Call For Papers

SOFSEM (SOFtware SEMinar) is an annual international winter conference devoted to the theory and practice of computer science, where the latest results and developments in academic and industrial research in leading areas of computer science are presented. SOFSEM has a long-standing tradition of facilitating discussions and collegial interactions. It is well-known for its familiar and inspiring atmosphere and as a meeting place for active and leading computer scientists. The program will consist of invited talks by prominent researchers, contributed talks selected from the submitted papers, and the Student Research Forum.

Tracks

SOFSEM 2021 consists of four tracks covering major sub-areas of computer science. Each track has its own program chair and program committee for peer review and feedback to authors. Please select the appropriate track of SOFSEM 2021 for your contribution.

Foundations of Computer Science

This track is devoted to the recognized core areas of foundational computer science including the theories and application of algorithms and their complexity, automata and languages, computability, data analytics, formal models, intelligent systems, programming semantics, science-inspired computing and foundations of information and software systems. Original contributions showing the value of fundamental research in areas like artificial intelligence and data science are welcome as well.

Topics include (but are not limited to):

Algorithms and data structures
Automata and formal languages
Complexity theory
Computability theory
Cryptography and security
Graphs and networks
Machine learning
Non-classical models of computing
Theory of databases, semi-structured data, and finite model theory
Theory of programming languages

Foundations of Software Engineering

This track presents and discusses the research on novel and innovative methods and technologies in the broader field of software engineering, including both software product and development process aspects. The track explores theories, methods and tools aiming at significantly increasing both the quality of software-intensive systems and the productivity of software development. The track promotes the discussion and interaction among researchers and practitioners on innovations and experiences for various challenges in software engineering.

Topics include (but are not limited to):

Methods and tools for improved software processes
Software architecture of complex software-intensive systems
Requirements Engineering
Model-based software engineering methods and tools
Data-driven improvement of methods, models, and tools
Methods and tools for software engineering applications
Empirical Software Engineering
Software architectures for self-adaptive and self-optimizing systems
Methods and models for cloud and edge-cloud systems
AI in modern software systems
Trustworthiness and qualities of modern software systems

Foundations of Data Science and Engineering

This track is devoted to all aspects of eliciting, acquiring, modeling, storing, managing, processing, and analyzing data, with a special reference to large-scale datasets. Contributions concerning the nature of data, the techniques used for data management and analysis, the theory for extracting information from data, machine learning for data management, and the principles for data intensive computing are welcome.

Topics include (but are not limited to):

Data Models and Query Languages
Data Integration and Interoperability
Query Processing and Optimization
Spatial, Temporal, Multimedia Data
Web- and Graph-based Data
Probabilistic and Uncertain Data
Information Extraction and Retrieval
Data Privacy, Security, and Trust
Distributed, Parallel, and P2P Data Processing and Management
Data Semantics and Linked Data

Foundations of Algorithmic Computational Biology

This track is devoted to complexity and algorithmic novelties to solve problems in computational biology. More precisely, it aims at displaying research using graph algorithms, string algorithms and combinatorial optimization to deal with problems arising from biology. Papers may be purely theoretical contributions with limited biological application, or a mixture of theoretical and experimental contributions, with a relevant algorithmic part.

Topics include (but are not limited to):

Alignment and assembly of sequences
Biological networks
Cancer genomics
Comparative genomics
Gene expression
Phylogenetics
Sequence analysis
System biology

Selected papers from the track on Foundations of Algorithmic Computational Biology are considered for a journal special issue in Algorithms [more].

Submission Guidelines

We solicit papers that describe original research works that are relevant to the tracks listed above and not published or under review elsewhere. Papers must be submitted electronically via Easychair in Springer format (max 12 pages). Submitted papers will undergo a peer review process. [more]

Proceedings

The proceedings will be published by Springer in the ARCoSS/LNCS series.

Venue

The SOFSEM 2021 Conference will be hosted at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. Bozen-Bolzano is the capital city of the Province of South Tyrol located in the heart of the Alps. The city is famous for the 5000 year old iceman "Ötzi" in the archaeological museum and as an entrance to the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [more]