During September 13-17, 2014 Ljubljana hosted the 13th International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving from Nature (PPSN XIII). This biennial scientific conference, organized each time in a different county, brings together researchers and practitioners from the field of Natural Computing.
Natural Computing is the study of computational systems that use ideas and get inspiration from natural systems, including biological, ecological, physical, chemical, and social systems. It is a fast-growing interdisciplinary field in which a range of techniques and methods are studied for dealing with complex and dynamic optimization problems under conditions of uncertainty.
PPSN 2014 was a showcase of a wide range of topics in Natural Computing including Evolutionary Computing, Neurocomputing, Molecular Computing, Quantum Computing, Artificial Life, Swarm Intelligence, Artificial Ant Systems, Artificial Immune Systems, Self-Organizing Systems, Emergent Behavior, and their applications in science, engineering and business. In addition to keynote and regular presentations, the conference featured workshops and tutorials covering advanced topics in the field of natural computing.
The conference was attended by 180 participants from 28 countries world-wide. It was organized by researchers from the Jožef Stefan Institute being praised by the PPSN Steering Committee as well as the conference participants for excellent organization. Both have also acknowledged the technical equipment and the accessibility of the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre as the conference venue.
Prof. Bogdan Filipič, PPSN XIII General Chair