About the Bridge

The AAAI-24 Constraint Programming and Machine Learning Bridge is part of the AAAI-24 Bridge Program.

“AAAI has incubated numerous AI sub-disciplines and conferences and has nurtured for decades the cohesion of AI. New communities often emerge when two or more disciplines come together in order to explore new opportunities and perspectives; today both are plentiful. The purpose of the AAAI Bridges Program is to tap into this new source of innovation by cultivating sustained collaboration between two or more communities, directed towards a common goal.”

Bringing together CP (Constraint Programming) and ML (Machine Learning) is an important aspect of the larger goal of integrating Reasoning and Learning. Participants are not expected to have prior experience in both fields, but to have familiarity with each at least at the level of an introductory AI course. The Bridge is designed to provide attendees with a better, broader sense of where we are and where we should be going, and an opportunity to brainstorm, discuss, debate and find collaborators.

The focus will be on bringing together the traditional AI fields of constraint-based reasoning and machine learning, but participants from related fields of reasoning, optimization and learning, e.g. SAT, operations research, data mining, will be welcome.

It is intended that this one-day Bridge event will help grow a nascent community. This is the third annual CPML Bridge, after CPML 2023 and CPML 2024. There is now a CP-ML Google Group with over 150 members. There is currently an open call for a JAIR Special Track on Constraint Programming and Machine Learning.

Submission Instructions

You can submit in any of a variety of Tracks, which are described below. There are many Tracks. We do not necessarily expect to receive submissions for every Track, but we wish to maximize opportunities and options for contributing to the Bridge and the Bridge community. Further information is provided on what to submit for each Track, which in some cases is just an abstract. You may submit to more than one Track.

Submissions should be PDFs in 12 point type. Submissions should specify the Track they are submitted to, contain the names, affiliations and contact emails of the authors, and indicate which authors would be expected to attend the Bridge. There are no other formatting requirements.

Submission site: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=cpml2024

Questions about the submission process can be sent to: eugene.freuder@insight-centre.org.

All accepted submissions will be posted at the Bridge website as is. As many as fit into the schedule will also be given an opportunity for physical presentation at the Bridge. If accepted for physical presentation, you will then be expected to provide any slides you use in the presentation for posting at the Bridge website as well. These can be emailed directly to barry.osullivan@insight-centre.org.

Submissions need to combine CP and ML in some fashion. All submissions should keep in mind that Bridge attendees are not necessarily experts in both fields. Presentations should “reach across the aisle”, and welcome questions and discussion.

Tracks

Introductions Track

The Bridge will provide an opportunities to introduce yourself, with a view to facilitating interaction and enabling collaboration, during the Bridge day and afterwards. Introductions will consist of a five minute presentation, without slides, where you will provide basic information on who you are, what you are working on, what you are hoping to learn from interacting with others at the Bridge, and what sort of collaboration opportunities, if any, that you might be seeking or offering.

Submit the following information:

  • Name
  • Photo (head shot)
  • Affiliation
  • Web page
  • Email address

If we receive too many submissions to this Track to accommodate for physical presentation in the time available, appropriate participants will be chosen for presentation on a first come first served basis, so you are encouraged to submit early.

Poster Track

Posters can present new research or previous research, published or unpublished. Preferably illustrated with an example.

Submit a PDF of the poster.

Tool Track

Tool Track presentations will describe how to access and use an open source ML or CP tool, with an example or demo of how the tool can be used to bridge CP and ML. The tool can be one of your own devising or not. The example or demo can be an easy to understand “toy” one (preferred actually) or a brief description of a more substantial use.

Submit an abstract.

Mini-Survey Track

These can be broad or narrow in scope, report on work from a recent conference or workshop, or even survey a body of your own work. They can cover research, applications, or tools.

Submit the survey.

Annotated Bibliography Track

These can be broad or narrow in scope, and could just cover a body of your own work. Include a link to a Semantic Scholar Library that you have assembled to share that includes as many of the papers in the Bibliography as are available.

Submit the annotated bibliography and the library link.

Mini-Tutorial Track

A tutorial on some topic related to combining CP and ML. It could be a tutorial on some aspect of your own work.

Submit an abstract.

Application Track

Describe an application that has benefitted from integrating CP and ML. It could be an application to a practical problem, or an application to research in another field, in other words building further bridges.

Submit an abstract.

Position Paper Track

On any subject combining CP and ML. Papers that can motivate discussion or debate among the attendees at the Bridge are particularly welcome.

Submit the position paper.

Demo Track

A live demo.

Submit a description.

Pitch Track

For those seeking collaborators or mentors for current or proposed research, applications or grant proposals.

Submit an abstract.

Benchmark Problems Track

Point to and describe one or more benchmark problems you have made available. Describe any testing or comparisons already performed with these benchmarks. Submit an abstract, including a link to the benchmarks.

Grand Challenge Track

Propose, describe and motivate a grand challenge for the Bridge community. Optionally also provide a “roadmap” for pursuing the challenge and metrics for measuring progress.

Submit an abstract.

Discussion Track

You can propose to lead a discussion on some topic relevant to the Bridge. Submit a description and motivation for the topic, along with some questions you would throw out to the audience.

Community Building Track

An opportunity to present and get feedback and solicit collaboration on proposals for special issues, conference tracks, workshops, competitions, tools, libraries, benchmark problems, websites, tutorials, surveys, conference panels, funding proposals, collaborations, blogs, videos, community outreach, social media, instructional material, syllabi, ontologies, books, apps, testbeds, bibliographies, etc.

Submit a description of your proposal.