The 4th International Workshop on Optimization and Inverse Problems in Electromagnetism will be held in Brno, Czech Republic, from June 19 to June 21, 1996. Previous Workshops were held in Pavia, Italy (1989), Warsaw, Poland (1992), and Geneva, Switzerland (1994).
The aim of the Workshop is to discuss informally recent developments in optimization and inverse methodologies for the systems involving electromagnetic fields. Special emphasis will be put on identifying prospects and limits of optimization and inverse methodologies in computational electromagnetics.
Theory: Fundamental statistical limits for inverse problems (Cram‚r-Rao lower bounds, total accuracy estimates), uncertainty and prior information, non-linear phenomena, critical slowing-down, the curse of dimensionality, asymptotic analysis, comparative studies, benchmark problems, etc.
Methods: Stochastic optimization (Evolution Strategies, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms ...), deterministic optimization (Steepest-Descent, quasi-Newton, Sensitivity Analysis ...), meta-optimization, global optimization, constrained optimization, multi- criterion optimization, universal approximators (Neural Nets, Green's Regularization Nets ...), informal optimization (Fuzzy-Sets, Expert Systems ...), Maximal Likelihood Estimates, Bayesian Statistics, extremely fast and accurate field computations for iterative optimization algorithms, etc.
Applications: Magnetic resonance (MRS, MRI ...), non-destructive testing (ECT, MFL ...), bioelectromagnetics (EEG, MEG ...), particle optics, electrical machines, accelerators, MagLev, systems for magnetic energy storage, superconductors and power conductors, coupled problems, material science, impedance tomography, geomagnetics and magnetoastronomy, etc.
Digests (max. 1 page A4, including title, name, affiliation, in camera-ready form, margins min. 20 mm) should be submitted to the Workshop Secretariat by April 19, 1996. The Workshop Record will include all accepted Digests and will be available to all participants.
Manuscripts of any reasonable length will be collected at the Workshop Presentation Desk. Concerning format requirements -- see a special page enclosed. All submitted manuscripts will be evaluated by peer-reviewers. Selected manuscripts will be published in the International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics.
English will be the official language of the Workshop. Only oral presentations are scheduled for the Workshop.
The Workshop will consist of two full days and a half-day of oral presentations. No poster sessions are scheduled. Along with regular contributions, some invited lectures will be featured. Standard presentation facilities (over-head and slide projectors, VHS-multisystem video, etc.) will be available. A detailed Workshop program will be mailed to all participants in May '96.
The Workshop will be held in a Conference Hall of "Bily dum" ("White House"). This new building is conveniently situated in a central area of Brno, at a historical square named "Zerotinovo namesti" (no. 6). Use the entrance named "Sal Bretislava Bakaly" ("Hall of B. Bakala"). See a special page enclosed.
A registration fee of US $ 190.- (including Workshop Record, refreshments, a social evening and some guided tours) should be transferred to the Workshop account prior to April 19, 1996. For late registrations (from April 20 to June 7, 1996), a fee of US $ 220.- will be required. For last minute registrations (at the Workshop Presentation Desk), a fee of Kc 6000.- (Czech Crowns), paid in cash, will be requested.
For more details concerning the Registration Fee, the bank transfer and cancellation requests -- see a special page enclosed. Please take a receipt on your money transfer to the Workshop Registration Desk.
Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic (over 388 000 inhabitants), is situated near a nice green area of gently rolling hills known as the Moravian Carst. It has a pictoresque well-preserved historical center and large pedestrian zones. Brno also has a rich cultural heritage and relaxed shopping possibilities, competitive with its larger neighbours, Vienna to the south and Prague to the north-west.
Several excellent scientists lived in Brno: Johann Gregor Mendel (1822 - 1884, the founder of genetics), Kurt Godel (1906 - 1978, discovered fundamental limitations of finite theories), Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916, the physicist and philosopher who inspired and than refused the theory of relativity), ...
A guided visit of Mendelianum, where the lonely genius of J. G. Mendel made his famous genetic experiments and discoveries, is scheduled. Some inspirations for contemporary Genetic Algorithms and Evolution Strategies were born right here ... (Mendel square: an old picture, a new picture)
Brno may be reached most efficiently with a direct express bus from Prague (street terminals near "Florenc" Metro station, "Czech National Express" or "Cebus" bus-lines recommended, several departures every hour during the day, appx. 2.5 hour trip). Bus connections may also be used from Vienna (departures from "Bus-Bahnsteig Mitte", at 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., appx. 2.5 hour trip). Regular international bus lines connect Brno with Warszawa, Budapest, Milano, Roma, Venezia, Firenze, Graz, Zurich, Paris, Grenoble, Frankfurt, Monchen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Bruxelles, London, Stockholm and other major European cities. Daily flights (except Saturday) connect Brno with Zurich.
Major international hotels that have been recommended for your accommodation are only few minutes of walk from the Workshop venue. See a special page enclosed.
"BIOSIGNAL 96" - The 13th International Conference on Signal and Image processing in Biomedicine, Brno, from June 25 to June 27, 1996; E-mail: bs96@dbme.fee.vutbr.cz, Internet: http://www.fee.vutbr.cz/UBMI/BS96.html, gopher.fee.vutbr.cz.
"MENDEL 96" - The 2nd International Mendel Conference on Genetic Algorithms, Brno, from June 26 to June 28, 1996; E-mail: mendel96@kinf.fme.vutbr.cz.
For any other details or comments concerning the Workshop, please contact the Secretariat (preferably via e-mail):
The Workshop will be held in a Conference Hall of a large new building named "Bily dum" ("White House"). This building is situated at a historical square named "Zerotinovo namesti". Going from this square to "Bily dum", use the left entrance named "Sal Bretislava Bakaly" ("Hall of B. Bakala").
The Workshop venue is located very conveniently in a central part of Brno, just a few hundred meters from the "International", "Continental" and "Slavia" hotels recommended for your accommodation. Once you are near the Brno centre, i.e., near "Namesti svobody" ("Freedom Square", see also a picture from the beginning of the century), the Workshop venue and the above hotels are within 5 minutes of walk. If you will arrive to Brno at the Central Bus Station "Zvonarka", take a tram line # 12 (direction "Kralovo pole", no change). From the Central Railway Station Brno (see also a picture from the beginning of the century), take a tram # 10, 12, 13 or 4 (direction "Kralovo pole", "Bystrc" or "Masarykova ctvrt", no change). Get off at the station "Ceska" (Czech Street) or "Zerotinovo namesti" (appx. 7 - 10 minutes). Tram tickets are available in kiosks with newspapers (6,- Kc) or from vending machines. After being stamped in a tram or bus, you can travel with these tickets for 1 hour (changes possible).
-Please perform your money transfer before April 19, 1996; it saves you some money and helps with our preparations.
-Please take a receipt on your money transfer to the Workshop Presentation Desk. Thank you.
Account No.:
Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to the Workshop Secretariat. 90 % of fees will be refunded if we receive your written request before June 12, 1996. 50 % of fees will be refunded if we receive your request from June 12 to June 19, 1996. No cancellations will be processed after June 19, 1996.
All Workshop participants are kindly asked to submit their full-length manuscripts (of any reasonable length, 10 - 20 pages recommended, in 3 copies) at the Workshop Presentation Desk. All the manuscripts from the Workshop will be submitted to The International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, IOS-Press, The Netherlands. The Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Kenzo Miya from Japan, will inform you about the results of a corresponding review-procedure. For the preparation of your manuscripts, please follow the "Information for Contributors" below.
