[Om-announce] Call for Papers - Complex Adaptive Systems in the Natural and Social Sciences

[Ted Carmichael]

* Call for Papers

AAAI Fall Symposium on Complex Adaptive Systems

*(http://sites.google.com/site/complexadaptivesystems/*)

Nov. 5 - 7, 2009 - Arlington, VA

Submission Deadline: May 15th, 2009*

*CAS and the Threshold Effect: Views from the Natural and Social Sciences.*



Most interesting phenomena in natural and social systems include transitions
and oscillations among their various phases.  Companies, societies, markets,
and humans rarely stay in a stable, predictable state for long.  Randomness,
power laws, and human behavior ensure that the future is both unknown and
challenging.  How do events unfold?  When do they take hold?  Why do some
initial events cause an avalanche while others do not?  What are the
characteristics of these threshold phenomena that differentiate a sea change
from a non-event?

Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) have proven to be a powerful tool for
exploring threshold phenomena.  We characterize a general CASmodel as having
a significant number of self-similar agents that:

   - utilize one or more levels of feedback;
   - exhibit emergent properties and self-organization;
   - produce non-linear dynamic behavior.

Advances in modeling and computing technology have led to a deeper
understanding of complex systems in many areas, and have raised the
possibility that similar fundamental principles may be at work across these
systems, even though the underlying principles may manifest themselves
differently.

We therefore invite submissions from the community of CASresearchers that
address the threshold phenomena in any of the Natural, Physical, or Social
Sciences.  It is our belief that by bringing together researchers from
diverse fields who study these complex systems, we can leverage a deep
understanding of one domain to gain insight into others.
* *
*Format*

Our symposium will have invited talks from leaders in the field, as well as
paper presentations on both completed and speculative work.  Due to the
nature and the novelty of the theme, it is essential to allow ample time for
both open-ended and targeted discussions; as such, we will hold panel
discussions and smaller break-out groups to allow for a spirited interaction
among participants.

Submissions for full papers should be no more than 10 pages, including
references.  Any domain in the Natural, Physical, or Social Sciences that
use CAS related technologies or frameworks are acceptable.  The submissions
may address the threshold effect in a number of ways, including:

   - Predicting a threshold in a particular domain
   - Assessing how to accelerate desirable thresholds or slow undesirable
   ones
   - Defining, identifying, or understanding a threshold effect.

Papers that compare and contrast two or more domains are particularly
encouraged.

All submissions will be peer-reviewed by at least three reviewers.  These
may be experts in general CAS, Complexity, ABM (Agent-based Models), or the
relevant fields.  All work will be judged on the following criteria:

   - Clarity
   - Novelty
   - Importance
   - Relevance

Submissions from students conducting research in these areas are
particularly welcome.  Exceptional and intriguing ideas expressed in an
explanatory short paper may also be submitted.  All submissions will be
considered for post-symposia publication in partnership with AAAI Press/MIT
Press.  There will also be a technical report of all accepted material
available to participants.

*Panel Proposals*

Panel discussion proposals are welcome.  Those interested in leading or
participating on a panel should submit a two-page panel proposal, along with
the names and affiliations of all panelists, if any, who have agreed to
participate.  Potential topics for panel discussions that have already been
discussed (but are not limited to):

   - Methods of Validation
   - The Role of Diversity in CAS Models
   - CAS Models: From Theory to Practice
   - Thresholds: Contagion, Cumulative Causation, and the Linchpin
   - Social Network Dynamics
   - Energy Flow in Complex Adaptive Systems

Paper submissions that separately address these topics are also welcome.

*Submission Guidelines*

Submissions should be made through the EasyChair submission
site.<http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=aaaifs09cas>
If you do not already have an EasyChair account, you will be directed to
create one.  Please use Times Roman 10-point font in the AAAI two column
format for your submissions.  AAAI formatting guidelines can be found
here<http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php>.
A *.doc template is attached to this page below.

You may direct any email queries regarding these guidelines to:
tedsaid at gmail.com  <Tedsaid at gmail.com?subject=AAAI+CAS+Symposium>

If you'd like to be removed from future updates, please reply with [remove]
in the Subject line.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://openmath.org/pipermail/om-announce/attachments/20090421/d5e842eb/attachment-0001.htm