**1**) In subjects such as algebraic geometry, algebraic topology there is a very basic standard canonical syllabus of things one learns in order to get to reading research papers. 

Is there a similar canon in algebraic combinatorics? (e.g., does someone working in matroids have knowledge of symmetric functions and vice versa?) 

**2**) I want to know how much of EC 1,2 does a regular algebraic combinatorics researcher know? Do I try to solve the vast breadth of problems (at least the ones with difficulty level less equal 3- let's say) in those two books? How about attempting at reading and solving Bourbaki's Lie Groups and Lie Algebras chapters 4-6? This seems like the most read book of Bourbaki, and a treasure trove of Coxeter Group-Root System material. How do I go about studying Macdonald's *[Symmetric Functions and Hall Polynomials][1]*? I mention these books because they appear to be listed as a reference in many of the papers I see. But these are enormous, and reading and solving problems from cover to cover is probably impractical (Is it?). 

I want to know how people tackle these kind of classic references. As well as how to practically study algebraic combinatorics. 

**3)** Can someone point out if there is a list of topics-books/notes/videos (similar to https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/1454339/undergrad-level-combinatorics-texts-easier-than-stanleys-enumerative-combinator but with topics such as matroid theory, Coxeter groups, crystal bases included)?            


  [1]: https://math.berkeley.edu/~corteel/MATH249/macdonald.pdf