Applications of Macdonald Polynomials (07w5048)

September 9, 2007 is the start of a 5-day workshop at the Banff International Research Station in Banff, Canada on the Applications of Macdonald Polynomials. These objects are central to certain branches of theoretical mathematics and also have interpretations in statistical mechanics, a branch of physics. Macdonald introduced them in 1988 as a solution to a theoretical problem in integration, but recently much simpler expressions for them have been found. There has also been a lot of stunning progress linking them to diagonal harmonics and Cherednik Algebras, which are some of the most advanced topics at the frontier of research into algebra. Organized by Francois Bergeron of the University of Quebec at Montreal, Jim Haglund of the University of Pennsylvania, and Jeff Remmel of the University of California at San Diego, this conference brings together a diverse, international contingent of the fields hottest stars and most promising young researchers. It promises to produce some exciting discoveries which will invigorate current research into this important subject.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).