This graduate level text is distinguished both by the range of topics and the novelty of the material it treats--more than half of the material in it has previously only appeared in research papers. The first half of this book introduces the characteristic and matchings polynomials of a graph. It is instructive to consider these polynomials together because they have a number of properties in common. The matchings polynomial has links with a number of problems in combinatorial enumeration, particularly some of the current work on the combinatorics of orthogonal polynomials. This connection is discussed at some length, and is also in part the stimulus for the inclusion of chapters on orthogonal polynomials and formal power series. Many of the properties of orthogonal polynomials are derived from properties of characteristic polynomials. The second half of the book introduces the theory of polynomial spaces, which provide easy access to a number of important results in design theory, coding theory and the theory of association schemes. This book should be of interest to second year graduate text/reference in mathematics.

This book contains the extended abstracts presented at the 12th International Conference on Power Series and Algebraic Combinatorics (FPSAC '00) that took place at Moscow State University, June 26-30, 2000. These proceedings cover the most recent trends in algebraic and bijective combinatorics, including classical combinatorics, combinatorial computer algebra, combinatorial identities, combinatorics of classical groups, Lie algebra and quantum groups, enumeration, symmetric functions, young tableaux etc...

In their preface, the editors describe algebraic combinatorics as the area of combinatorics concerned with exact, as opposed to approximate, results and which puts emphasis on interaction with other areas of mathematics, such as algebra, topology, geometry, and physics. It is a vibrant area, which saw several major developments in recent years. The goal of the 2022 conference Open Problems in Algebraic Combinatorics 2022 was to provide a forum for exchanging promising new directions and ideas. The current volume includes contributions coming from the talks at the conference, as well as a few other contributions written specifically for this volume. The articles cover the majority of topics in algebraic combinatorics with the aim of presenting recent important research results and also important open problems and conjectures encountered in this research. The editors hope that this book will facilitate the exchange of ideas in algebraic combinatorics.

Algebra, as we know it today, consists of many different ideas, concepts and results. A reasonable estimate of the number of these different items would be somewhere between 50,000 and 200,000. Many of these have been named and many more could (and perhaps should) have a name or a convenient designation. Even the nonspecialist is likely to encounter most of these, either somewhere in the literature, disguised as a definition or a theorem or to hear about them and feel the need for more information. If this happens, one should be able to find enough information in this Handbook to judge if it is worthwhile to pursue the quest. In addition to the primary information given in the Handbook, there are references to relevant articles, books or lecture notes to help the reader. An excellent index has been included which is extensive and not limited to definitions, theorems etc. The Handbook of Algebra will publish articles as they are received and thus the reader will find in this third volume articles from twelve different sections. The advantages of this scheme are two-fold: accepted articles will be published quickly and the outline of the Handbook can be allowed to evolve as the various volumes are published. A particularly important function of the Handbook is to provide professional mathematicians working in an area other than their own with sufficient information on the topic in question if and when it is needed.- Thorough and practical source of information - Provides in-depth coverage of new topics in algebra - Includes references to relevant articles, books and lecture notes

This volume consists of thirteen papers on algebraic combinatorics and related areas written by leading experts around the world. There are four survey papers illustrating the following currently active branches of algebraic combinatorics: vertex operator algebras, spherical designs, Kerdock codes and related combinatorial objects, and geometry of matrices. The remaining nine papers are original research articles covering a wide range of disciplines, from classical topics such as permutation groups and finite geometry, to modern topics such as spin models and invariants of 3-manifolds. Two papers occupy nearly half the volume and present a comprehensive account of new concepts: ``Combinatorial Cell Complexes'' by M. Aschbacher and ``Quantum Matroids'' by P. Terwilliger. Terwilliger's theory of quantum matroids unites a part of the theory of finite geometries and a part of the theory of distance-regular graphs--great progess is expected in this field. K. Nomura's paper bridges the classical and the modern by establishing a connection between certain bipartite distance-regular graphs and spin models. All contributors to this volume were invited speakers at the conference ``Algebraic Combinatorics'' in Fukuoka, Japan (1993) and participated in the Research Institute in the Mathematical Sciences (RIMS) research project on algebraic combinatorics held at Kyoto University in 1994.

Because of the inteplay among many fields of mathematics and science, algebraic combinatorics is an area in which a wide variety of ideas and methods come together. The papers in this volume reflect the most interesting aspects of this rich interaction and will be of interest to researchers in discrete mathematics and combinatorial systems.

Because of the interplay among many fields of mathematics and science, algebraic combinatorics is an area in which a wide variety of ideas and methods come together. The papers in this volume reflect the most interesting aspects of this rich interaction, and will be of interest to researchers in discrete mathematics and combinatorial systems.

Praise for the First Edition “This excellent text should prove a useful accoutrement for any developing mathematics program . . . it’s short, it’s sweet, it’s beautifully written.” —The Mathematical Intelligencer “Erickson has prepared an exemplary work . . . strongly recommended for inclusion in undergraduate-level library collections.” —Choice Featuring a modern approach, Introduction to Combinatorics, Second Edition illustrates the applicability of combinatorial methods and discusses topics that are not typically addressed in literature, such as Alcuin’s sequence, Rook paths, and Leech’s lattice. The book also presents fundamental results, discusses interconnection and problem-solving techniques, and collects and disseminates open problems that raise questions and observations. Many important combinatorial methods are revisited and repeated several times throughout the book in exercises, examples, theorems, and proofs alike, allowing readers to build confidence and reinforce their understanding of complex material. In addition, the author successfully guides readers step-by-step through three major achievements of combinatorics: Van der Waerden’s theorem on arithmetic progressions, Pólya’s graph enumeration formula, and Leech’s 24-dimensional lattice. Along with updated tables and references that reflect recent advances in various areas, such as error-correcting codes and combinatorial designs, the Second Edition also features: Many new exercises to help readers understand and apply combinatorial techniques and ideas A deeper, investigative study of combinatorics through exercises requiring the use of computer programs Over fifty new examples, ranging in level from routine to advanced, that illustrate important combinatorial concepts Basic principles and theories in combinatorics as well as new and innovative results in the field Introduction to Combinatorics, Second Edition is an ideal textbook for a one- or two-semester sequence in combinatorics, graph theory, and discrete mathematics at the upper-undergraduate level. The book is also an excellent reference for anyone interested in the various applications of elementary combinatorics.

This book is dedicated to the structure and combinatorics of classical Hopf algebras. Its main focus is on commutative and cocommutative Hopf algebras, such as algebras of representative functions on groups and enveloping algebras of Lie algebras, as explored in the works of Borel, Cartier, Hopf and others in the 1940s and 50s. The modern and systematic treatment uses the approach of natural operations, illuminating the structure of Hopf algebras by means of their endomorphisms and their combinatorics. Emphasizing notions such as pseudo-coproducts, characteristic endomorphisms, descent algebras and Lie idempotents, the text also covers the important case of enveloping algebras of pre-Lie algebras. A wide range of applications are surveyed, highlighting the main ideas and fundamental results. Suitable as a textbook for masters or doctoral level programs, this book will be of interest to algebraists and anyone working in one of the fields of application of Hopf algebras.