Excursions in Algorithmics: A Late Festschrift for Franco P. Preparata Brown University, October 27-28, 2006

Acknowledgments

Financial support for the workshop is provided in part by the Department of Computer Science and the Center for Geometric Computing at Brown University and by IAM Technologies, Inc..

Registration

Please register no later than October 9, 2006 to get the early registration discount. Registrations received after October 22, 2006 will be accepted subject to space availability.

Go to the registration website.

Location and Directions

The workshop will be held on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. The technical sessions will be held in the Thomas J. Watson Sr. Center for Information Technology (the CIT building), home of the Department of Computer Science. The CIT is located at 115 Waterman Street. This street number corresponds to the delivery entrance. The main entrance is in the South West corner of the building, facing a pedestrian zone. Directions to the CIT can be found here.

Accommodation

We recommend reserving a room at following preferred hotel in downtown Providence.

• Courtyard Providence Downtown. The Courtyard is a comfortable hotel for business travelers, featuring large rooms and free high-speed Internet access. Note that the hotel is 100% nonsmoking.

  A block of rooms at has been reserved at the discounted rate of $149 per night plus tax (about 13%). This rate is valid for check-in on October 26 or 27 and checkout no later than October 29. Reservations at this rate must be made by September 26, 2006 and must be guaranteed with a credit card. Cancellation must be made at least 72 hours prior to arrival in order to avoid a no-show charge of one night's room and tax. To make a reservation online, go to the secure reservations website, and enter group code EIAEIAA. To make a reservation by phone, call +1-888-887-7955 or +1-401-272-1191 and mention group Excursions in Algorithmics.

Alternative hotels are as follows

• Westin Providence. Member of the upscale Westin chain. Recently built and 100% nonsmoking.
• Providence Biltmore. Classic hotel, established in 1922. Recently renovated.

All the above hotels are about one mile from the Brown campus, a 20-30 minute walk ... uphill, or a 10-minute $10 taxi ride. Frequent buses (including the environmentally-friendly Green Line Trolley) from nearby Kennedy Plaza to the Tunnel & Thayer Street stop on campus are also available. See the RIPTA website for schedule information.

We plan to provide transportation between the Courtyard and campus in the morning of Friday, at the end of the banquet on Friday, and in the morning of Saturday.

Parking

Parking on campus is scarce and there is a 2-hour limit between 8:00am and 6:00 pm on most streets on campus, seldom enforced if one parks after 2:30 pm though. If you are coming to campus by car, we recommend that you park in the visitor's lot on Brook Street, opposite from the CIT. You will get a discount on the rate by having the parking ticket validated at the registration desk. The validated rate for four hours or more is $12. Make sure to pay or move out your car before the closing time of the lot (5:45 pm) to avoid a fine.

Alternatively, free parking is available in the residential neighborhoods East, North or South of campus, about 0.75 miles away. Note that overnight parking (between 2am and 6am) on public streets is forbidden in the entire city of Providence.

Travel to Providence

• PVD Airport: The most convenient airport is T. F. Green Airport (PVD) located 11 miles (about 20 minutes drive time) south of Providence. PVD is served by all the major US airlines and by Air Canada. A taxi ride between PVD airport and campus or downtown Providence costs about $32 (plus tip). Airport Van Shuttle: 401-736-1900. provides hourly service between PVD airport and Providence, stopping at major hotels and the Brown campus.
• BOS Airport: Logan Airport (BOS) in Boston may be convenient for nonstop cost-to-coast and international flights. BOS is 51 miles from Providence. From BOS, one can reach Providence by direct bus service (see below) or by a combination of subway to South Station (see the MBTA website) and train or bus (see the rail and bus information below). The drive time between Providence and BOS is typically between one and two hours, depending on traffic.
• Rail: Amtrak trains serving the Northeastern corridor (between Washington and Boston) stop in Providence. Also, MBTA Commuter Rail runs between South Station in Boston and Providence (Attleboro/Providence line).
• Bus: Peter Pan Bonanza Bus provides service between Boston and Providence and between Logan and Providence.