The purpose of the workshop is to bring together the leaders of the fields of knot theory and 3-manifold topology to discuss the state of the art of the subjects (currently in a state of rapid change). A second purpose is to introduce young mathematicians, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to the subjects. The workshop will begin with minicourses followed by individual lectures on the later days. The mathematical theory of knots is currently a very active area of mathematics. Knot theory has found application in molecular biology, for example in testing models of the action of certain recombination enzymes on DNA. The study of knotted orbits gives a powerful tool in the theory of 3-dimensional dynamics. Knot theory is connected intimately with questions such as "what is the shape of our universe?" Our space, which appears 3-dimensional and flat (or 4-dimensional with time) may be curved in on itself and form what is known as a closed 3-manifold. The deep connection between the theory of 3-manifolds (and 4-manifolds) with knot theory is the special focus of this workshop. It is timely, as many long-standing problems in the subjects have recently been solved, giving rise (of course) to new and deeper problems.
