Imre Simon

1. A Personal View: String Matching & The Birth of LATIN Ricardo Baeza-Yates Yahoo! Research Uchile & UPF Imre Simon

2. String Matching • Knuth-Morris-Pratt string matching algorithm

3. Simon's Algorithm • What about a DFA? • There are less than 2m trivial transitions! Invented in the 80's and finally published In 1993

4. The Birth of LATIN in 1992 • 1990: • ”the idea of the LATIN conference series was born during a conversation I had with Gruska at the Maison du Canada in Cité Universitaire (Paris) where we both lived at the time” • January 1991: First LATIN PC is assembled • February 1991: First Call for Papers • August 1991: 66 papers submitted from 26 countries, 32 later accepted (48%)

5. Thinking Ahead • September 1991: Imre proposes me to organize LATIN'93 or 94 (but SCCC 1991) • October 1991: First email to the SC list • ”we discussed the value of epsilon in LATIN'(92+epsilon). The value reached so far is zero (meaning that the next LATIN is in 2092). The main problem is that we did not yet find somebody suitable willing to organize the next meeting. Just for the record, the other values of epsilon under discussion are 1, 2 and 5. We would much appreciate your comments in this regard.” • October 29, 1991: I finally meet him

6. LATIN 1992 in Sao Paulo • 6-10 April/1992: 11 invited speakers, around 120 people • Many people here today attended • Joaquim, Daniel, Andrea, myself, etc.

7. Keeping LATIN Alive • Spring 1993: He convinces me to do it in 1995 • Fall 1993: He declines to be the PC Chair • ”Thanks for the invitation. But I think that the Chair should be either yourself or Eric or both. I think it is important that more people acquire the know-how of this business. It is also important, at least in the beginning, that the local people have both the oportunity and the necessity of doing this work. It helps to feel the need to advertize very strongly first and later you have no possible doubts that the conference IS coming! Do think about this!”

8. Supporting LATIN 95 • March 1994: ”Ricardo, as we say it around here: Fé em Deus e pé na tábua.” • This is a Brazilian expression that means Faith in God and "step on it", meaning "keep moving". • Summer 1994: sends seed money from LATIN 92 surplus • April 3-7, 1995: LATIN'95 in Valparaíso, Chile with 68 papers from 22 countries, 38 accepted (56%), 5 invited speakers, about 130 people

9. 2010: Alex Lopez-Ortiz 2008: Eduardo Laber 2006: Marcos Kiwi 2004: Martin Farach-Colton, Pablo Martinez 2002: Edgar Chavez, Sergio Rajsbaum 2000: Daniel Panario, Gastón Gonnet, Alfredo Viola 1998: Claudio Lucchesi, Arnaldo Moura 1995: Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Eric Goles 1992: Imre Simon A Bit of History • PC of 1992: • Ricardo Baeza-Yates • Walter Cunto • Joachim von zur Gathen • Eric Goles • Martin Groetschel • Jozef Gruska • Juhani Karhumaki • Claudio L. Lucchesi • Dominique Perrin • Joel Seiferas • Jeff Shallit • Imre Simon (Chair) • Janos Simon • Siang Wun Song • Jayme Szwarcfiter • William T. Trotter

10. 2010: Alex Lopez-Ortiz 2008: Eduardo Laber 2006: Marcos Kiwi 2004: Martin Farach-Colton, Pablo Martinez 2002: Edgar Chavez, Sergio Rajsbaum 2000: Daniel Panario, Gastón Gonnet, Alfredo Viola 1998: Claudio Lucchesi, Arnaldo Moura 1995: Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Eric Goles 1992: Imre Simon The Hidden Connection • PC of 1992: • Ricardo Baeza-Yates • Walter Cunto • Joachim von zur Gathen • Eric Goles • Martin Groetschel • Jozef Gruska • Juhani Karhumaki • Claudio L. Lucchesi • Dominique Perrin • Joel Seiferas • Jeff Shallit • Imre Simon (Chair) • Janos Simon • Siang Wun Song • Jayme Szwarcfiter • William T. Trotter

11. Always There • In early emails was possible to see his computer name: • Mafalda, truly Latin American! • Always supporting the LATIN SC: • Last email that I have is from June 2005 • 2004: His 60 years, RAIRO special issue • 2008: Last time I saw him ....

12. Imre Simon • August 14, 1943 – August 13, 2009