FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON
IMPRECISE PROBABILITIES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Ghent, Belgium
29 June - 2 July 1999

ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

ISIPTA'99, the First International Symposium on Imprecise Probabilities and Their Applications, will be held in Ghent, Belgium, from 29 June until 2 July 1999.

Imprecise probability is a generic term for the many mathematical models which measure chance or uncertainty without sharp numerical probabilities. Such models are needed in inference problems where the relevant information is scarce, vague or conflicting, and in decision problems where preferences are incomplete. Imprecise probability models are being studied and applied by a large number of researchers working in a great variety of fields. The aim of this symposium is to bring these people together to present recent research and to discuss issues of common interest.

The symposium format

Since the symposium is intended to promote discussion and interaction between participants, it will have a slightly unusual format in some aspects: there will be no invited speakers; the symposium will include group discussions on topics that are important, controversial and of general interest; there will be no parallel sessions; and besides the plenary sessions we will have poster presentations in order to promote easy communication in an informal atmosphere.

About the papers

About 50 papers will be presented at the symposium, on a wide range of topics. They include a number of survey papers on applications and problems of current interest. The topics include mathematical models for uncertainty, conditioning rules, models for independence, combination of uncertainties, algorithms for computing inferences, coherence, hierarchical models, imprecise Markov processes, decision making, uncertainty aversion, the value of information, and Ellsberg's paradox. The applications to be presented at the symposium include applications in economics, decision making, statistical inference, experimental studies of human judgement, artificial intelligence, reliability, dynamical systems, robotics, civil engineering, classification, and medical and legal problems.

Tutorials

On Tuesday 29 June, the day before the actual ISIPTA symposium begins, there will be three tutorials on some of the fundamental concepts of imprecise probability. These tutorials are aimed primarily at students and others who wish to learn more about the basic ideas, and also at ISIPTA participants who may want to understand the background to some of the papers that will be presented during the symposium, especially the papers on decision making, economic applications and experimental psychology. Unlike the papers presented during ISIPTA, the tutorials will be mainly concerned with very basic concepts and not with advanced or recent research. For more information, consult the TUTORIALS page.

Presentation of the papers

The accepted papers will be presented in plenary and poster sessions, from Wednesday 30 June until Friday 2 July. The group discussions will also take place during these three days. There will be no parallel sessions.

Venue

The first ISIPTA '99 symposium will be held in conference room Rector Vermeylen (second floor) of Het Pand , a former Dominican monastery (13th century), now owned by the Universiteit Gent. Het Pand is located in the historic centre of Ghent, at the following address: Onderbergen 1, 9000 Ghent. For more information, consult the VENUE AND TOURIST INFORMATION page.

Tourist information

Ghent is one of the oldest cities in Flanders, the Dutch speaking northern part of Belgium. It is a city rich in history, architecture, art, culture and gastronomy. It is also very close to other historical Flemish cities such as Bruges and Antwerp. More details, and links to tourist information about Ghent, Flanders and Belgium can also be found on the VENUE AND TOURIST INFORMATION page.

Accommodation in Ghent

You can request hotel accommodation in Ghent, at a range of prices, from the Belgian Tourist Reservation board ( before 1 June 1999). More details, and the appropriate reservation form, can be found on the FINDING ACCOMMODATION page. Please book your accommodation early, as June and July are very busy months in Ghent.

Registration procedure, fees and deadlines

Detailed information about registration fees, and about how to register for participation can be found on the HOW TO REGISTER FOR PARTICIPATION page.

Important dates

Questions?

If you have any questions about the symposium, please contact the ISIPTA '99 Secretariat.

Electronic preregistration

If you want to be kept informed about the current symposium and later symposia, you can use our ELECTRONIC PREREGISTRATION form.

Symposium language

The working language of the symposium will be English. No simultaneous translation in other languages will be available.

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This page was created on 17 March 1999 and last updated on 24 March 1999.
Send any remarks to the following address: gert.decooman@rug.ac.be