ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
ISIPTA '99, the First International Symposium on Imprecise
Probabilities and Their Applications, will be held in Ghent,
Belgium, from 29 June until 2 July 1999.
Imprecise probability is a generic term for the many
mathematical models which measure chance or uncertainty
without sharp numerical probabilities. Such models are
needed in inference problems where the relevant information
is scarce, vague or conflicting, and in decision problems
where preferences are incomplete. Imprecise probability
models are being studied and applied by a large number of
researchers working in a great variety of fields. The aim
of this symposium is to bring these people together to
present recent research and to discuss issues of common
interest.
The symposium format
--------------------
The symposium is intended to promote discussion and
interaction between participants. Various theories of
imprecise probability have been developed, without a common
meeting place that would enable the theories to be discussed
and compared. To rectify this situation the symposium will
have an unusual format in some respects: instead of invited
speakers, there will be discussion sessions on topics that
are important, controversial and of general interest; there
will be no parallel sessions; and besides the usual paper
presentations in plenary sessions, there will be poster
presentations which enable discussions to take place in a
more informal atmosphere.
About the papers
----------------
About 50 papers will be presented at the symposium, on a
wide range of topics. They include a number of survey
papers on applications and problems of current interest.
The topics include mathematical models for uncertainty,
conditioning rules, models for independence, combination of
uncertainties, algorithms for computing inferences,
coherence, hierarchical models, imprecise Markov processes,
decision making, vagueness aversion, and Ellsberg's paradox.
The applications to be presented at the symposium include
applications in economics, decision making, statistical
inference, experimental studies of human judgement,
artificial intelligence, reliability, dynamical systems,
robotics, classification, and legal problems. The working
language of the symposium will be English.
Tutorials
---------
On Tuesday 29 June, the day before the actual ISIPTA
symposium begins, there will be three tutorials on some of
the fundamental concepts of imprecise probability. These
tutorials are aimed primarily at students and others who
wish to learn more about the basic ideas, and also at ISIPTA
participants who may want to understand the background to
some of the papers that will be presented during the
symposium, especially the papers on decision making,
economic applications and experimental psychology. Unlike
the papers presented during ISIPTA, the tutorials will be
mainly concerned with very basic concepts and not with
advanced or recent research. The three tutorials will cover
the following topics.
1. An Introduction to the Mathematics of Imprecise
Probabilities
Lecturer: Peter Walley.
Topics:
definitions of the various mathematical models (upper/lower
probabilities and previsions, coherence, Choquet capacities,
belief functions, possibility measures, etc.), their
mathematical properties, the relationships between them,
definitions of upper and lower expectations and conditioning
rules.
Duration: approx. 2 hours.
2. An Introduction to Ellsberg's Paradox, Ambiguity
Aversion and Related Topics in Experimental Psychology
Lecturer: Michael Smithson (Australian National University).
Topics:
Ellsberg's experiment, and other empirical work on ambiguity
aversion (vagueness aversion) and related topics. This
tutorial will explain the background to the papers on
experimental psychology and ambiguity aversion that will be
presented at the symposium.
Duration: approx. 1 hour.
3. Decision Theories Based on Non-Additive Measures of
Uncertainty
Lecturer: Jean-Yves Jaffray (Universite Pierre et Marie
Curie, Paris 6).
Topics:
non-expected-utility decision theories (i.e., alternatives
to maximising expected utility), the motivations behind
them, their interpretations, and some basic tools like
convex capacities and the Choquet integral. Most of the
ISIPTA papers that are concerned with decision making and
economic applications are based on the concepts covered in
this tutorial.
Duration: approx. 2 hours.
Presentation of the papers
--------------------------
The accepted papers will be presented in plenary and poster
sessions, from Wednesday 30 June until Friday 2 July. The
group discussions will also take place during these three
days. There will be no parallel sessions.
Venue
-----
The first ISIPTA '99 symposium will be held in conference
room Rector Vermeylen (second floor) of Het Pand, a former
Dominican monastery (13th century), now owned by the
Universiteit Gent. Het Pand is located in the historic
centre of Ghent, at the following address: Onderbergen 1,
9000 Ghent. For more information, consult the symposium web
site under the heading VENUE AND TOURIST INFORMATION.
Tourist information
-------------------
Ghent is one of the oldest cities in Flanders, the Dutch
speaking northern part of Belgium. It is a city rich in
history, architecture, art, culture and gastronomy. It is
also very close to other historical Flemish cities such as
Bruges and Antwerp. More details, and links to tourist
information about Ghent, Flanders and Belgium can also be
found at the symposium web site under the heading VENUE AND
TOURIST INFORMATION.
Accommodation in Ghent
----------------------
You can request hotel accommodation in Ghent, at a range of
prices, from the Belgian Tourist Reservation board (before 1
June 1999). More details, and the appropriate reservation
form, can be found on the symposium web site under the
heading HOW TO FIND ACCOMMODATION. Please book your
accommodation early, as June and July are very busy months
in Ghent.
Registration fees and deadlines
-------------------------------
There are two types of registration:
+ full registration: includes sessions, coffee breaks,
reception, banquet and a copy of the proceedings
+ student registration: includes sessions, coffee breaks and
reception
The tutorial sessions are free of charge, but we want to
stress that their purpose is to explain the basic concepts
of imprecise probability rather than to describe advanced
research.
For the student registration, we require proof of student
status (copy of student card).
The deadline for early registration is 31 May 1999. If you
register later than 31 May, your registration will be
considered as an on-site registration.
before 31 May 1999 (early) | after 31 May 1999 (on-site)
-------------------------------------------------------------
student 50 EUR | 70 EUR
full 200 EUR | 250 EUR
additional banquet ticket: 40 EUR
additional copy of proceedings: 50 EUR
Registration procedure
----------------------
Detailed information about how to register for participation
can be found at the symposium web site under the heading HOW
TO REGISTER FOR PARTICIPATION.
More information?
-----------------
Detailed information about all aspects of the symposium is
available on the symposium web site.
Questions?
----------
If you have any other questions about the symposium, please
contact the ISIPTA'99 Secretariat at the address given
below. We strongly encourage e-mail correspondence.
ISIPTA '99 Secretariat
p/a Gert de Cooman
Universiteit Gent
Onderzoeksgroep SYSTeMS
Technologiepark - Zwijnaarde 9
9052 Zwijnaarde
Belgium
Telephone: +32-(0)9-264.56.53
Fax : +32-(0)9-264.58.40
E-mail: isipta99@ensmain.rug.ac.be
Web site: http://ensmain.rug.ac.be/~isipta99
Important dates
---------------
deadline for early registration 31 May 1999
symposium 29 June - 2 July 1999
tutorials 29 June 1999
sessions 30 June - 2 July 1999
Organising committee
--------------------
Gert de Cooman (Universiteit Gent, Belgium, chairman)
Dirk Aeyels (Universiteit Gent, Belgium)
Fabio G. Cozman (Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Heidi Jansegers (Tele Atlas, Belgium)
Etienne E. Kerre (Universiteit Gent, Belgium)
Serafin Moral (Universidad de Granada, Spain)
Da Ruan (SCK-CEN, Belgium)
Bartel Van de Walle (SCK-CEN, Belgium)
Peter Walley (Unversidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Program committee
-----------------
Gert de Cooman (Universiteit Gent, Belgium)
Fabio G. Cozman (Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Didier Dubois (Universit Paul Sabatier, France)
Angelo Gilio (Universita di Catania, Italy)
Michel Grabisch (Thomson-CSF, France)
Jean-Yves Jaffray (Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, France)
Brigitte Jaumard (Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada)
George J. Klir (Binghamton University, USA)
Serafin Moral (Universidad de Granada, Spain)
Robert Nau (Duke University, USA)
Luis R. Pericchi (Universidad Simon Bolivar, Venezuela)
Henri Prade (Universite Paul Sabatier, France)
David Schmeidler (Tel Aviv University, Israel and Ohio State University, USA)
Teddy Seidenfeld (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)
Philippe Smets (Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium)
Michael Smithson (Australian National University, Australia)
Wynn Stirling (Brigham Young University, USA)
Lev V. Utkin (Saint-Petersburg Forest Technical Academy, Russia)
Peter Walley (Chairman, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Nic Wilson (Oxford Brookes University, UK)
Our sponsors
------------
The organisation of ISIPTA '99 is made possible through the
support of the Universiteit Gent, and the Fund for
Scientific Research - Flanders (Belgium).