CALL FOR PAPERS

ICCOPT-II Conference Stream on
Special Purpose Heuristics and General Metaheuristics in Continuous Optimization

Heuristics are common in continuous optimization, and are of two general types: (i) special purpose heuristics within a larger optimization method, or for particular applications, and (ii) general metaheuristics that constitute an  optimization method on their own (but are also commonly used as special purpose heuristics). Examples of type (i) include crash start methods, branching variable selection in global optimization, methods for reaching feasibility quickly in nonlinear programs, etc.  Examples of type (ii) include tabu search, GRASP and path relinking, genetic algorithms applied to continuous problems, etc. Special purpose heuristics for specific applications also abound. Heuristics research is varied and clever.

As stream organizer, I am soliciting proposals for complete sessions (typically 3-4 papers) as well as individual papers, and look forward to your submissions. Abstract submission deadline is April 30, 2007, but much earlier submission (especially for complete sessions) is highly encouraged.

Please submit sessions and papers via email to:
    John Chinneck
    Carleton University 
    chinneck[at]sce.carleton.ca

This stream is part of the ICCOPT-II conference, the Second Mathematical Programming Society International Conference on Continuous OPTimization, to be held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on August 12-17, 2007.  Details are available at the conference web site.

The ICCOPT is held every three years and is a forum  for researchers interested in all aspects of continuous  optimization. The conference will be preceded by graduate-level tutorials on nonlinear programming, modeling languages, and applications.