Sasha is the open problems chair for both COLT and ICML. Open problems will be presented in a joint session in the evening of the COLT/ICML overlap day. COLT has a history of open sessions, but this is new for ICML. If you have a difficult theoretically definable problem in machine learning, consider submitting it for review, due March 16. You’ll benefit three ways:
- The effort of writing down a precise formulation of what you want often helps you understand the nature of the problem.
- Your problem will be officially published and citable.
- You might have it solved by some very intelligent bored people.
The general idea could easily be applied to any problem which can be crisply stated with an easily verifiable solution, and we may consider expanding this in later years, but for this year all problems need to be of a theoretical variety.
Joelle and I (and Mahdi, and Laurent) finished an initial assignment of Program Committee and Area Chairs to papers. We’ll be updating instructions for the PC and ACs as we field questions. Feel free to comment here on things of plausible general interest, but email us directly with specific concerns.