Because of their applications in so many diverse areas, finite fields continue to play increasingly important roles in various branches of modern mathematics, including number theory, algebra, and algebraic geometry, as well as in computer science, information theory, statistics, and engineering. Computational and algorithmic aspects of finite field problems also continue to grow in importance. This volume contains the refereed proceedings of a conference entitled Finite Fields: Theory, Applications and Algorithms, held in August 1993 at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Among the topics treated are theoretical aspects of finite fields, coding theory, cryptology, combinatorial design theory, and algorithms related to finite fields. Also included is a list of open problems and conjectures. This volume is an excellent reference for applied and research mathematicians as well as specialists and graduate students in information theory, computer science, and electrical engineering.