AofA Bylaws

For the purpose of this document, the following abbreviations hold:

• AofA International Conference or Workshop on Probabilistic, Combinatorial and Asymptotic Methods in the Analysis of Algorithms
• FLC Flajolet Lecture Committee
• PC Program Committee
• SC Steering Committee

Part I. Generalities

Bylaw 1 (Meaning of AofA)

AofA’s subject matter covers probabilistic, combinatorial, and asymptotic methods in the analysis of algorithms, as well as related fields, including (but not limited to) analytic and enumerative combinatorics, random structures, stochastic processes, discrete probability, computer algebra, probabilistic algorithms, and algorithm design.

Bylaw 2 (Conference and Workshop Periodicity)

AofA sponsors biannual conferences, usually held in even-numbered years, and biannual workshops, usually held in odd-numbered years.

Part II. Steering Committee

Bylaw 3 (Composition of Steering Committee)

The SC for AofA consists of:

• The three last PC Chairs of an AofA conference. These members will be referred to as “PC Chair members”.

• Three members-at-large.

Each member of the SC serves for a period of six years. Members can only serve a subsequent term after a hiatus of at least two years.

Bylaw 4 (PC Chair Members Renewal)

At the end of the business meeting at each AofA conference, the PC Chair becomes a PC Chair member of the SC in substitution of the longest serving PC Chair member of the SC. In the case where the PC Chair is a serving SC member-at-large they must resign from their member-at-large position. In the case that the PC Chair role is shared among co-chairs, the SC will ask their opinions and choose one of them to serve on the SC. If a vacancy occurs among the PC Chair members for any other reason, then the place is filled by the last PC Chair not already in the SC, until the end of the business meeting at the next AofA conference.

Bylaw 5 (Members-at-large Renewal)

At least 3 months prior to the next AofA conference, the SC must choose a replacement to fill the member-at-large position. Replacement takes place at the end of the upcoming AofA business meeting. If there is a vacancy among the members-at-large for any other reason, the SC must choose a replacement for the remainder of the term.

Bylaw 6 (Steering Committee Chair)

The SC chair is responsible for conducting the business of the SC, including formal balloting on controversial points.

The SC chair is the longest serving SC member-at-large. If the longest serving SC member is unwilling to serve as SC chair, the SC elects another SC member as the SC chair.

Controversy amongst the SC members on how to best fulfill the SC’s responsibilities may be resolved by formal balloting at the request of any of the SC members. The SC chair’s vote breaks ties.

Bylaw 7 (Responsibilities of the Steering Committee)

It is the SC’s obligation to ensure that there is an appropriate location for holding AofA conferences and workshops. Other SC responsibilities are:

• Collecting requests for holding AofA conferences and workshops. The SC can request proposals. A site proposal must:
  1. Specify a city for conference location (no geographical location is a priori deemed inappropriate);
  2. Specify a Conference PC Chair/Workshop Chair or two Co-Chairs.

• Announcing the next AofA’s location and Conference PC Chair/Workshop Chair. A preliminary decision will be made at each AofA for the meeting two years hence and a formal announcement of the time and place posted in the AofA mailing list eighteen months prior to the event.

• Appointing AofA’s Electronic Secretary at least once every five years. The Electronic Secretary is responsible for maintaining the AofA mailing list, for maintaining the AofA website, and for ensuring consistency and appropriate cross-linking between the Conference/Workshop and AofA websites.

• Replacing vacant SC positions either due to resignation or unwillingness to fulfil SC responsibilities, expressed by the member themself.

• Reporting during every Conference business meeting of all agreements it has reached (concerning past and future activities) since the last Conference business meeting took place.

All changes to the customary AofA format and procedures, which are outlined in this document, must be approved by the SC. The decision of the SC is binding.

Part III. AofA Conferences

Bylaw 8 (AofA Conferences)

AofA is a 4-5 day conference to be held each even-numbered year, usually in late spring or early summer.

Bylaw 9 (PC Chair)

The PC Chair carries the overall responsibilities for the AofA conference. The PC Chair

• appoints a PC in consultation with the SC. The PC should include one member of the SC, who can keep the SC informed about PC deliberations.

• publishes a timetable for the Conference. This timetable includes the dates at which certain tasks are to be completed, and who is responsible for those tasks, such as preparing and publicizing the Call for Papers, raising external funds for the Conference, negotiating and signing a contract with the local facility, reviewing submitted papers and announcing decisions, preparing and publicizing the advance program, and preparing the final program and the registration.

• is responsible for providing the SC with copies of all public documents related to the Conference.

If a PC Chair becomes incapable of working on a meeting, the SC substitutes them with a new PC Chair.

Bylaw 10 (Submissions)

AofA solicits, reviews, and publishes papers describing original research which at the time of their submission to AofA have not been submitted to any other conference or scientific journal. The papers are submitted about one half year before the Conference and reviewed by the PC. Submissions are reviewed by at least three specialists in the subject, possibly PC members; external reviewers are allowed. Both PC members and external reviewers should be notified that submissions are to be treated as confidential; the content (and even the existence) of a submission is not to be publicly revealed nor used in any way for the research of PC members or external reviewers.

Submissions by PC members are allowed, but submissions by PC Chairs are not.

Accepted papers are published in Proceedings that are available at the Conference. Publication of a special issue of a journal dedicated to the conference should be arranged.

Bylaw 11 (Hybrid mode)

The talks are made available on-line, if possible. Invited speakers are expected to participate on-site. The same rule applies to all the other speakers, with very few exceptions.

Bylaw 12 (Program)

The program must include five to nine invited plenary speakers, who may publish their presentations as papers in the Proceedings. The PC Chair must request from the SC and PC a list of candidates for invited speakers. It is the PC Chair’s privilege and responsibility to make the final choice amongst the candidates, but they must seek formal approval by the SC. At least half of the speakers must work in core AofA research areas. The program may be framed in adjacent days by tutorials, workshops, user meetings, and other events. The program must include a business meeting.

Each conference will open with a Flajolet Lecture (see Bylaw 12).

Bylaw 13 (Flajolet Lectures)

Each AofA conference will open with a Flajolet Lecture, delivered by an established leading figure in research in the field.

The FLC, a committee of three distinguished scientists, will select the Flajolet Lecturer. The composition of the FLC is public.

The FLC is appointed by the SC. Committee members are appointed for three conferences (normally 6 years), staggered such that one new member is appointed after each conference. Vacancies are filled by the SC for the rest of the term. A member of the FLC may not be reappointed immediately.

The longest serving member of the FLC is the chair. If this member cannot serve as the chair, the SC may appoint another member as chair.

At least 3 months before the workshop preceding the conference, the FLC Chair is responsible for inviting all members of the AofA community to submit nominations to the FLC. The FLC sends their choice to the SC for approval one month before the announcement. The selected Flajolet Lecturer should normally be announced during the workshop.

Part IV. AofA Workshops

Bylaw 14 (AofA Workshops)

AofA workshops are informal gatherings held each odd-numbered year, usually in late spring or early summer.

The purpose of workshops is to stimulate research in the field by

1. providing a regular forum for researchers to come and exchange ideas;
2. attracting prominent people from related areas to the field.

Bylaw 15 (Workshop Chair)

The Workshop Chair:

• requests from the SC a list of candidates for invited lectures;
• complements that list with other invited lectures, getting approval for them by the SC;
• develops the program, leaving one slot for the business meeting;
• plans a limited number of contributed talks;
• publicizes the workshop;
• makes sure that accommodations for students are available.

Part V. Bylaw on the bylaws

Bylaw 16 (Amendments)

These bylaws can be amended by ballot at AofA’s business meeting. Any amendment needs 2/3 of the casted vote. AofA authors of one or more of the three preceding AofA Conferences are entitled to vote by mail within one month before the meeting at which the amendment is voted on. Votes are to be sent to the SC.

The SC should formally propose amendments two months in advance of the next Conference/Workshop business meeting, publish the proposals on the Conference/Workshop website and post it to the AofA mailing list in order to allow ample time for their discussion.

Document version: June 18, 2024. Approved at the business meeting of AofA2024.