Workshop on

Self-tuning, self-configuring and self-generating search heuristics (Self* 2010)

  11th International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving From Nature (PPSN 2010),  
September 11-15, 2010, Krakow, Poland
PPSN 2010
ASAP Research Group
ECJ Special Issue
Objectives and Themes
Topics of Interest
Workshop Program
Workshop Accepted Contributions
Invited Speakers
Call for Papers
Program Committee
Organisers
Important Dates
A Bibliography of Hyper-heuristics
School of Computer Science
University of Nottingham
Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham NG8 1BB
UK

T:+44(0) 115 846-6569
F:+44(0) 115 951-4254
gxo@cs.nott.ac.uk

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News

Objectives and Themes

There is a renewed and growing research interest in techniques for automating the design of heuristic search methods, in order to remove or reduce the need for a human expert in the process of designing an effective algorithm to solve a search problem. Using machine learning or meta-level search, several approaches have been proposed in order to turn base search heuristics into self-* algorithms, either by adapting their control parameters or by dynamically assembling their algorithmic building blocks. Related self-adaptive and meta-level methods have thus been proposed in different communities, from stochastic local search and metaheuristic search to operational research and artificial intelligence. In this workshop we distinguish 3 general processes in automated heuristic design: 1) tuning: the process of adjusting the algorithm's control parameters, 2) configuring: the process of selecting and using existing algorithmic components such as search operators, construction heuristics, or acceptance criteria, and 3) generating: the process of creating altogether new heuristics (or heuristic components) from the basic sub-components of previously existing methods.

From these 3 general processes, it is probably tuning the most widely studied. Therefore, we preferentially welcome self-configuring and self-generating techniques (both online and offline). We, however, welcome novel online tuning techniques. For offline tuning approaches you may also consider the co-located Workshop on Experimental methods for the assessment of computational systems.

Topics of Interest

This workshop aims at bringing together researchers from different sub-fields of computer science, artificial intelligence and operations research that have recognised the need for developing automated systems to replace the role of a human expert in the design, tuning and generation of search heuristics (Self* search heuristics), and who are, therefore, interested in developing more generally applicable methodologies. Our interest is also directed towards the potential theoretical limitations of these approaches.

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:
  • adaptive and self-tuning algorithms
  • adaptive multi-meme algorithms
  • adaptive operator selection
  • algorithm selection and portfolios
  • applications and new challenging domains
  • design of class-specific heuristics (e.g. using genetic programming)
  • foundations of heuristic algorithms
  • hybrid approaches
  • hyper-heuristics
  • model-based search
  • online parameter control
  • reactive search optimisation

Workshop Program

Time
Authors
Title
9:00 - 9:05
M. Schoenauer and D. Whitley
Opening and Introduction
9:05 - 9:35
Invited talk by Nikolaus Hansen
TBA
9:35 - 9:55
A. Byrski, M. Kisiel-Dorohinicki, and M. Smolka Agent-based Synchronization for Parallel Optimization Systems (abstract)

E. Montero, M-C. Riff
(unfortunately the authors can not attend)
On-The-Fly Calibrating Strategies for Evolutionary Algorithms  (abstract)
9:55 - 10:15 S. Verel, P. Collard, and M. Clergue States based Evolutionary Algorithm (abstract)
10:15 - 10:25
G. Ochoa
The First Cross-domain Heuristic Search Challenge (CHeSC 2010)
10:25 - 11:00
Coffee break
Coffee break
11:00 - 11:30
Invited talk by Rong Qu
Hybridizing Constructive Heuristics within Hyper-heuristics

11:30 - 11:50
Z. Ren, H. Jiang , J. Xuan, and Z. Luo

Ant Based Hyper Heuristics with Space Reduction: A Case Study of the p-Median Problem (abstract)

11:50 - 12:10
E. Kaddoum, Y. Martinez, T. Wauters, K. Verbeeck, A. Nowe,
P. de Causmaecker, G. Vanden Berghe, M-P. Gleizes, and J-P. George
Adaptive Methods for Fexible Job Shop Scheduling with Due-dates, Release-dates and Machine Perturbations  (abstract)
12:10 - 12:30 C. M. Fernandes, J.L.J. Laredo, J.J. Merelo and A.C. Rosa A Self-Organized Critically Online Adjustment of Genetic Algorithms' Mutation Rate (abstract)

Invited Speakers

  • Nikolaus Hansen, Machine Learning and Optimization group (TAO), INRIA Saclay – Île-de-France, University Paris Sud, France.  (title t.b.a.)
  • Rong Qu, Automated Scheduling, Optimisation and Planning Group, School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, UK.  Title: Hybridizing Constructive Heuristics within Hyper-heuristics.

Call for Contributions

High-quality scientific contributions to the topics above are solicited, in addition to advanced case studies from interesting, high-impact application areas.  Self* 2010 accepts the following submission types:
  1. Extended abstracts (max. 4 pages in in Springer LNCS format)
  2. Short papers (max. 10 pages in in Springer LNCS format)
  3. Work already published (or submitted) elsewhere, which is relevant and may promote fruitful discussion at the workshop (for oral presentation only, with no format restriction and limited to the size of standard journal papers, e.g. 30-40 pages at most)

Contributions should be submitted in PDF format directly to the following e-mail address:
selfstar2010@lri.fr

Extended versions of selected contributions from this workshop will be considered for publication in a Special Issue of Evolutionary Computation Journal, MIT.

Program Committee


Mohamed Bader-El-Den Loughborough University
Roberto Battiti
University degli Studi di Trento,Italy
Carlos Cotta
University of Malaga, Spain
Shaheen Fatima
Loughborough University, UK
Matthew Hyde
University of Nottingham, UK
Graham Kendall University of Nottingham, UK
Oliver Kramer
International Computer Science Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
Jinpeng Li
University of Nottingham, UK
Evelyne Lutton
INRIA Saclay - Ile-de-France, France
Jorge Maturana Austral University, Chile
Ferrante Neri University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Gabriela Ochoa University of Nottingham, UK
Yew-Soon Ong Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Rong Qu
University of Nottingham, UK
Marc Schoenauer University Paris Sud, INRIA Saclay, France
Jim Smith University of the West of England, UK
Hugo Terashima Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico
J. A. Vazquez-Rodriguez
University of Nottingham, UK
Sébastien Verel
INRIA Lille - Nord Europe, France
 Darrell Whitley Colorado State University, Colorado, USA

Organisers

Gabriela Ochoa University of Nottingham, UK
Marc Schoenauer University Paris Sud, France
Darrell Whitley Colorado State University, USA

Important  Dates

June 30, July, 15 2010
Paper submission
July 30, August, 15 2010
Notification of contribution acceptance
September 11, 2010
Workshop takes place
December 31, 2010
Foreseen deadline for the ECJ special issue
Last Update: 02 September 2010