In conjunction with the general program, ValueTools 2012 will comprise six thematic tracks aimed to provide an in-depth look into different aspects of performance evaluation methodologies and tools. Although these tracks will be focused on specific thematic components of ValueTools 2012, their boundaries are not rigid and they have been organized with scientific cross-fertilization in mind; as such, conference participants are strongly encouraged to attend tracks that might seem to go beyond their technical specialties.
Papers submitted to one of the six thematic trakcs of ValueTools 2012 will appear in the conference proceedings as regular contributed papers.
Track Names:
Track Descriptions:
Economic Challenges in Telecommunication Systems
This track is devoted to providing some quantitative answers to economic challenges concerning today and future interconnection networks and markets. This involves charging, competition, alliance, modeling and study of ecosystems of networks. This includes modeling and studies of economical aspects of networks, price setting of quality of service, as well as questions related to network neutrality.
Game Theory in Communication Networks
This Track is aimed at bringing together researchers, who are applying game theory to analyzing, designing, and assessing the performance of networks. The objective is to generate discussion of best practices in modeling, as well as limitations of game theory as a performance assessment and design tool for networks. Both the application of game theory to networking problems and the development of new game-theoretic methodologies that can be applied in that context are of interest.
Information Theory and Performance Evaluation
This track encourages submission of works based on applying information theory to another discipline or using other disciplines to enrich it. Typically, this includes but is not limited to, coding theorems for multiuser channels, information-theoretic security (e.g., physical security), interactions between information theory and game theory, interactions between information theory control theory, and large system approximations for performance analysis.
Mean Field Control, Games and Applications
Mean field interaction is becoming one of the emerging research topics in large-scale systems in recent years. The "Mean Field Control, Games and Applications" track solicits original and unpublished work not currently under review by any other conference or journal. The focus of this track is targeted at exploring and discussing new technical breakthrough and applications focusing on all aspects related to interactions in large-scale systems.
Authors are invited to submit original technical papers covering but not limited to the topics of interest listed below:
Linear-quadratic mean field control (deterministic, stochastic); Mean field optimization; Linear-quadratic mean field games; Simulation of mean field interaction; Cooperative mean field games; Time-average mean field games; Mean field cross-layer learning; Risk-sensitive mean field games; Mean-variance mean field games; Mean-field difference games; Mean field Markov games; Mean field stochastic games; Mean field optimization, control and games with imperfect observations; Hybrid mean field games; Applications in network economics, cloud computing, smart grid, opportunistic cross-layer interactions etc; Limitations of mean field games.
Stochastic Geometry and Communication Networks
Stochastic geometry, is a branch of applied probability studying random phenomena on the plane or in higher dimension. Historically its development was stimulated by applications to biology, astronomy and material sciences. Nowadays, it is also used in image analysis and in the context of communication networks. In this latter case, its role is similar to that played by the theory of point processes on the real line in classical queuing theory. Stochastic geometry seems particularly relevant for modeling and analysis of large scale wireless communication networks. As a pioneering in this context, one can consider E.N. Gilbert's paper of 1961 on continuum percolation model for the analysis of the connectivity of large wireless networks. Recently, the number of researchers using some form of stochastic geometry in this domain of applications is increasing fast. This Track is aimed at bringing them together at ValueTools and soliciting contributions that employ spatial stochastic models, including but not limited to: point processes, coverage processes, discrete and continuum percolation, and random graphs, to design and analyze of communication networks.
Worst Case End-to-end Performance Evaluation
This track is devoted to the evaluation of worst case end-to-end performances in communication networks, such as the worst case traversal time (WCTT) in multi-hop networks. Nowadays many applications require worst case guarantees to ensure the global correctness of critical systems and to optimize their functioning. Related to QoS control or real-time constraints, such requirements may occur at any scale: internet QoS, industrial ethernet, embedded networks, network-on-chip ... Developing accurate methods to evaluate worst case performances is still a challenge, and with systems that may connect dozens to hundreds of sub-systems, managing thousands of flows, each one interacting with others, scalability is also a major issue. Both theoretical and practical contributions are welcome.
Keywords: worst-case end-to-end performances, deterministic and stochastic network calculus, real-time calculus, adversarial queuing theory, trajectory method,...
