About the Conference

The IGAFIT Highlights of Algorithms (HALG) conference is designed to be a forum for presenting the highlights of recent developments in algorithms and for discussing potential further advances in this area. The conference will provide a broad picture of the latest research in algorithms through a series of invited talks, as well as the possibility for all researchers and students to present their recent results through a series of short talks and poster presentations. Attending the IGAFIT Highlights of Algorithms conference will also be an opportunity for networking and meeting leading researchers in algorithms.

HALG 2024 is the nineth conference in the series; previous editions took place in Paris (2016), Berlin (2017), Amsterdam (2018), Copenhagen (2019), Zurich virtually (2020), London virtually (2021), London in-person (2022) and Prague (2023)

There will be no conference proceedings. As a result, presenting work already published at a different venue or journal (or to be submitted there) is welcome. The format of the event will reflect the character of (very successful) conferences in other fields, e.g., mathematics or physics, and also a recent Highlights of Logic, Games and Automata conference.

The conference’s mission is to promote research on algorithmic foundations and foster a community in Europe. It was initiated as part of a broader effort in this direction by the Interest Group on Algorithmic Foundations of Information Technology (IGAFIT).

HALG adopts the recommendations of the SafeTOC report to combat harassment and discrimination in the Theory of Computing community.

Committees

Invited Speakers

Conference Program [TBA]

Register today

Call

The HALG 2024 conference seeks submissions for contributed presentations. Each presentation is expected to consist of a poster and a short talk (an invitation to the poster). There will be no conference proceedings, hence presenting work already published at a different venue or journal (or to be submitted there) is welcome.

If you would like to present your results at HALG 2024, please submit their details: the abstract of the talk or the contribution of the poster via registration process. The abstract should include (when relevant) information where the results have been published/accepted (e.g., conference), and where they are publicly available (e.g., arXiv).

All submissions will be reviewed by the Program Committee (PC), giving priority to papers published in 2023 or later.

Submission deadline: 11th April 2024

/Late submissions will be considered subject to space constraints/

The HALG 2024 conference seeks high-quality nominations for invited talks that will highlight recent advances in algorithmic research. Similarly to previous years, there are two categories of invited talks:

• A. survey (60 minutes): a survey of an algorithmic topic that has seen exciting developments in last couple of years.
• B. paper (30 minutes): a significant algorithmic result appearing in a paper in 2023 or later.

To nominate, please email to merav.parter@weizmann.ac.il the following information:

Basic details: speaker name + topic (for survey talk) or paper’s title, authors, conference/arxiv + preferable speaker (for paper talk).
Brief justification: Focus on the benefits to the audience, e.g., quality of results, importance/relevance of topic, clarity of talk, speaker’s presentation skills.
All nominations will be reviewed by the Program Committee (PC) to select speakers that will be invited to the conference.
Nominations deadline: 13 February 2024

/Please keep in mind that the conference does not provide financial support for the speakers./

Deadlines & fees

• Call for Nominations: 13^th February 2024
• Call for Contributed Presentations: 29^th March 2024
• Early registration: by 6^th May 2024
• Post conference publication – Slides: by 25^th May 2024
• Late registration: by 21^st May 2024
• Acceptance/rejection notifications for contributed presentations will be sent in early April.

For Presenters

General Information

The IGAFIT Highlights of Algorithms 2024 Conference is taking place at Zielna Conference Center – Zielna 37 street, 00-108 Warsaw

By plane
The main international airport is Warsaw Chopin Airport, positioned approximately 11 kilometers away from the city center. To access the city from the airport, you can take the bus (lines 175, 188, N32) or suburban train (SKM and KM, stop: Warszawa Śródmieście). Additionally, taxis are readily available outside the arrivals terminal. You can also use Uber, Bolt or Freenow applications but make sure to go upstairs to the Departures, because those car cannot enter Arrivals area.
For those arriving at Warsaw-Modlin Airport, approximately 40 kilometers from Warsaw’s city center, transportation options to the city center include train services (KM) or shuttle buses (Flixbus, Contbus). Given the distance, the journey may span around one hour. For further details on transportation from this airport to the city, please refer to this website: https://en.modlinairport.pl/.
If you are travelling by train (which we recommend due to ecological reasons), get off at Warsaw Central Railway Station.
Warsaw has a good public transportation system – buses, trams, 2 metro lines, suburban trains. To reach specific destination we recommend using Google maps.
A single ticket allows you to change the lines and form of transportation during the 75 minutes of your trip.

Visa requirements
Poland is a member of Schengen Agreement – for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, the only requirement is a valid passport or national identity card. The list of countries that need visa for Poland can be found here: https://www.gov.pl/web/georgia/countries-that-need-visa-for-poland

Printing point
If you want to print your poster in Warsaw, there is a Druk24h point located on Polna 11 street.

A block of rooms has been reserved. Below is a list of recommended hotels. We kindly recommend that you book your accommodation as soon as possible. The deadline for hotel reservations is 25 April 2024. The conference organizers have negotiated special hotel prices for conference participants. For reservation, please email the hotel (emails below) and use the password ‘HALG24’.

All hotels are located within a walking distance of no more than 15 minutes from the conference venue.

Partners

Contact

Policy Against Harassment at HALG

HALG adopts the recommendations of the SafeTOC report to combat harassment and discrimination in the Theory of Computing community.

All participants at HALG must observe the code of conduct of HALG reported here.

Code of Conduct at HALG

The open exchange of ideas is central to the mission of HALG. This requires an environment that embraces diversity and provides a safe, welcoming environment for all. This policy applies to all conference-related activities, including:

• all conference sessions and events sponsored by the conference
• all ancillary events and unofficial social gatherings, even those outside the conference venue
• exchanges among committees or other bodies associated with HALG, including social media.

Expected Behavior

We expect that all participants at HALG activities to abide by this policy:

• Exercise respect in your speech and actions.
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.
• Be mindful of your surroundings and your fellow participants: for example, other people may hear inappropriate comments even if they are not your intended audience.
• Alert community leaders and get involved (if safe and possible) when you notice dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of this policy, even if they seem inconsequential.

Unacceptable Behavior

Unacceptable at any conference related activity is:

• Abuse: Any action directed at an individual that (a) interferes substantially with that person’s participation; or (b) causes that person to fear for his/her personal safety. This includes threats, intimidation, bullying, stalking, or other types of abuse.
• Discriminatory Harassment: Any conduct that discriminates or denigrates an individual on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, citizenship, nationality, age, sexual or gender identity, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law in the location where the conference activity takes place.
• Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal/physical conduct of a sexual nature. Examples include (but are not limited to):
  • unwelcome advances or propositions, particularly when one individual has authority over the other;
  • inappropriate touching of an individual’s body;
  • degrading or humiliating comments about an individual’s appearance;
  • using an activity-related communication channel to display or distribute sexually explicit images or messages;

Harassment can also occur when there is no deliberate intention to offend. Be careful in the words that you choose. Harassment committed in a joking manner or disguised as a compliment still constitutes unacceptable behavior. Remember that sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes can be offensive to those around you.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior

If a participant at HALG engages in prohibited behavior, the conference leaders reserve the right to take any action deemed appropriate to ensure the physical and emotional safety of the attendees, including removing an individual from the conference without warning or refund. Appropriate sanctions also will be taken toward any individual who knowingly makes a false allegation of harassment.

Network of Advocates

There will always be at least one trained ToC advocate at every HALG in attendance. If you feel that you have experienced harassment or witness an incident involving harassment, you are encouraged to approach the ToC advocate in attendance about the matter. That person can

• provide support and advice to navigate the situation,
• take measures to help ensure your safety if you feel at risk,
• explain to you what procedures are available to you to make a formal complaint should you decide to do that.
• The ToC advocate will keep the matter strictly confidential if you request, although some ToC advocates are under mandatory reporting obligations if the ToC advocate and the person accused are from the same institution. If for some reason you do not wish to approach one of the attending ToC advocates regarding a harassment incident, it is also possible to contact the conference chair or any steering committee member.

The ToC advocates for HALG 2024 is: Merav Parter

Reporting Unacceptable Behavior at Conference Activities

In the event of unacceptable behavior, the best people to approach are the ToC advocates attending the conference. If you feel uncomfortable approaching any of the ToC advocates present, then you can approach the conference chair or the members of the HALG steering committee. These individuals can provide information about the process for handling complaints or handling immediate onsite needs.