From bhatt@bellcore.com Tue Nov 16 13:54:32 1993
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 93 13:53:39 -0500
From: bhatt@bellcore.com (Sandeep Bhatt)
To: challenge3@dimacs.rutgers.edu



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{\Large \bf  Call for Participation}\\ 
{\LARGE \bf The Third DIMACS International \\[3pt]
Algorithm Implementation Challenge }
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\vspace{.2in}

\noindent
In conjunction with its Special Year on Parallel Computing, the Center
for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS)
invites participation in an international Implementation Challenge to
study effective parallel algorithms for combinatorial problems.  The
Challenge will take place between November 1993 and September 1994.
Participants are invited to carry out research projects related to the
problem areas specified below and to present research papers at a DIMACS
workshop to be held in October 1994.  A refereed workshop proceedings
will be published.

\paragraph{Research Projects.} 

The use of massive parallelism in discrete combinatorial applications
has received far less attention than numerical applications.  Despite
the large body of theoretical work on parallel algorithms for
combinatorial problems, it is unclear what kinds of parallel algorithms
will be most effective in practice.

The goal of this challenge is to provide a forum for a concerted effort
to study effective algorithms for combinatorial problems, and to
investigate the opportunities for massive speedups on parallel
computers.

The challenge will include two problem areas for research study: (a)
{\em Tree searching algorithms} (examples: game trees, combinatorial
optimization), and (b) {\em parallel algorithms for sparse and dynamic
graphs} (examples: minimum spanning trees, shortest paths).

Within the two specified areas, participants are welcome to select
applications other than the examples given.  The aim should be to pick
an application which presents clear technical obstacles to naive
parallelization, and that warrants the use of massive parallelism.

\paragraph{DIMACS Support.} 

The DIMACS advisory committee will provide feedback on proposals, and
DIMACS facilities will serve as a clearing house for exchange of
programs and communication among researchers.  DIMACS cannot provide
financial support for research projects.  DIMACS is currently
investigating possibilities for participants to access NSF
Supercomputing Centers.

\paragraph{How to Participate.} 

For more information about participating in the Implementation
Challenge, send a request for the document ``General Information''
(available November 15, 1993) to\\ 
{\bf challenge3@dimacs.rutgers.edu}.  Request either LaTeX format (sent
through email) or hard copy (sent through U. S. Mail), and include your
return address as appropriate.  Challenge materials will also be
available via anonymous FTP from DIMACS, and we expect most
communication with respect to the Challenge to take place over the
Internet.

\paragraph{Advisory Board.}  

A committee of DIMACS members will provide general direction for the
Implementation Challenge.  Committee members include \\[.12in]
Sandeep Bhatt, \ \ Bellcore and Rutgers University (Coordinator)\\
David Culler,\ \  U.C. Berkeley\\
David Johnson, \ \ ATT-Bell Laboratories\\ 
S. Lennart Johnsson, \ \ Thinking Machines Corporation and Harvard
University\\
Charles Leiserson, \ \ MIT\\
Pangfeng Liu, \ \ DIMACS.

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