Preface

Summary

We are pleased to present the proceedings volume of the invited and contributed talks delivered at the Workshop and Conference on Logic, Algebra, and Arithmetic that took place October 18-22, 2003 at the Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (IPM) in Tehran, Iran. The meeting provided a unique occasion for the exchange of ideas and methods in various frontiers of research in mathematical logic, and further strengthened the existing bonds of scientific cooperation between Iranian scholars and their colleagues abroad.

The meeting was made possible through the visionary leadership of the director of IPM, Professor M. J. A. Larijani, and the inspiring support of the head of the mathematics division at IPM, Professor G. B. Khosrovshahi. On behalf of all the participants, we also wish to acknowledge the industry and dedication of the staff at IPM, particularly Mr. M. Rahpeyma, Mr. M. Ashtiani, Mrs. N. Ramezani, and Ms. T. Parsa.

The papers that appear herein are in most cases revised and expanded versions of those that were originally presented at the meeting. We are grateful to the authors for their valuable contributions, patience, and cooperation during the refereeing and revision process. Furthermore, we offer a special note of gratitude to the numerous referees who assisted the authors and the editors in improving this volume.

Finally, we would like to extend our appreciation to the ASL for publishing this volume in the LNL series.