In June 2005, the seventeenth international conference entitled Formal Power Series and Algebraic Combinatorics (FPSAC) will be held in Taormina, Italy. This FPSAC conference shall have a wide interdisciplinary breadth, with principal topics featuring algebraic and enumerative combinatorics and their applications and relations to other areas of mathematics, physics, biology and computer science. The interdisciplinary span is evidenced by the choice of plenary speakers, including Christine Bessenrodt from Germany, Serge Dulucq from France, Ronald King from England, Corrado De Concini, Renzo Pinzani, and Claudio Procesi from Italy, and Vaughan Jones and Jeff Remmel from the US.
The considerable span of this conference series is unique among international conferences with an emphasis on combinatorial mathematics. This conference will link leading researchers in combinatorics with strong researchers in allied fields drawn from pure and applied mathematics, theoretical computer science, physics, and biology. Another distinguishing characteristic of FPSAC conferences is the concerted effort to recognize and encourage outstanding young scientists. This is accomplished in part by choosing at least one plenary speaker to be an ``emerging'' star, and by ensuring that talented young researchers are well represented among the speakers selected for contributed talks. The conference seeks to draw substantial participation from groups which have been traditionally under-represented in the mathematical sciences. FPSAC 2005 promises to be an excellent opportunity for young researchers to make both domestic and international contacts that are likely to be of great value in developing their careers.
