Introduces the theory and application of modes, covering topics in universal algebra, category theory, and modal theory, and includes exercises to illustrate concepts.

Over the past 20 years, the emergence of clone theory, hyperequational theory, commutator theory and tame congruence theory has led to a growth of universal algebra both in richness and in applications, especially in computer science. Yet most of the classic books on the subject are long out of print and, to date, no other book has integrated these theories with the long-established work that supports them. Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science introduces the basic concepts of universal algebra and surveys some of the newer developments in the field. The first half of the book provides a solid grounding in the core material. A leisurely pace, careful exposition, numerous examples, and exercises combine to form an introduction to the subject ideal for beginning graduate students or researchers from other areas. The second half of the book focuses on applications in theoretical computer science and advanced topics, including Mal'cev conditions, tame congruence theory, clones, and commutators. The impact of the advances in universal algebra on computer science is just beginning to be realized, and the field will undoubtedly continue to grow and mature. Universal Algebra and Applications in Theoretical Computer Science forms an outstanding text and offers a unique opportunity to build the foundation needed for further developments in its theory and in its computer science applications.

This volume presents a short guide to the extensive literature concerning semir ings along with a complete bibliography. The literature has been created over many years, in variety of languages, by authors representing different schools of mathematics and working in various related fields. In many instances the terminology used is not universal, which further compounds the difficulty of locating pertinent sources even in this age of the Internet and electronic dis semination of research results. So far there has been no single reference that could guide the interested scholar or student to the relevant publications. This book is an attempt to fill this gap. My interest in the theory of semirings began in the early sixties, when to gether with Bogdan W ~glorz I tried to investigate some algebraic aspects of compactifications of topological spaces, semirings of semicontinuous functions, and the general ideal theory for special semirings. (Unfortunately, local alge braists in Poland told me at that time that there was nothing interesting in investigating semiring theory because ring theory was still being developed). However, some time later we became aware of some similar investigations hav ing already been done. The theory of semirings has remained "my first love" ever since, and I have been interested in the results in this field that have been appearing in literature (even though I have not been active in this area myself).

This volume contains the Proceedings of ICFCA 2004, the 2nd International Conference on Formal Concept Analysis. The ICFCA conference series aims to be the premier forum for the publication of advances in applied lattice and order theory and in particular scienti?c advances related to formal concept analysis. Formal concept analysis emerged in the 1980s from e?orts to restructure lattice theory to promote better communication between lattice theorists and potentialusersoflatticetheory.Sincethen,the?eldhasdevelopedintoagrowing research area in its own right with a thriving theoretical community and an increasing number of applications in data and knowledge processing including data visualization, information retrieval, machine learning, data analysis and knowledge management. In terms of theory, formal concept analysis has been extended into attribute exploration, Boolean judgment, contextual logic and so on to create a powerful general framework for knowledge representation and reasoning. This conference aims to unify theoretical and applied practitioners who use formal concept an- ysis, drawing on the ?elds of mathematics, computer and library sciences and software engineering. The theme of the 2004 conference was ‘Concept Lattices” to acknowledge the colloquial term used for the line diagrams that appear in almost every paper in this volume. ICFCA 2004 included tutorial sessions, demonstrating the practical bene?ts of formal concept analysis, and highlighted developments in the foundational theory and standards. The conference showcased the increasing variety of formal concept analysis software and included eight invited lectures from distinguished speakersinthe?eld.Sevenoftheeightinvitedspeakerssubmittedaccompanying papers and these were reviewed and appear in this volume.

Bond and Keane explicate the elements of logical, mathematical argument to elucidate the meaning and importance of mathematical rigor. With definitions of concepts at their disposal, students learn the rules of logical inference, read and understand proofs of theorems, and write their own proofs all while becoming familiar with the grammar of mathematics and its style. In addition, they will develop an appreciation of the different methods of proof (contradiction, induction), the value of a proof, and the beauty of an elegant argument. The authors emphasize that mathematics is an ongoing, vibrant disciplineits long, fascinating history continually intersects with territory still uncharted and questions still in need of answers. The authors extensive background in teaching mathematics shines through in this balanced, explicit, and engaging text, designed as a primer for higher- level mathematics courses. They elegantly demonstrate process and application and recognize the byproducts of both the achievements and the missteps of past thinkers. Chapters 1-5 introduce the fundamentals of abstract mathematics and chapters 6-8 apply the ideas and techniques, placing the earlier material in a real context. Readers interest is continually piqued by the use of clear explanations, practical examples, discussion and discovery exercises, and historical comments.