[Apologies for cross-posting]

*IMPORTANT NOTE: We are continuously monitoring the COVID-19 situation from local authorities and the World Health Organization. ICLP 2020 is half a year away, and we are confident that COVID-19 emergency will pass over and the conference will be held in September, as planned. And, if necessary, alternative solutions, such as postponement, remote presentations, etc will be looked into and identified.*

*** Call for Papers *** ICLP 2020 The 36th International Conference on Logic Programming September 18 - September 24, 2020 University of Calabria, Rende, Italy https://iclp2020.unical.it

The 36th International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP 2020) will take place from the 18th to the 24nd of September 2020 in Rende (CS), Italy, with the main program starting immediately after the sister conference KR 2020. Since the first conference held in Marseille in 1982, ICLP has been the premier international event for presenting research in logic programming.

Scope ===== Contributions are solicited in all areas of logic programming and related areas, including but not restricted to:

• Foundations: Semantics, Formalisms, Answer-Set Programming, Non-monotonic Reasoning, Knowledge Representation. • Declarative Programming: Inference engines, Analysis, Type and mode inference, Partial evaluation, Abstract interpretation, Transformation, Validation, Verification, Debugging, Profiling, Testing, Logic-based domain-specific languages, constraint handling rules. • Related Paradigms and Synergies: Inductive and Co-inductive Logic Programming, Constraint Logic Programming, Interaction with SAT, SMT and CSP solvers, Logic programming techniques for type inference and theorem proving, Argumentation, Probabilistic Logic Programming, Relations to object-oriented and Functional programming, Description logics, Neural-Symbolic Machine Learning, Hybrid Deep Learning and Symbolic Reasoning. • Implementation: Concurrency and distribution, Objects, Coordination, Mobility, Virtual machines, Compilation, Higher Order, Type systems, Modules, Constraint handling rules, Meta-programming, Foreign interfaces, User interfaces. • Applications: Databases, Big Data, Data Integration and Federation, Software Engineering, Natural Language Processing, Web and Semantic Web, Agents, Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics, Education, Computational life sciences, Education, Cybersecurity, and Robotics.

Tracks and Special Sessions =========================== Besides the main track, ICLP 2020 will host additional tracks and special sessions:

• Applications Track: This track invites submissions of papers on emerging and deployed applications of LP, describing all aspects of the development, deployment, and evaluation of logic programming systems to solve real-world problems, including interesting case studies and benchmarks, and discussing lessons learned. • Sister Conferences and Journal Presentation Track: This track provides a forum to discuss important results related to logic programming that appeared recently (from January 2017 onwards) in selective journals and conferences but have not been previously presented at ICLP. • Special Session: Women in Logic Programming: This special session will include invited talks and presentations by women in logic programming. • Research Challenges in Logic Programming Track: This track invites submissions of papers describing research challenges that an individual researcher or a research group is currently attacking. The goal of the track is to promote discussions, exchange of ideas, and possibly stimulate new collaborations. Papers submitted to this track do not go through the usual review and will not be published in the proceedings – they will be distributed at the conference as a technical report. Every of the above four tracks will have its own dedicated chairs, PC, evaluation criteria, and CFP with related submission details (see the specific call for papers).

In addition to the presentations of accepted papers, the technical program will include invited talks, advanced tutorials, the doctoral consortium, and several workshops.

Submission Details ================== All submissions must be made via the EasyChair conference system: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=iclp20200.

Regular papers must be in the condensed TPLP format (template here) and not exceed 14 pages including bibliography. Regular papers may be supplemented with appendices for proofs and details of datasets which do not count towards the page limit and which will not be made available as appendices to the published paper.

Three kinds of regular papers will be accepted: • Technical papers for technically sound, innovative ideas that can advance the state of logic programming; • Application papers that impact interesting application domains; • System and tool papers which emphasize novelty, practicality, usability, and availability of the systems and tools described. Application, system, and tool papers need to be clearly marked in their title.

All submissions must be written in English and describe original, previously unpublished research, and must not simultaneously be submitted for publication elsewhere. These restrictions do not apply to previously accepted workshop papers with a limited audience and/or without archival proceedings.

Papers of the highest quality will be selected to be published in the journal of Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP), Cambridge University Press (CUP). In order to ensure the quality of the final version, papers may be subject to more than one round of refereeing (within the decision period).

The program committee may recommend some regular papers to be published as Technical communications in EPTCS format (http://info.eptcs.org). Technical communications must not exceed 14 pages, including the bibliography. The authors of the technical communications can also elect to convert their submissions into extended abstracts, of 2 or 3 pages, for inclusion in the EPTCS proceedings. This should allow authors to submit a long version elsewhere.

All regular papers and technical communications will be presented during the conference. So, at least one author per accepted paper is expected to register and attend the conference. Authors of accepted papers will, by default, be automatically included in the list of ALP members, who will receive quarterly updates from the Logic Programming Newsletter at no cost.

Important Dates =============== Abstract registration (regular papers): May 8, 2020 Paper submission (regular paper): May 15, 2020 Notification to authors (regular paper): June 19, 2020 Paper Submission (short papers): June 30, 2020 Revision submission (TPLP papers): July 6, 2020 Final notifications (TPLP papers): July 17, 2020 Camera-ready copy due: July 27, 2020 Main Conference starts: September 19, 2020

Autumn School on Logic Programming ================================== A school on logic programming will be held before the conference. More up to date information is available at the school web page.

Doctoral Consortium =================== The 16th Doctoral Consortium (DC) on Logic Programming provides students with the opportunity to present and discuss their research directions, and to obtain feedback from both peers and experts in the field. Accepted participants will receive partial financial support to attend the event and the main conference. The best paper from the DC will be given the opportunity to make a presentation in a session of the main ICLP conference. The DC will have its own CFP, including the submission details. For information, please visit the DC Web Page.

Workshops ========= The ICLP 2020 program will include several workshops. They are perhaps the best places for the presentation of preliminary work, underdeveloped novel ideas, and new open problems to an interested audience with opportunities for intensive discussions and project collaborations.

Tutorials ========= The ICLP 2020 program will include several tutorials. They offer the participants, reviews of specific subfields as well as hands-on sessions by leading experts.

Conference Organization ======================= General Chairs: • Sergio Greco, University of Calabria, Italy • Nicola Leone, University of Calabria, Italy

Program Chairs: • Francesco Ricca, University of Calabria, Italy • Alessandra Russo, Imperial College London

Organizing Chairs: • Marco Calautti, University of Calabria, Italy • Carmine Dodaro, University of Calabria, Italy

Publicity Chair: • Laura Pandolfo, University of Sassari, Italy