Scientific programme: Napier, February 2008

The following invited expository and research talks will take place.

  1. Steve Linton, University of St Andrews.
    • Algorithms in Algebra and Combinatorics
    • Computer systems for algebraic and combinatorial computation
    Steve Linton has broad expertise across algebra, combinatorics, and theoretical computer science. He heads the University of St Andrews Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Combinatorics and Algebra. The group coordinates the GAP system which has some thousands of users world-wide.
  2. Dominic Welsh, Oxford University.
    • Monte Carlo Methods
    • Randomised Approximation Algorithms
    Dominic Welsh is an expert in combinatorics and algorithmic complexity. Apart from his many research articles he has written several books including Complexity: Knots, Colourings and Counting (Cambridge University Press, 1993) and Complexity and Cryptography (Cambridge University Press, 2006).
  3. Michael Mitzenmacher, Harvard University.
    • A brief history of generative models for power law and lognormal distributions
    • Hashing algorithms and data structures for network measurement and monitoring
    Michael Mitzenmacher is an expert on probabilistic methods in the theory of algorithms and has a particular interest in algorithms related to the Internet. In 2002, he shared the IEEE Information Theory Society Best Paper Award. He is (with Eli Upfal) the author of Probability and Computing: Randomized Algorithms and Probabilistic Analysis, Cambridge University Press.
  4. Michael Langston, University of Tennessee.
    • Analysis of High-Throughput Biological Data Part I: Scalable High Performance Algorithms and Implementations
    • Analysis of High-Throughput Biological Data Part II: Computational Bottlenecks and Novel Applications
    Michael Langston is best known for his long-standing work on combinatorial algorithms, complexity theory, and design paradigms for sequential and parallel computation. Besides his many research articles he has been on a variety of editorial boards including the Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery. He has a particular interest in the applicability of supercomputers.
  5. Brendan McKay, Australian National University.
    • Computing isomorphisms and automorphisms of discrete structures
    • Constructive enumeration of discrete structures without isomorphs
    Brendan McKay is an expert in graph-theoretic algorithms, the author of many research articles, and the originator of the Nauty package which has been a powerful resource for the graph-theoretic community for over 25 years. He is on many editorial boards and is Editor-in-Chief of the Electronic Journal of Combinatorics.

Three discussion sessions will be held on key algorithmic issues. The first of these will be led by Professor Ajit Narayanan on Quantum Computing. The second will be led by Professor Rod Downey and Dr Catherine McCartin on parameterised complexity. The third will be led by Dr Arkadii Slinko and will be on Algorithms in Computational Social Choice Theory.

The remainder of the programme will consist of contributed short talks and will be announced before the meeting takes place.