Conference: Algebraic Combinatorixx

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

Algebraic Combinatorixx is a five-day workshop to be held May 22-27, 2011 at the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) in Alberta, Canada. This workshop will bring together forty-two senior and junior female mathematicians to collaborate on cutting-edge research problems in algebraic combinatorics and to forge mentoring networks, with the long-term goal of increasing and strengthening the participation of women in mathematics. BIRS will provide the necessary facilities for uninterrupted research activities including intense and prolonged interactions for collaborative and cross-disciplinary research among participants. Algebraic combinatorics is a broad discipline with substantial connections to many different areas of mathematics and physics such as knot theory, representation theory, algebraic geometry, number theory, mathematical biology, statistical mechanics, and quantum computing. The workshop will also have a major mentoring component. Over half of the participants will be early career (pre-tenure or recently tenured) women faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students who will be paired with senior researchers working in combinatorics. In addition to research talks, on two of the evenings there will be discussions on building the tools to succeed: from professional development to work-life balance. The long-term benefits of this workshop will be an increase in the participation of women in research activities, the creation and maintenance of a research network of potential collaborators, and visibility and connectivity for younger researchers, especially those at smaller colleges.