Grand Challenges
One of the major initiatives within this area of CoLogNet is to identify grand challenges (see http://4c.ucc.ie/~tw/ar/gc.html for more details).
The purpose of such challenges is to fire the imaginations of both
new researchers arriving into the area as well those already long
established.
One of the main applications at present for automated reasoning
has been for reasoning about computer systems (in particular, software
and hardware verification). One of the goals of this initiative
are to identify and promote other more novel application areas such
as bioinformatics and the semantic web, as well as to identify challenges
that may one day become important applications. The tradition of
grand challenges is common in many branches of science. Some examples
of grand challenges within computer science include: to prove whether
P = NP (open), to develop a world class chess program (completed,
1990s), or to automatically translate Russian into English (failed,
1960s). Such challenges help determine the fundamental limits of
computation, as well as often capturing the imagination of
scientists and the public alike.
To promote such discussion and debate, CoLogNet sponsored a workshop
http://4c.ucc.ie/~tw/gc/
alongside CADE-19 in Miami in July 2003.
However, many other events have also been held and are planned.
For example in 2002, CoLogNet sponsored a joint panel of the 2nd
Workshop on the Role of Automated Deduction in Mathematics (RADM,
http://floc02.diku.dk/RADM/program.html),
and the Workshop on Problems and Problem Sets (PaPS, http://floc02.diku.dk/PaPS/program.html).
Panelists included Peter Andrews, Alan Bundy, William McCune, and
Simon Colton.
Panel debated the topic "Challenge problems for automated deduction
(with special emphasis on mathematics)".
CologNet also sponsored a panel http://www.ags.uni-sb.de/~calculemus2002/panel/
at Calculemus 2002 on "Challenging Mathematical Problems"
featuring James Davenport, Jorg Siekmann, Jacques Calmet (chair),
Thomas Sturm, Alain Colmerauer and Claude Kirchner, and a panel
on "Grand Challenges for Automated Reasoning" at the Tenth
Workshop on Automated Reasoning 2003.
http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~clare/arw03/
Panelists included Volker Sorge (chair), Trevor Bench-Capon, Tom
Melham and
Renate Schmidt.
For more details about planned events, see here http://4c.ucc.ie/~tw/ar/activities.html
Sponsored by:
