Combinatorial methods in topology and algebra Combinatorics plays a prominent role in contemporary mathematics due to the vibrant development it has experienced in the last two decades and its many interactions with other subjects. This book arises from the INdAM conference CoMeTA 2013 Combinatorial Methods in Topology and Algebra  which was held in Cortona in September 2013. The event brought together emerging and leading researchers at the crossroads of Combinatorics Topology and Algebra with a particular focus on new trends in subjects such as: hyperplane arrangements; discrete geometry and combinatorial topology; polytope theory and triangulations of manifolds; combinatorial algebraic geometry and commutative algebra; algebraic combinatorics; and combinatorial representation theory. The book is divided into two parts. The first expands on the topics discussed at the conference by providing additional background and explanations while the second presents original contributions on new trends in the topics addressed by the conference