Resolutions of ideals of quasiuniform fat point subschemes of

The notion of a quasiuniform fat point subscheme is introduced and conjectures for the Hilbert function and minimal free resolution of the ideal defining are put forward. In a large range of cases, it is shown that the Hilbert function conjecture implies the resolution conjecture. In addition, the main result gives the first determination of the resolution of the th symbolic power of an ideal defining general points of when both and are large (in particular, for infinitely many for each of infinitely many , and for infinitely many for every ). Resolutions in other cases, such as ``fat points with tails', are also given. Except where an explicit exception is made, all results hold for an arbitrary algebraically closed field . As an incidental result, a bound for the regularity of is given which is often a significant improvement on previously known bounds.