientists from Germany and other
countries who are pursuing Artificial Life projects. Equally
importantly, the workshop is intended as a forum for scientists who
would like to get into contact with the Artificial Life community.


Workshop Format

The GWAL is intended to mediate lively discussions and exchange of
ideas in addition to providing an impression of AL related activities
in Germany and other countries. To allow participants to get a survey
of the diversity of AL, and to provide ample opportunity for individual
discussions, poster sessions and demonstrations of Artificial Life
systems will be the main element of the GWAL. Furthermore, there will
be workgroup sessions. In the workgroups, subfields of AL will be
introduced by presenting substantial work from the area, thus providing
a starting point for a thorough and in-depth discussion of the subject
by all participants in the workgroup.


Submissions

A. Submissions for talks and posters

Submissions are invited for oral and poster sessions. They should
be sent as extended abstracts no longer than two pages of text and
two pages of accompanying figures. Submissions are invited on all
issues pertaining to artificially living and life-like systems,
including the following topics:

    * Modelling biological processes and living systems, such as
      evolution, ecology, morphogenesis, immune systems, neuronal
      systems, perception and pattern recognition, intelligence,
      adaptive behaviour, learning, and others.
    * Emergence of biological complexity.
    * Dynamics of information in living and life-like systems.
    * Self-organization in living and life-like systems (e.g. swarms,
      hypercycles, multicellular systems, artificial multi-agent systems).
    * Applications of principles and features of living systems, such
      as intelligence, self-organization, evolution, adaptation,
      learning, for the design of artificial systems and technical
      solutions such as robots, computer programs, and hardware.
    * Philosophical and ethical issues.
    * Other issues relevant to Artificial Life.

In addition to reporting research work, submissions may describe research
projects or discuss interesting open questions. Submissions will be
accepted either for talks or for posters.
    Communication about Artificial Life systems can often be strongly
improved by demonstrations, therefore, all presentations may be
accompanied by demonstrations (e.g. of computer programs or robots).
Arrangements regarding technical equipment necessary for demonstrations
can be made with the local workshop organizers.


B. Proposals for workgroups

Workgroups are intended to allow  in-depth discussions of
specific subfields of Artificial Life. Workgroups will be organized by
groups of at least two scientists who are willing to give an introductory
survey of the subject. Workgroup organizers should focus on describing
the essence of the subfield, i.e. the fundamental motivations, major
approaches and achievements, open questions etc. to the other
participants.
    Proposals for workgroups should be submitted as descriptions of
up to three pages. Descriptions should include:

    * An outline of the subject of the proposed workgroup.
    * An indication what audience would be interested in participating
      in the proposed workgroup.
    * Some references to substantial contributions that have been made
      in the subfield.

All submissions should be sent to:

    German Workshop on Artificial Life
    Lehrstuhl fuer Systemanalyse (LS 11)
    Fachbereich Informatik
    Universitaet Dortmund
    D-44221 Dortmund

    email: gwal at ls11.informatik.uni-dortmund.de


Organization

The GWAL is organized by the Lehrstuhl fuer Systemanalyse,
Institut fuer Informatik, Universitaet Dortmund (Chair of Systems
Analysis, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Dortmund).
The GWAL is co-organized by the Fachgruppe 4.0.2
"Informatik in den Biowissenschaften" of the Gesellschaft fuer
Informatik (GI) and by the Arbeitskreis "Artificial Life" of
the GI.

Program committee:

    Wolfgang Banzhaf, Dortmund
    Wilfried Brauer, Muenchen
    Thomas Christaller, Sankt Augustin
    Kerstin Dautenhahn, Bruessel
    Jochen Heistermann, Muenchen
    Ralf Hofestaedt, Magdeburg
    Frieder Lohnert, Berlin
    Hanspeter A. Mallot, Tuebingen
    Christian Mueller-Schloer, Hannover

Local arrangements:

    Wolfgang Banzhaf, Dortmund
    Peter Dittrich, Dortmund
    Jan T. Kim, Koeln
    Hilmar Rauhe, Dortmund


Conference language

Submissions may be written in English or in German. We encourage
submitters to prepare their communications in English (so that
participants from other countries can follow their presentations).


Important dates:

Deadline:      March 3., 1997     *** extended ***
Notification:  March 14., 1997
Workshop:      April 17.-18., 1997


Location

The GWAL will be held in Haus Bommerholz, a guest house run by the
University of Dortmund. The address is:

    Haus Bommerholz
    Bommerholzer Str. 60
    58456 Witten-Bommerholz
    Tel. +49-(0)2302 39 60
    Fax. +49-(0)2302 39 63 20

The number of participants of the GWAL is limited to 100. Haus Bommerholz
can provide accomodation for up to 50 participants. Rooms are available
on a first come, first serve basis. Prices for accomodation in  Haus
Bommerholz for the two workshop days are

                double room (*)  single room (*)     no room (**)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
regular            178,-           194,-              112,-
university staff   152,-           165,-               94,-
Uni DO staff       126,-           136,-               76,-
student             66,-            72,-               46,-

(**) includes: usage of seminar and recreation  facilities for 2 days,
               2 (warm) lunches, 4 coffee breakes
(*) includes: (**) and 1 breakfast, 1 dinner, bed for one night (17. to 18.)
The rooms are hotel-like and comfortable (bathroom, shower, TV, phone).

If you like to stay additional days (e.g. 16. to 17. Apr.)
the prices for a room incl. breakfast are:

                  double room          single room
--------------------------------------------------------------------
regular                 61,-               104,-
university staff  about 60,-          about 75,-
student                 25,-                31,-

Prices in DM (german mark) without guarantee of correctness.
Payable on site in bar or via EC card (no credit cards).

These prices cover accomodation and meals only. In addition,
the registration fee is

    * DM 30.-- for students with a valid student's ID
    * DM 50.-- for all others.


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Universitaet Dortmund
FB Informatik
Lehrstuhl fuer Systemanalyse
D-44221 Dortmund
Fax: +49 (0)231 9700 959
Phone: +49 (0)231 9700 951
email: gwal at ls11.informatik.uni-dortmund.de
WWW: http://ls11-www.informatik.uni-dortmund.de/GWAL/


YES, I will participate in the GWAL '97. Please make a reservation.


                                 GWAL '97
                   2. German Workshop on Artificial Life

Surname:         _________________________________  First name: ______________


Prof/Dr/Mr/Ms:   _________________________________


Institution/
Company:         _____________________________________________________________

                 _____________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________________

Postal Code:     _____________________________________________________________

City:            _____________________________________________________________

Country:         _____________________________________________________________

Phone:           _____________________________________________________________

Fax:             _____________________________________________________________

E-Mail:          _____________________________________________________________

WWW(URL):        _____________________________________________________________


(Please tick)
Conference Fee         

    Regular               o   DM 50,-           
    Student               o   DM 30,-           
    (with valid ID only)

Fee for Haus Bommerholz

o     No accomodation in Haus Bommerholz
includes: usage of seminar and recreation  facilities for 2 days,
          2 (warm) lunches, 4 coffee breakes

        regular                 o  112,-
        university staff        o   94,-
        Uni DO staff            o   76,-
        student                 o   46,-

o     Accomodation for one night in Haus Bommerholz (17.-18. April) 
includes: usage of seminar and recreation  facilities for 2 days,
          2 (warm) lunches, 4 coffee breakes, 1 breakfast, 1 dinner, 
          bed for one night (17. to 18.)

                           double room    single room    
        ---------------------------------------------
        regular            o  178,-       o   194,-  
        university staff   o  152,-       o   165,-  
        Uni DO staff       o  126,-       o   136,-  
        student            o   66,-       o    72,-  

o     Accomodation for two nights in Haus Bommerholz (16.-18. April) 
includes: usage of seminar and recreation  facilities for 2 days,
          2 (warm) lunches, 4 coffee breakes, 2 breakfast, 1 dinner, 
          bed for two nights (16., 17. to 18.)

                           double room    single room    
        ---------------------------------------------
        regular            o  244,-       o   276,-  
        university staff   o  210,-       o   236,-  
        Uni DO staff       o  176,-       o   196,-  
        student            o   86,-       o    98,-  



** TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: DM _______  All payments must be made in
German Mark (DM) on site.

Payment by cash or ec-cheque at workshop registration. 
(Sorry, credit cards can NOT be accepted)


Date/Signature _____________________________________________________



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Key-words concerning the subject of your contribution:
(For participants, who are planning a contribution and have not
 already sent an abstract.)


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