"During 1996-97, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute held a full academic year program on combinatorics, with special emphasis on the connections with other branches of mathematics, such as algebraic geometry, topology, commutative algebra, representation theory, and convex geometry."--BOOK JACKET. "The rich combinatorial problems arising from the study of various algebraic structures are the subject of this book, which represents work done or presented at seminars during the program."--BOOK JACKET. "These expository articles, written by some of the most respected researchers in the field, present the state of the art to researchers and graduate students in combinatorics as well as algebra, geometry, and topology."--Jacket.