[Swarm-Modelling] CFP: Evolutionary Computation and Multi-Agent Systems and Simulation Workshop (ECoMASS-2007)

[Bill Rand]

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- C A L L  F O R  P A P E R S  -  C A L L  F O R  P A P E R S - 
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Evolutionary Computation and Multi-Agent Systems and 
Simulation Workshop (ECoMASS-2007)
http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~sevan/ecomass07/

at the

Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO-2007)
http://www.sigevo.org/gecco-2007/
7-11 July, 2007, University College London, London, UK

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Evolutionary computation (EC) and multi-agent systems and simulation
(MASS) both involve populations of agents. EC is a learning technique
by which a population of individual agents adapt according to the
selection pressures exerted by an environment; MASS seeks to
understand how to coordinate the actions of a population of (possibly
selfish) autonomous agents that share an environment so that some
outcome is achieved. Both EC and MASS have top-down and bottom-up
features. For example, some aspects of multi-agent system engineering
(e.g., mechanism design) are concerned with how top-down structure can
constrain or influence individual decisions. Similarly, most work in
EC is concerned with how to engineer selective pressures to drive the
evolution of individual behavior towards some desired goal. Multi-agent 
simulation (also called agent-based modeling) addresses the bottom-up 
issue of how collective behavior emerges from individual action. 
Likewise, the study of evolutionary dynamics within EC (for example in 
coevolution) often considers how population-level phenomena emerge from 
individual-level interactions. Thus, at a high level, we may view EC and 
MASS as examining and utilizing analogous processes. It is therefore 
natural to consider how knowledge gained within EC may be relevant to 
MASS, and vice versa; indeed, applications and techniques from one field
have often made use of technologies and algorithms from the other field. 
Studying EC and MASS in combination is warranted and has the potential 
to contribute to both fields.

The goal of this workshop is to facilitate the examination and
development of techniques at the intersection of evolutionary
computation and multi-agent systems and simulation.

*List of Example Topics
-Multi-agent systems and agent-based models utilizing evolutionary computation
-Optimization of multi-agent systems and agent-based models using
evolutionary computation
-Evolutionary computation models which rely not on explicit fitness
functions but rather implicit fitness functions defined by the
relationship to other individuals / agents 
-Applications utilizing MASS and EC in combination
-Biological agent-based models (usually called individual-based
models) involving evolution 
-Evolution of cooperation and altruism
-Genotypic representation of the complex phenotypic strategies of MASS
-Evolutionary learning within MASS (including Baldwinian learning and
phenotypic plasticity) 
-Emergence and feedbacks
-Open-ended strategy spaces and evolution
-Adaptive individuals within evolving populations

*Format of the Workshop
The workshop will be a two-hour event held on either the Saturday or
Sunday of GECCO.  The workshop will begin with an overview of the
topic by the coordinators, and then a series of peer-reviewed papers
will be presented on the subject of the workshop.

*Paper Submission
Each accepted paper will be presented orally at the workshop and
distributed in the workshop proceedings to all GECCO attendees. Authors should
follow the format of the GECCO manuscript style; refer to
http://www.sigevo.org/gecco-2007/ for details. Manuscripts should not
exceed 6 pages. Papers may be submitted in PostScript or PDF format
to: address@hidden or address@hidden See
http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~sevan/ecomass07/ for details.

*Important Dates
Paper submission deadline: 23 March, 2007
Notification of acceptance: 30 March, 2007
Camera-ready due: 11 April, 2007
Conference registration deadline:  11 April, 2007
Workshop: 7 or 8 July, 2007

*Workshop Chairs:
Dr. William Rand
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems
Northwestern University
600 Foster St.
Evanston, IL 60208 USA
Phone: 1-847-467-5734
Fax: 1-847-467-1280
Email: address@hidden
http://www.shakyladder.org

Dr. Sevan Ficici
AI Research Group
Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard University
Maxwell-Dworkin 242
33 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Phone: 1-617-495-9289
Fax: 1-617-496-1066
Email: address@hidden
http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~sevan/

*Program Committee
Rick Riolo
Tina Yu
Additional Members TBA