ICDT '97 Call for Participation

ICDT is a biannual international conference on theoretical aspects of databases and a forum for communicating research advances on the principles of database systems. Previous ICDT conferences were held in Rome (1986), Bruges (1988), Paris (1990), Berlin (1992), and Prague (1995). Since 1992, ICDT has been merged with the Symposium on Mathematical Fundamentals of Database Systems (MFDBS), another series of conferences on theoretical aspects of database systems that was initiated in Dresden (1987), and continued in Visegrad (1989) and Rostock (1991).

Conference Organization

General Information

Accommodation

Accommodation Form

Useful Information

Abstract:
Semi-structured data can be found in many data sources available electronically (most notably in the WWW). They also arise naturally as the result of the integration of independent heterogeneous sources. In such contexts, the structure of data is not as regular or rigid as in standard databases systems, e.g., in the relational or object-oriented database systems. Also, the notion of schema is altered in essential ways, e.g., the schema may become implicit. We will try to highlight the main aspects and particularities of semi-structured data. We will also survey some proposals of models and query languages for semi-structured data.

About the speaker:
Serge Abiteboul obtained his Ph.D. from U.S.C, Los Angeles, in 1982, and a Th`ese d'Etat from Paris University, Orsay, in 1985. He is Senior Researcher at I.N.R.I.A., Rocquencourt, France where he managed a Database Group from 1989 to 1995. He is also Maitre de Conf'erence at Ecole Polytechnique. He is currently visiting for two years the Computer Science Dept. at Stanford U.

Abstract:
A number of ideas concerning information-integration tools can be thought of as constructing answers to queries using views that represent the capabilities of information sources. We review the formal basis of these techniques, which are closely related to containment algorithms for conjunctive queries and/or datalog programs. Then we compare the approaches taken by AT&T Labs' "Information Manifold" and the Stanford "Tsimmis" project in these terms.

About the speaker:
Jeff Ullman is the Stanford W. Ascherman Professor of Engineering and acting chair of the Department of Computer Science at Stanford. He received the B.S. degree from Columbia University in 1963 and the Ph.D. from Princeton in 1966. He has served as chair of the CS-GRE Examination board, Member of the ACM Council, Chair of the New York State CS Doctoral Evaluation Board, on several NSF advisory boards, and is past or present editor of several journals. He is presently a member of the Computing Research Association Board. Ullman was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1989, has held Guggenheim and Einstein Fellowships, and is the 1996 winner of the Sigmod Contributions Award. He is the author of 14 books, including a 2-volume series on Database Systems. His research interests include information integration, warehouse design, and data mining.

Abstract:
Data mining, also called knowledge discovery in databases, aims at the discovery of interesting knowledge from large masses of data. We review some recent developments in data mining methods for relational, sequential, and time-series data, and present some theoretical results and challenges in the area.

About the speaker:
Heikki Mannila is a professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki, where he also obtained his Ph.D. in 1985. After that he has been an associate professor at the Universities of Tampere and Helsinki, a visiting professor at the Technical University of Vienna, and a guest researcher at the Max Planck Institut fur Informatik in Saarbrucken. He has also worked at the National Public Health Institution in Helsinki, as well as consultant in industry. His research interests include data mining, machine learning, database design, and text databases. He is the co-author of the book "Design of Relational Databases" (Addison-Wesley) as well as numerous articles in algorithms, databases, machine learning and data mining. He is one of the editors-in-chief of the new scientifc journal "Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery".

LOCATION
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ICDT 97 will be held at the European Cultural Center of Delphi, Greece. Delphi (elevation 573 m.) is located in a magnificent natural setting about 170 km N/W of Athens on the undercliffs of Mount Parnassus. The drive from Athens to Delphi takes about three hours. Delphi hosts one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece. Although today it is just a small village, historically Delphi has been one of the cornerstones of ancient Greek civilization. Indeed, in antiquity Delphi was the seat of the oracle of Apollo, which was particularly active during the 7th and the 6th centuries BC and had to be consulted for essentially every major political decision. Ancient Greeks considered Delphi to be the "navel of the world". The shrine was administered by a panhellenic confederation, which every four years organized the Pythian Games; these were second only to the Olympic Games, but with more prominence on music and drama, as they were dedicated to Apollo.

WEATHER
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January is winter time in Greece. The temperature at Delphi in January typically ranges from 5 to 15 degrees C (41-59 degrees F), with a small probability of being lower than 5 degrees C (41 degrees F).

CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE
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The Greek currency is the drachma. In September 1996, 1 US Dollar was approximately 235 DR. Currencey can be exchanged either at the Athens airport or in Delphi.

THINGS TO DO
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Delphi's archeological site has many interesting monuments and temples, including the sanctuary of Apollo, the theatre where the Delphic festivals were held, the stadium, the Kastalia Fountain where the Pythia, priestess of Apollo, would bathe before uttering her oracular utterances, and the tholos or rotunda, one of the most remarkable architectural constructions of antiquity (depicted on the conference poster).
The collection of the Delphi museum consists exclusively of objects found on the archaeological site, including the famous bronze statue of the charioteer and an ancient copy of the sacred stone "omphalos" (the "navel of the world").
In Delphi and the surrounding villages you can find tavernas, restaurants, coffee houses, and bars.
From Delphi you can visit the ski facilities of Mount Parnassus (elevation 2400 m), the town of Itea (17 km), a pleasant summer resort by the sea, the town of Amfissa (22 km), surrounded by a forest of olive trees, and the monastery of Hosios Loukas (36 km), an outstanding example of Byzantine art and architecture.

DRIVING IN GREECE
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If you are planning to rent a car and drive in Greece, be sure that you are familiar with the local driving habits; in general the condition of the roads is satisfactory except of some parts that need special attention (e.g. dangerous bends).

The conference proceedings will appear as a volume in the "Lecture Notes in Computer Science" (LNCS) series, published by Springer-Verlag, and will be available at the conference. Each registered participant will receive a copy of the proceedings (except for students).

PROCEDURE
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People wishing to attend the conference should fill out a copy of the registration form attached to the end of this announcement and return it, via e-mail, fax, or postal mail, to the address:

E-mail registration is strongly preferred. In addition to sending the registration form, the proper registration fee should be paid via cheque or bank transfer, as explained below in the METHOD OF PAYMENT section.

On-site registration will be available at the conference office during ICDT 97 starting Tuesday, January 7, 19:00.

* For members of ACM and IEEE or IEEE society.

A separate form must be completed by each participant. Please make sure that your society affiliation (membership number) and/or university affiliation are shown on your registration form, or that proof of your full time student status comes together with it. Otherwise, the reduced registration fee will not be applied.

It is suggested to register for the conference at your earliest convenience. As soon as both registration form and fee have been received, an e-mail confirmation will be sent. To qualify for the early registration fee, payment must be received by November 12, 1996.

The conference fee includes admission to all sessions of the conference (including the invited talks and tutorial), a copy of the proceedings (not included in the student fee), refreshments during the breaks, lunches, transportation from and to Athens via the transfer buses of the conference, and the social events (reception on January 7, tour of the archaeological site and conference banquet on January 9 -the latter not included in the student fee).

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR EAST EUROPEAN PARTICIPANTS
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A limited number of free participations for people from Eastern Europe (free conference attendance and accomodation) will be offered. To become eligible for the support, please apply to Foto Afrati by e-mail ( afrati@softlab.ece.ntua.gr ) before November 12, 1996.

CANCELLATION AND REFUND
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Cancellation must be made in written form to the organizers. If cancellation notification is received before December 11, 1996, 80% of the registration fee will be refunded; no refunds will be made thereafter. For registered participants who cannot attend, the proceedings will be mailed after the conference.

METHOD OF PAYMENT
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Payment of the registration fees should be made in US dollars in one of the following ways:

If using a bank transfer, please send a copy of the receipt via postal mail or fax to the address used for the registration above. It is allowed to send a single check or make a single bank transfer covering more than one registration fee.

VISA
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No entry visa is required for visitors from EEC countries, USA, and Canada. For other countries, information about visa can be obtained from the Greek Consulates or airlines.

LETTERS OF INVITATION
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Upon request, the secretariat of the conference will send a personal invitation for participation in the conference. It should be understood that such an invitation is only to help participants obtain a visa and does not constitute a commitment on the part of the organizers to provide any financial support.

TO AND FROM DELPHI
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THROUGH ATHENS

By plane: Athens International Airport has two terminals. OLYMPIC AIRWAYS passengers arrive at the Western Terminal. Passengers of all other airlines arrive at the Eastern Terminal.

You can travel from Athens to Delphi and from Delphi to Athens using the conference buses or public transportation as described below. For those who want to stay overnight in Athens before or after the conference, a block of rooms in the Chandris hotel (address: Sygrou 385, tel: +30-1-9414824) has been reserved. Conference buses will pick up participants both from the airport and the Chandris Hotel (see below).

To reach the Chandris Hotel take a taxi from the airport (approximatively 8 US$).

USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION


Public buses from ATHENS TO DELPHI depart from the Central Bus Station located at Liossion St, according to the following schedule.

The bus fare is DR 2600 one-way.

To reach the Central Bus Station at Liossion St, either take a taxi from the airport (approximatively 15 US$) or first take the bus number 091 from the airport to Syntagma Square (160 DR) and then a taxi from there to the Central Bus Station at Liossion St. (approximatively 10 US$). It is recommended to take a taxi directly from the airport.

Once in Delphi, all hotels are within easy walking distance.

HOTEL RESERVATION
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Reservations have to be made directly with the person in charge at the address below.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the European Cultural Center of Delphi,
as well as in a number of small and cozy hotels in the village of Delphi. Rooms are also reserved in the Chandris hotel in Athens for those who stay in Athens before or after the conference.

The special rates that were arranged are as follows: (in US $)

ACCOMMODATION FEES
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Those wishing to book accommodation in Athens, Delphi and conference bus transportation Athens-Delphi-Athens are requested to complete the attached Accommodation Form and send before NOVEMBER 12 to: