Abstracts Submission

Talks in Special Sessions are generally by invitation of the organizers. It is recommended that you contact an organizer before submitting an abstract for a Special Session. Talks should be of 30 minutes duration, unless an invitation to give a longer plenary or keynote talk has been given. For those not speaking in a Special Session, there will be poster sessions Wednesday—Friday.

Abstracts for talks and posters must be submitted through the AMS website at /cgi-bin/abstracts/abstract.pl. The submission deadline for all abstracts is January 31, 2008.

Conference Location

All scientific sessions and events will take place at the Instituto Nacional de Matemtica Pura e Aplicada (IMPA), Estrada D. Castorina 110, Jardim Botanico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22460-320, Brazil, telephone 011-55-21-2529-5000, fax: 011-55-21-2512-4115, email: info@impa.br; from Wednesday through Saturday, June 4 to 7, 2008. IMPA is located near the lovely botanical gardens in Rio.

Local Information/Tourism

See http://www.impa.br/opencms/en/institucional/localizacao.html for a local map. There are many websites that offer general information about Brazil and Rio de Janeiro: its history, culture, and travelers tips. You may wish to view several of the links found at http://www.fodors.com, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/south-america/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/, http://www.world66.com/southamerica/brazil/riodejaneiro, http://www.wikitravel.org/en/Rio_de_Janeiro_(city).

Exchange rates at the time this announcement went to press were US\$1= R\$1.78 (Brazilian Real). See http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic for up-to-date rates.

The majority of ATMs only accept Brazilian-issued credit and debit cards. The ATMs at the international airport work, sometimes, but if they dont, you should exchange cash for the local currency (reals) at the airport kiosk to get taxi fare. Banks usually give the best rates; however, as in any large, metropolitan world-class city, it is not advisable to carry large amounts of cash on your person.

Accommodations, Registration, and Conference Dinner

On-line registration is available at http://www.impa.br/opencms/pt/eventos/store/evento_0021.html. The registration fee will be US\$50 (or R\$90) for post-docs or professors and US\$20 (or R\$36) for students to be paid at the conference site. Unfortunately no credit cards or international checks can be accepted. All participants are encouraged to register in advance and as early as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made for hotel accommodations. See http://www.impa.br/opencms/pt/eventos/store/evento_0021.html?link=4 for information about hotels in English. Hotel reservations for the duration of the event may be contracted through micheleleite@cmoeventos.com.br.

During the conference, complete meals at various prices are available during lunchtime in the IMPA cafeteria. Snack foods and sandwiches are available throughout the day.

The conference dinner will be held on Thursday, June 5. Location and cost will be announced at a later date.

Travel

Visitors from North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) who are not citizens of the European Union or Mercosur (Southern Common Market) countries are required to have visas to enter Brazil; the cost for a visa is US\$100, subject to change. You should contact the Brazilian Consulate nearest to you (see http://www.brasilemb.org/consulado/consular_jurisdictions.shtml for the current list) as soon as possible, as procedures vary by consulate. If you find that you need a letter of invitation, please request one from Mrs. Suely Lima at IMPA at dac@impa.br.

Participants should plan to arrive at Galeo-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG). See http://www.worldairportguide.com/airport/405/airport_guide/South-America/Rio-de-Janeiro-Gale%E3o-Antonio-Carlos-Jobim-International-Airport.html for information about the airport and its services.

It is suggested that you take a taxi to IMPA or your hotel. You are advised to use the official taxis available at the airport booths before exiting the restricted area just after customs. The cost is about R\$80.

Weather

While June is the beginning of the winter in Brazil, temperatures usually range from 66° F to 77° F, with rainfall of about 3.2 inches for the month, so there are lots of sunny days without much humidity.