Richard P. Stanley is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor at the University of Miami. He has written over 180 research articles and six books. Among Stanley's many distinctions are membership in the National Academy of Sciences (elected in 1995) and the 2001 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition.

'This is one of the great books; readable, deep and full of gems. It brings algebraic combinatorics to life. I teach out of it and feel that if I can get my students to 'touch Stanley' I have given them a gift for life.' Persi Diaconis, Stanford University

• Preface to Second Edition; Preface; 5. Trees and the Composition of Generating Functions; 6. Algebraic Generating Functions; 7. Symmetric Functions; Appendices: References; Index.

Richard P. Stanley is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor at the University of Miami. He has written over 180 research articles and six books. Among Stanley's many distinctions are membership in the National Academy of Sciences (elected in 1995) and the 2001 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition.

'This is one of the great books; readable, deep and full of gems. It brings algebraic combinatorics to life. I teach out of it and feel that if I can get my students to 'touch Stanley' I have given them a gift for life.' Persi Diaconis, Stanford University

• Preface to Second Edition; Preface; 5. Trees and the Composition of Generating Functions; 6. Algebraic Generating Functions; 7. Symmetric Functions; Appendices: References; Index.