Call for Paper Conference

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**** Deadline for paper submission: May 31st, 2009 (extended) ****
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PUBLICATION:
Book + Elsevier online periodical + 3 special editions of periodicals
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The proceedings of AUTOMATA 2009 will be implemented according to two paper categories -- full and short contributions -- meant to provide a differentiation of the papers in terms of their length, depth and/or maturity, therefore leading to distinct slots for their presentation in the
workshop (with no parallel sessions). All contributions will be refereed by three members of programme committee.

The proceedings will be based on the following:

-- Full papers are meant to report on denser and more consolidated research,
will comprise an online volume of Elsevier´s "ENTCS – Electronic Notes in
Theoretical Computer Science"
(http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/681021/descrip
tion), with the reccomended length of 10 to 25 pages. Full papers will also appear in a printed proceedings book that will be made available to all participants of the workshop.

-- Short papers will also rely on the referees´ reports but through less formal refereeing, so as to allow work-in-progress and/or partial results to be reported. They will appear only in the printed proceedings book, with a more limited length, of less than 10 pages.

-- After the workshop, special editions of three periodicals are planned:
"Journal of Cellular Automata"
(http://www.oldcitypublishing.com/JCA/JCA.html);
"Journal of Theoretical Computer Science" (TCS-C: Theory of Natural
Computing;
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505625/descript
ion); and "International Journal of Natural Computing Research"
(http://www.igi-global.com/journals/details.asp?id=33439).

Participation in these special issues will extend over all the authors of accepted papers, regardless of their paper category in the workshop. Although the reviews for the special editions will be handled directly by their proper boards, invitations for them will benefit from the referees´ first impression, which will also be part of their evaluation.

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WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
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AUTOMATA 2009 will be the fifteenth workshop in a series of homonimous events established in 1995 by members of the Working Group 1.5, subordinated to IFIP Technical Committee 1: Foundations of Computer Science. The original Working Group 1.5 was discontinued in 2004, but has recently been re-established, with wider scope and renewed strength.

AUTOMATA 2009 will host the first meeting of WG 1.5 in the updated phase of the group, now denominated "Cellular Automata and Discrete Complex Systems", with the following attributions:

-- To establish and maintain a permanent, international, multidisciplinary forum for the collaboration of researchers in the fields of Cellular Automata (CA) and Discrete Complex Systems (DCS).
-- To provide a platform for presenting and discussing new ideas andresults.
-- To support the development of theory and applications of CA and DCS (e.g. parallel computing, physics, biology, and others) as long as fundamental aspects and their relations are concerned.
-- To identify and study within an inter- and multidisciplinary cntext, the important fundamental aspects, concepts, notions and problems concerning CA and DCS.

As such, AUTOMATA 2009 opens up to stressing all fundamental aspects of cellular automata and discrete complex systems, including: Dynamics; Algebraic aspects; Complexity issues; Emergent properties; Formal language processing; Models of parallelism and distributed systems; Phenomenological descriptions; Scientific modeling; and Practical applications.

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INVITED SPEAKERS
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Confirmed so far (two others pending confirmation):

Leon Chua: University of California, Berkeley, USA.
http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~chua

Martin Kutrib: Universität Gießen, Germany.
http://www.informatik.uni-giessen.de/staff/kutrib

Stephen Wolfram (in videoconference): Wolfram Research, USA.
http://www.stephenwolfram.com

Vincent Blondel: Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.
http://www.inma.ucl.ac.be/~blondel

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PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
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Alejandro Maass (CL) - University of Chile.
Andreas Deutsch (DE) - Dresden University of Technology.
Andy Adamatzky (UK) - University of the West of England.
Anna Lawniczak (CA) - University of Guelph.
Burton Voorhees (CA) - Athabasca University.
Bruno Durand (FR) - University of Provence.
Danuta Makowiec (PL) - Gdansk University.
Enrico Formenti (FR) - University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis.
Ferdinand Peper (JP) - Nat. Inst. of Info. and Communication Technology.
Georgios Sirakoulis (GR) - Democritus University of Thrace.
Gianpiero Cattaneo (IT) - University of Milano-Bicocca.
Henryk Fuks (CA) - Brock University.
Hiroshi Umeo (JP) - University of Osaka Electro-Communication.
Jarkko Kari (FI; co-chair) - University of Turku.
Juan Carlos Seck (MX) - Autonomous University of Hidalgo State.
Kenichi Morita (JP) - Hiroshima University.
Klaus Sutner (USA) - Carnegie Mellon University.
Laurent Vuillon (FR) - University of Savoie.
Marco Tomassini (CH) - University of Lausanne.
Martin Kutrib (DE) - University of Gießen.
Maurice Margenstern (FR) - University of Metz.
Nazim Fatès (FR) - LORIA.
Nicolas Ollinger (FR) - University of Provence.
Pedro de Oliveira (BR; co-chair) - Mackenzie Presbyterian University.
Peter Sloot (NL) - University of Amsterdam.
Pradipta Maji (IN) - Indian Statistical Institute.
Stefania Bandini (IT) - University of Milano-Bicocca.
Thomas Worsch (DE) - University of Karlsruhe.

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LOCATION
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São José dos Campos is one of the main cities in the Southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo. According to Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/São_José_dos_Campos): "Safe and secure city
that offers a wide variety of stores and services; One of the top ... Brazilian cities for quality of life; One of the most important industrial and research centers in Latin America".

The city is very handy due to its extremely strategic location, about 50 Km from Guarulhos International Airport, the main Brazilian airport, and approximately in the centre of a triangle that links the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of São Paulo, the main national centre for cultural
activities, social life, shopping and gastronomy; Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range, with its green villages and excellent hiking, through lush high-altitude forest, at one of the highest regions in the country; and the Northern seacoast of the state, where Serra do Mar mountain range meets the sea, creating an imposing and unforgettable scenery of exuberant forests,
dozens of paradisiac beaches and islands. And all this within less than 90 Km of distance! Also, for participants who would like to further explore the neighbouring states, or even the country as a whole, São José also provides easy access to other parts of the country, through daily flights or coaches to various of the main Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro.

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CONTACTS
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Pedro P.B. de Oliveira - Chairman
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, SP - Brazil.
pedrob@mackenzie.br
http://professor.mackenzie.br/pedrob