PROBABILITY, COMBINATORICS AND GEOMETRY: Ninth Annual Workshop
A workshop held from April 4-11, 2014 at McGill University's Bellairs Institute in Holetown, Barbados.

Synopsis

A small group of researchers discusses new directions and open problems in the area of probabilistic methods in combinatorics and graph theory. Topics this year include random trees, random networks, random graphs, probability on trees, and combinatorial and probabilistic geometry.

Program

The program is as follows:

  • Friday: Arrival. Pick up your keys from the office if you arrive before 4pm. After 4pm, there will be participants in the yard or near the kitchen with the room keys.
  • Saturday 9-12am: open problem session. Please bring open problems! 2-6pm: work sessions.
  • Sunday 9-12am: open problem session. Please bring open problems! 2-6pm: work sessions.
  • Monday 9-12am: Louigi Addario-Berry. 2-6pm: work sessions.
  • Tuesday 9-12am: Remco van der Hofstad. 2-6pm: work sessions.
  • Wednesday 9-12am: Pat Morin, Nicolas Curien. Afternoon: excursion.
  • Thursday 9-12am: Kostas Panagiotou. 2-6pm: work sessions.
  • Friday: Departure day.

Organizers

The meeting is organized by Luc Devroye (McGill University), Gabor Lugosi (Pompeu Fabra University), Nicolas Broutin (INRIA, France), and Vida Dujmovic (Ottawa University). They are part of CARP [CARP stands for Combinatorics, Algorithms, Randomization and Probability.] It is the next installment of an annual meeting that has been organized by Louigi Addario-Berry (McGill University) and some of the present organizers.

For inquiries, replies and questions regarding the 2014 meeting, contact Luc Devroye.

Participants

Benedicte Haas
Bernard Gittenberger
Bruce Reed
Cecilia Holmgren
Gabor Lugosi
Guillaume Chapuy
Henning Sulzbach
Jit Bose
Konstantinos Panagiotou
Laura Eslava
Louigi Addario-Berry
Luc Devroye
Marie Albenque
Mihyung Kang
Neil Olver
Nicolas Broutin
Nicolas Curien
Olivier Devillers
Omer Angel
Pat Morin
Pawel Pralat
Ralph Neininger
Remco van der Hofstad
Roberto Imbuzeiro Oliveira
Ross Kang
Simon Griffiths
Vida Dujmovic
Wolfgang Mulzer
Xing-Shi Cai
Yuting Wen

Food

Dinners are provided, at a reasonable cost (at least compared to the nearby alternatives). Vegetarian and pescetarian options are available---please let us know if you need one. Historically, the vegetarian options at Bellairs are often unspectacular, so those of us going for vegetarian alternatives may decide to supplement our dinners with more interesting fare from the local supermarket. The meat and fish dinners are usually very good.

In past years we have bought lunches from a lunch van that comes around, or from one of a couple of local lunch shacks. There is also a kitchen and a nearby (15 minute walk) supermarket so in principle one can make one's own lunches.

Breakfast will be organized by ourselves---we will share the supermarket bill, and schedule the mules.

Location

The workshop takes place at McGill University's Bellairs Institute in Holetown, Barbados, on the west side of the island. Google Maps.

The Bellairs Institute can be reached from Grantley Adams airport in about 40 minutes by taxi (58 Barbados dollars, or 29 US dollars) and in about 60 to 100 minutes by city bus (2 Barbados dollars). Barbados bus schedules. At the airport, go across the parking lot to the main road, and take a bus traveling to the east (left, with back to airport). Buses marked Speightstown pass by Bellairs. Buses marked Bridgetown are also fine, but then a change of bus is necessary in Bridgetown itself, at the bus terminal.

Barbadopedia

Barbados is safe.

US currency can be used at the rate of two Barbados dollars for one US dollar. There are plenty of ATM machines all over the island (including in the departure area of the airport) that have access to the major banks in North America. All major US and Canadian bank cards work fine.

Bring mosquito repellant. There are (infrequent) outbreaks of dengue fever, so check ahead of time. In the recent past, dengue has not been a problem.

There are computers on campus with access to the internet. Bellairs is fully covered by a wireless network called Bellairs or Bellair's. There is a 15USD (weekly) charge for the use of this network.

Registration fee

Registration, to be paid upon arrival in Bellairs, is 75 US dollars (150 Barbados dollars).

Accommodation

The accommodation is basic but very charming. The rates vary per room (basic rooms (32 USD/person), newer apartments (45 USD/person), and rooms in Seabourne House (variable rates)). People in unshared rooms will pay double rates. The organizers will assign the rooms according to some secret optimization algorithm.

Food is not included in these rates.

Finally, this document (PDF) contains a description of the house rules of the Institute.