The development of an abstract mathematical theory is often tied to researchers' ability to perform calculations within it. If the usual laws of arithmetics do not hold in a theory, calculations tend to be difficult and often require the aid of electronic computers. In nonassociative mathematics, neither the commutative law nor the associative law are assumed to hold. Nonassociative mathematics is a broad field that interacts with many traditional mathematical disciplines. It includes the algebraic theories of quasigroups (nonassociative groups) and Lie algebras, the combinatorial theory of Latin squares (with Sudoku being a very special case), the geometric theories of nets and webs (that originally arose from nomography), and applications of nonassociative algebra to particle physics. Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in nonassociative mathematics. This is due partly to improved computational tools, partly to the working out of many problems in associative mathematics, and partly due to the self-organizing efforts by researchers working in the field.
The proposed 2nd Mile High Conference on Nonassociative Mathematics will be an international conference on all aspects of nonassociative mathematics, with an expected audience of 100 researchers. The meeting will take place at the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, June 21-27, 2009. The main goals of the 2nd Mile High Conference are as follows: (i) to establish a leading conference on nonassociative mathematics world-wide; (ii) to bring together scientists from all areas of nonassociative mathematics, thereby promoting cross-disciplinary research; (iii) to make the conference accessible to graduate and post-doctoral students while also providing a forum for these young researchers; (iv) to encourage and support the participation of researchers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups; (v) to assemble a list of the most important open problems in the field and to facilitate its dissemination and maintenance.
