ISIPTA Second Call for papers

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ISIPTA '09 - 2nd CALL FOR PAPERS
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Your help with circulating this announcement locally is much
appreciated. Apologies for multiple postings.

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ISIPTA '09
6th International Symposium on Imprecise Probability:
Theories and Applications

Tuesday 14 to Saturday 18 July 2009
Durham University, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Durham, United Kingdom
http://www.sipta.org/isipta09

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The ISIPTA meetings are the primary international forum to present and discuss new results on the theories and applications of imprecise probability.

Imprecise probability is a generic term for the many mathematical and statistical models and methods, allowing us to measure chance or uncertainty without the restriction of sharp probabilities. These models include lower and upper expectations or previsions, interval-valued probabilities, sets of probability measures, belief functions, Choquet capacities, comparative probability orderings, fuzzy measures, possibility measures, plausibility measures, and sets of desirable gambles. Imprecise probability models are needed in inference and decision problems where the relevant information is scarce, vague or conflicting, and where preferences may be incomplete.

Symposium format
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It is a tradition of the ISIPTA meetings that we try to avoid parallel sessions. Each accepted paper is to be presented both (i) in a plenary session, where we ask for a short introduction and sketch of the context and relevance of the paper; and (ii) in a poster session, where ample opportunity and time is given for detailed explanation and discussion.

For the 2009 meeting, we also invite posters without a paper. We hope to attract people who wish to present and discuss their work within the framework of the conference but whose results are not yet finalized, for instance, for practitioners who wish to discuss possibilities for applications in their field using imprecise probabilities, or for starting students. If you wish to present a poster without paper, you are invited to submit a one-page abstract of the work you intend to present. These abstracts will be made available at the conference and online.

Themes of the symposium
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The symposium is open to contributions on all aspects of imprecise probability. But we particularly welcome contributions on imprecise probability in statistical inference and decision making.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

- models of coherent imprecise assessments
- sets of probability measures, credal sets
- interval-valued probabilities
- upper and lower expectations or previsions
- non-additive set functions, and in particular Choquet capacities (and
Choquet integration), fuzzy measures, possibility measures, belief and
plausibility measures
- random sets
- rough sets
- comparative probability orderings
- qualitative reasoning about uncertainty
- imprecision in utilities and expected utilities
- limit laws for imprecise probabilities
- physical models of imprecise probability
- philosophical foundations for imprecise probabilities
- psychological models for imprecision and indeterminacy in probability
assessments
- elicitation techniques for imprecise probabilities
- robust statistics
- probabilistic bounding analysis
- data mining with imprecise probabilities
- dealing with missing data
- estimation and learning of imprecise probability models
- decision making with imprecise probabilities
- ambiguity aversion and economic models of imprecise probability
- uncertainty in financial markets
- algorithms for manipulating imprecise probabilities
- Dempster-Shafer theory
- information algebras and probabilistic argumentation systems
- probabilistic logic, propositional and first-order
- credal networks and other graphical models
- credal classification
- applications in statistics, economics, finance, management,
engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence,
psychology, philosophy and related fields.

Special sessions
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In memory of Henry Kyburg and Pauline Coolen-Schrijner, two special sessions will be organized. The papers for these sessions will be selected by the steering committee.

Location
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ISIPTA '09 will be held at Durham University, Collingwood College, in Durham, United Kingdom. Collingwood College provides onsite ensuite accommodation. More information about Collingwood College can be found on this website:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/collingwood/

Important dates
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For papers:

Paper submission deadline: January 30 2009
Notification of paper acceptance: March 15 2009
Deadline for revised papers: April 15 2009

For posters without paper:

Abstract submission deadline: April 15 2009
Notification of acceptance: May 1 2009

Symposium: July 14-18 2009

Submissions
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Papers can be submitted electronically using the conference website
(http://www.sipta.org/isipta09/).

Programme Committee Board
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Thomas Augustin (Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany)
Frank Coolen (Durham University, UK)
Serafin Moral (Universidad de Granada, Spain)
Matthias Troffaes (Durham University, UK)

Steering Committee
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Thomas Augustin (Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany)
Frank Coolen (Durham University, UK)
Gert de Cooman (Universiteit Gent, Belgium)
Serafin Moral (Universidad de Granada, Spain)
Teddy Seidenfeld (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)
Matthias Troffaes (Durham University, UK)

Further details
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For further details about (pre)registration, paper submission, scientific and cultural programme, programme committee, please consult the ISIPTA '09 web site at http://www.sipta.org/isipta09/.

Details about previous ISIPTA meetings can be found at
http://www.sipta.org/isipta/.

More information about SIPTA, the international organisation responsible for organizing both the ISIPTA meetings and the SIPTA Schools on Imprecise Probabilities, please consult the SIPTA web site at http://www.sipta.org.

Questions
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If you have any questions about the symposium, please contact the Steering Committee preferably by email (frank.coolen@durham.ac.uk or matthias.troffaes@gmail.com), or at the following address:

Frank Coolen / Matthias Troffaes
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Durham University
Science Laboratories, South Road
Durham, DH1 3LE, ENGLAND