Twenty-Eighth Cumberland Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

The 28th Cumberland Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing will be held at the Columbia Campus of the University of South Carolina, May 15-17, 2015 (see the conference web site: http://imi.cas.sc.edu/events/cumberland/). This is the twenty-eighth in a sequence of annual conferences that bring together students and researchers from across the Southeastern region to discuss the latest progress in discrete mathematics and computer science. Four featured speakers of international standing will give one hour plenary presentations covering significant advances in discrete mathematics. Estimated attendance is around 100 participants; about forty contributed talks of length 20--25 minutes are planned. The Cumberland Conference series features talks by leading experts, promotes applications of discrete mathematics (particularly in computer science), provides settings that are conducive to collaboration, and supports students and groups underrepresented in mathematics. The conference series has developed a unique role as a regional exchange for researchers at all levels, providing an accessible forum for junior faculty and students to present their work. This award supports the participation of the four principal speakers, of other participants without federal support, and of students and attendees from underrepresented groups. Discrete mathematics is a rapidly developing and expanding field of mathematics due to the fact that discrete models are appropriate for a great number of phenomena in communication, network and information science, life sciences, and engineering. The number of researchers and the number of universities offering courses in discrete mathematics is steadily increasing, and so does number of graduate students and undergraduate research students in this field. The Cumberland Conference has established a unique role as a regional forum open to a wide group of students and researchers in discrete mathematics and computer science. This conference plays a significant part in the professional development of graduate students and recent Ph.D.'s, for whom this conference provides an opportunity to present their work, learn of recent advances, form collaborations, and do networking. This year's conference will continue this tradition. Four internationally-known featured speakers will attract a wide audience, while researchers from around the region will present high quality talks. The conference will cover diverse areas in combinatorics, graph theory, and areas overlapping with computer science. This is the first time that the Cumberland Conference will be hosted in South Carolina. It provides an important opportunity to graduate students in South Carolina and nearby to attend a major conference in discrete mathematics.