LINGUIST List 7.95

Mon Jan 22 1996

Calls: Optimality theory, DIALOGUE'96 (extension to 1/31)

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. "D.G. Gilbers", call for papers, Optimality Theory
2. Serge Sharoff, DIALOGUE'96, Conference on computational linguistics

 BCN Workshop
 on
 Conflicting Constraints

 Groningen University
 July 5, 1996

 CALL FOR PAPERS

In Optimality Theory (OT), grammars are sets of simultaneous,
soft constraints. Viewing a grammar as a set of simultaneous
well-formedness constraints instead of viewing it as a set of
operations in a sequential algorithm, is already a standard
view in generative grammar. The idea that the constraints are
soft, however, is novel: constraints are CONFLICTING, so that
many are often violated in well-formed outputs. Conflicts are
resolved by ranking the constraints on the ground of their
relative strength. Cross-linguistic variation can be explained
through alternative rankings of universal constraints.

The aim of this workshop is to discuss the nature and ranking
of the constraints in OT. Issues for discussion involve
universality, learnability, optionality, modularity, and
compositionality. We welcome contributions for 30-minute
presentations (including 10 minutes of discussion) relating to
all aspects of linguistics (phonology, syntax, semantics,
pragmatics, computational linguistics, etc.) and to
typologically diverse languages.

 Invited speakers:

 Luigi Burzio (John Hopkins University)
 John McCarthy (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
 Paul Smolensky (John Hopkins University) (Not yet confirmed)
 Bruce Tesar (Rutgers University)


Abstracts should be restricted to two pages, including
examples and references. Three copies of abstracts should be
submitted, two anonymous, and one mentioning the author's name
and affiliation. The deadline for submission of abstracts:
March 15, 1996.

Abstracts should be sent to:

 Dicky Gilbers & Helen de Hoop
 Department of Linguistics
 BCN, University of Groningen
 Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat 26
 9712 EK Groningen
 The Netherlands

Information: e-mail: gilberslet.rug.nl,
 dehooplet.rug.nl
 fax: +31-50-3636855

No abstract submissions by FAX or e-mail, please.

The workshop will take place during the first BCN summer
school. BCN is a multidisciplinary graduate school of
approximately 65 PhD-students and 170 staff members, working
in five Faculties (Mathematics and Natural Sciences/
Medicine/Psychology/Arts/Philosophy). The central question in
its research program is: How does the brain enable us to
interact with the environment? The BCN Summer School is to be
held during the first two weeks of July.

 DIALOGUE'96
 International Conference on computational linguistics and its applications

We are happy to inform you that DIALOGUE'96, an international workshop
on computational linguistics and its applications, will take place May
4-9, 1996 in the scientific park Puschino (100 km from Moscow). The
conference title means that it is a meeting place for a dialogue a)
between researchers from different fields that are related to
 computational linguistics (linguists, computer scientists, cognitive
 scientists, psychologists);
b) between researchers from the former USSR and from the international
 community in computational linguistics.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
 * theoretical and cognitive linguistics
 * syntax, semantics, pragmatics and their interaction
 * multilingual natural language processing
 * systems for natural language processing
 * text, dialogue and speech act in the computational framework
 * speech communication with computer

Puschino is a scientific park that has been developed in the 70s for
the biology-oriented research. The town is located in the picturesque
place on the bank of Oka river (a tributary of Volga) and is
surrounded by forests. We are planning that conference will take
place in the Institute of Proteins and that all attendees will live in
the hotel "Puschino". The registration fee for the conference is
150,000 Russian rubles (about $30). One place in a double room at the
hotel costs 75,000 Russian rubles ($15), single occupation of the
double room costs 136,000 ($27). These prices are tentative due to
inflation in Russia, however, their dollar equivalent will remain
relatively stable. All fees will be paid at the conference on site,
however, attendees are requested to send the registration information
by e-mail before April 8.

The deadline for the submissions has expired January 15, however, we
still accept late submissions till January 31. Participants who wish
to present their work are required to submit a poster (3-4
double-spaced pages, 6-8 kB) or a full paper (not exceeding 12
double-spaced pages, 24 kB of plain text). Please send your
submissions preferably via e-mail (in plain ASCII or uuencoded Winword
files) to the address of the Program Committee. Submissions in
Russian and English are equally accepted. Russian-to-English
interpretation of talks will be provided during the conference.

Addresses for all correspondence:
e-mail: dialogartint.msk.su
Snail mail:
 DIALOGUE'96
 Russian Institute of Artificial Intelligence
 P.O.Box 111, Moscow,
 103001, Russia.
Express-mail address
 Serge Sharoff
 Russian Institute of Artificial Intelligence, room 331,
 9 Chernyakhovsky St., Moscow,
 103001, Russia.
 phone: (095) 1520561


The last conference DIALOGUE'95 has been held nearby Kazan (Tatarstan,
Russian Federation) in May-June 1995. It was very successful and
attracted the leading researchers from the former USSR as well as
researchers from Europe and USA. We hope that DIALOGUE'96 will
continue this tradition. A limited number of proceedings of
DIALOGUE'95 are available free of charge. If you are interested in
receiving them, please, inform us.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE:
 Alexander S. Narin'yani, Program Chair (Russian Institute of Artificial
 Intelligence)
 Christian Boitet (Grenoble University)
 Alexander E. Kibrik (Moscow State University)
 Igor A. Mel'chuk (Montreal University)
 Haldur Oim (Tartu University)
 Dmitrij A. Pospelov (Computer Center of Russian Academy of Sciences)

Secretariate:
 Natalya I. Laufer, (Russian Institute of Artificial Intelligence)
 Priscilla Rasmussen (Rutgers University, USA)
 Serge A. Sharoff, (Russian Institute of Artificial Intelligence)

If you have questions about the conference, please send e-mail letters to
the above-mentioned addresses or call:
 +7-(095) 152-05-61 (Russian Institute of Artificial Intelligence,
 Serge Sharoff)

Please, share this information letter with people you think it may concern.