Dear Colleagues,
 
We invite submissions to the first workshop on Understanding Problems (GECCO-UP).

Optimisation algorithms have been extensively studied in the recent years, but until recently less 
attention has been paid to the understanding of the problems being solved. The 1st workshop on 
Understanding Problems (GECCO-UP) is intended to establish a forum for the discussion and 
exploration of methods for the analysis and synthesis of optimisation problems through both 
theoretical and experimental methods. In addition to creating a session catering for the 
presentation of new methods related to problem understanding, the workshop will provide an 
opportunity for participants to review existing methods, submit position papers discussing 
potential frameworks and propose future areas of interesting research. The following key areas of 
active research will be of specific interest (although submissions are not limited to these areas):
creation of test problems;
experimental methods for analysing and detecting problem landscapes;
identifiers and metrics for describing problem features;
spatial descriptors;
problem space visualisation;
difficulty and complexity analysis;
analysis of dynamic problems;
analysis of noisy problems;
construction of problem taxonomies and theoretical foundations.


As the first workshop on problem understanding it will provide an excellent opportunity to 
present/discuss your research with other experts within this field in addition to the wider GECCO 
community.

Important Dates:
Paper Submission: 28th March 2012
Paper Notification of Acceptance: 9th April 2012
Paper Camera Ready Submission: 16th April
Workshops: 7th & 8th July 2012
Conference: 7th to 11th July 2012


For more details and submission instructions, visit: http://people.exeter.ac.uk/km314/gecco-up/.
Please check both the conference and workshop website for updates closer to the paper submission 
deadline.

Reviewers
If you are interested in participating in the 1st Understanding Problems workshop or intend to 
attend the workshop please also consider signing up to become a member of the programme committee 
for this workshop. To register as a reviewer for this workshop or to request more information 
please contact the organisers at k.mcclymont@exeter.ac.uk.
 
We look forward to meeting you in Philadelphia!

Kent McClymont (k.mcclymont@exeter.ac.uk),
Ed Keedwell (e.c.keedwell@exeter.ac.uk),
GECCO-UP 2012 Workshop Co-Chairs