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LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER No. 410 January 2012

Society LMS COUNCIL DIARY the widespread perception that EPSRC is simply not listening to Meetings 18 November 2011 the mathematical community. and Events A personal view There are three standing com- mittees of Council which are 2012 The November Council meeting is chaired by people who are not Monday 9 January a relatively short one, as it is im- currently members of Council Spitalfields Day, INI, mediately followed by the AGM. (the Women in Mathematics Cambridge Once the routine but essential Committee, the Computer Science business is dealt with, there is not Committee, and the Research Friday 24 February much time to devote to matters of Meetings Committee). This can Mary Cartwright serious debate or controversy. lead to a certain feeling of discon- Lecture, London As usual, a fair proportion of nection, which we are seeking to [page 3]  the time available was devoted reduce by re-introducing a system 26–30 March to policy matters, including a of annual reports from commit- LMS Invited Lectures, revised discussion document on tees to Council. At this meeting, Glasgow [page 28] Masters Degrees prepared by Gwyneth Stallard, Chair of WiMC, Marco Marletta for the Research reported on the work of that com- Friday 27 April Policy Committee. While the mittee. This led to a discussion of Women in funding of Masters Degrees in the future of the Good Practice Mathematics Day, mathematical sciences has been Award/Scheme for mathematics London [page 22] unsatisfactory for many years, departments in HE. Likely changes Saturday 19 May our current focus cannot be on in the external environment sug- Poincaré Meeting, improving matters, but rather on gest that it makes more sense for London trying to ensure that they do not the LMS to encourage take-up get catastrophically worse. of the Athena Swan Award (run Wednesday 6 June The LMS is also preparing a under the auspices of the Royal Northern Regional response to the House of Lords Society), rather than implement Meeting, Newcastle Science and Technology Com- our own award. Council agreed an Friday 29 June mittee inquiry on HE in STEM increased budget for the WiMC for Meeting and Hardy subjects, which we hope will be the current financial year, to en- Lecture, London endorsed by the CMS (Council able them to prepare background for Mathematical Sciences). The materials for the scheme. CMS will also respond to EPSRC’s There was also a written report ‘Action Plan’ in response to the from the Computer Science Com- International Review of Mathe- mittee, which had been asked NEWSLETTER matics. (An update on CMS acti- to review its role and activities. vities can be found on page 14.) Changes recommended were ONLINE: It remains to be seen whether this some widening of the remit of Go to www.lms.ac.uk/ ‘Action Plan’, or its implementa- the committee, and small changes newsletter tion, will do anything to dispel to its constitution. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 410 January 2012

The outgoing President, , SIXTH EUROPEAN thanked the outgoing Officers, Brian Stewart CONGRESS OF (Treasurer), Stephen Huggett (Programme LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Secretary) and Chris Budd (Education Secre- MATHEMATICS tary) for their enormous contributions to the Society over many years, and wrapped up The London Mathematical Society has set MARY CARTWRIGHT LECTURE the meeting in good time to prepare for the aside funds to be used for making grants to AGM. support the attendance of UK-based mathe- AND SOCIETY MEETING Robert Wilson maticians at the Sixth European Congress of Mathematics, Kraków, 2–7 July 2012 Friday 24 February 2012 SOCIETY PRIZES DEADLINE (www.6ecm.pl). The Society would particu- larly like to support those Black Suite, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP Readers are reminded that the deadline for at an early stage in their career, including receipt of nominations for the 2012 Society postdocs. You do not need to be an LMS Prizes is Friday 13 January 2012. Prizes avail- member to apply. Programme: able in 2012 include the Pólya Prize, Fröhlich Please contact Elizabeth Fisher for an Prize, Senior Berwick Prize and up to four application form ([email protected], 3.30 Opening of the meeting Whitehead Prizes. A nomination form can be tel. 020 7291 9973) or download one from  downloaded from www.lms.ac.uk/content/ the LMS website (www.lms.ac.uk). Appli- Tom Lenagan (Edinburgh)  nominations-lms-prizes. For full details of all cations should be submitted by 16 March these prizes please see the Society’s November 2012 and applicants will be informed of Totally nonnegative matrices Newsletter (No. 408) or email [email protected]. the outcome by early April. 4.30 Tea

5.00 Mary Cartwright Lecture LMS Newsletter www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter Agata Smoktunowicz (Edinburgh) Editorial office: [email protected]; London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655) Old and new questions in

Events calendar: please send updates and corrections to [email protected] noncommutative algebra Post Evening Wales South the of Courtesy

General Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) Mary Cartwright giving a lecture Reports Editor: Professor R.A. Wilson ([email protected]) at Swansea University Reviews Editor: Dr C.M. Roney-Dougal ([email protected]) Administrative Editor: S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. A reception will be held after the meeting at BMA House followed by a Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the dinner at the Number Twelve Restaurant, Ambassador Hotel, at a cost of first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. Notices and £32 per person, inclusive of wine. If you would like to attend the dinner, advertisements are not accepted for events that occur in the first week of the publication month. please contact Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) by 17 February. Advertising: for rates and guidelines, see www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.html News items and notices in the Newsletter may be freely used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter There are limited funds available to contribute in part to the expenses of are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author or photographer for the rights to members of the Society or research students to attend the meeting. reproduce. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. Contact Duncan Turton/Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) for Charity registration number: 252660. further information. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 410 January 2012

2011–12 COUNCIL Macintyre has led the Society in dealing with DR STEPHEN HUGGETT a range of very important issues – including (Programme Secretary) As a result of the annual election, membership of the Council is the following: the International Review of the Mathematical President Professor G.B Segal, FRS () Sciences to which the Society made signifi- The LMS regulations mandate that no-one Vice-Presidents Professor K.A. Brown, FRSE (University of Glasgow) cant submissions, the issue of impact and may serve more than ten consecutive years Professor J.P.C. Greenlees (University of Sheffield) the 2014 REF, the consequences of cuts in on Council, and for that reason Dr Huggett Treasurer Professor R.T. Curtis (University of Birmingham) science funding announced in the 2010 com- did not stand for re-election in the November General Secretary Professor J.M.E. Hyland () prehensive spending review, the position of elections. Programme Secretary Professor R.A. Wilson (Queen Mary, ) mathematics within the National Curriculum For almost twenty years Dr Huggett has Publications Secretary Professor J.D.S. Jones (University of Warwick) Review and the recent changes in EPSRC served the LMS in an exceptionally broad Education Secretary Dr A.D. Gardiner (University of Birmingham) funding policy. He has had a busy Presidency. range of positions. These include: Members-at-Large Dr J.E. Barrow-Green () – current LMS Librarian * Professor A.V. Borovik () Professor Macintyre has represented the Soci- 1992–2001 Member of Education Committee * Dr D.E. Buck (Imperial College London) ety with enormous distinction not only in the 1996–2001 Secretary of Education Committee Professor Sir S.K. Donaldson, FRS (Imperial College London) UK and but also abroad. He led the LMS del- 2001–2011 Member of Council and F&GPC Professor J.R. Hunton () egation to the 2010 International Congress 2001–2011 Meetings and Membership Secre- * Professor W.S. Kendall (University of Warwick) and has been very active internationally. He tary, renamed Programme Secretary Professor A. Laptev (Imperial College London) has actively promoted all areas of interest to 2004–2011 Chair of International Affairs Professor E.L. Mansfield (University of Kent) the Society and provided inspiring leadership Committee  * Professor M. Marletta (Cardiff University) to the Society in a difficult period. The LMS 2010– Chair of Website Working Group  * Dr C.M. Roney-Dougal (University of St Andrews) would like to thank him for his tireless service 2011– Chair of 2015 Celebration * Professor U.L. Tillmann, FRS (University of Oxford) and wish him well in his future endeavours. Committee Professor B.J. Totaro, FRS (University of Cambridge) In addition, Dr Huggett is very active in the * Members continuing the second year of their two-year election in 2010 PROFESSOR CHRIS BUDD European Mathematical Society, as Secretary (Education Secretary) and Member of the Executive Committee. Nominating Committee At the October meeting of Programme Com- Also at the AGM, , FRS (University of Oxford) and Michael Prest (University of Professor Chris Budd stood down as Education mittee, the LMS President, Angus Macintyre, Manchester) were elected to the Nominating Committee for three-year terms of office. Secretary at the 2011 AGM. He served the LMS paid tribute to Dr Huggett’s work for the as Education Secretary since 2006 and during LMS and for the national and international Continuing members of the Nominating Committee are Alison M. Etheridge, Martin Liebeck, that time he has been instrumental in making communities of mathematicians. Dr Huggett Caroline Series (Chair), Michael A. Singer and Andrew M. Stuart. Council will also appoint a education one of the most important activities has travelled more than anyone on behalf representative. within the LMS. Professor Budd personally has of the Society, to Regional Meetings, to been a passionate and enthusiastic advocate BMCs and BAMCs and to ICMs and ECMs. RETIRING OFFICERS for mathematics education, and also the popu- Because of this and because of his meticu- larisation of mathematics. lous work on the Society’s Research Grants PROFESSOR ANGUS MACINTYRE At Professor Budd’s last Education Commit- Schemes (more and more important these (President) tee meeting, Professor Martin Hyland, the LMS days, and more and more appreciated) he After two years in office Professor Angus tives have resulted: the development of the General Secretary, placed on record the LMS’s has probably had more direct contact with Macintyre handed over the LMS Presidency Society’s new website providing invaluable gratitude to Professor Budd for his consider- the membership than any other Officer. He at the AGM in November 2011. Professor means of communication for LMS members able efforts and enormous commitment, not has been deeply involved with the Society’s Macintyre has had a long and distinguished and the wider mathematics community; the only to the LMS but also to the mathematics solidarity efforts, in particular with African academic career and his broad vision of funding of independent activities by young community as a whole. mathematicians. mathematics has been enormously valuable researchers in mathematics, and moves to- In early 2012, Professor Budd will take up to the Society. During his tenure as LMS Presi- wards a new membership initiative to help a new post as the Vice-President of the Insti- DR BRIAN STEWART (Treasurer) dent he has been committed to increasing ensure the Society’s future. The past two tute of Mathematics and its Applications with openness and greater involvement of the years have been a time of challenge for the responsibility for communications and out- Dr Brian Stewart served as Education Secretary membership, and a number of new initia- mathematical sciences in the UK. Professor reach. He will also serve on the REF panel. from 2002 to 2005. In the summer of 2009 he LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 410 January 2012

agreed to take on the position of Treasurer at Committee members meeting at which selected participants, often administrative costs). We would also encour- a particularly difficult time. distinguished experts from overseas, will give age grant holders to make some of it avail- Over the last two years Dr Stewart has In addition to the foregoing the Society survey lectures on topics in the field of the able in the form of small (£50) travel grants to guided Council with a pragmatic and prudent thanks all those who have served as mem- symposium or other types of lecture acces- enable LMS members and research students approach. He exemplifies virtues of social re- bers of its various committees and who are sible to a general mathematical audience. to attend the event. sponsibility, unsparing honesty, dry humour, now standing down. Without such dedicated These meetings are publicized in the News- Anyone involved in running a symposium hard work and commitment to the mathe- volunteers the Society would be unable to letter and all members are invited to attend. who would be interested in organizing a matical community, and has steered the support and represent mathematics and the The standard grant towards the organiza- Spitalfields Day is invited to write to Dr R.A. finances of the Society in a sound and secure mathematical community as it does. tion of a Spitalfields Day is £500, and is in- Wilson, Programme Secretary at the Society manner. tended to meet actual supplementary costs ([email protected]). The format need not be SPITALFIELDS DAYS associated with the event (for example, cost precisely as described, but should be in a Chair of Research Meetings Committee of a subsidy for a lunch for participants and similar spirit. In 1987, the London Mathematical Society Council would also like to recognise the instituted a series of occasional meetings work of Professor Nick Manton, FRS. Nick called ‘Spitalfields Days’. The name honours has been chair of the LMS Research Meetings our predecessor, the Spitalfields Mathematical Cecil King Committee since 2008 and is now stepping Society, which flourished from 1717 to 1845. Travel Scholarship down to due to other commitments. The So- A Spitalfields Day is usually associated with  ciety would like to thank Nick for the time a long-term symposium on some specialist The London Mathematical Society annually awards a £5,000 Cecil King  and effort he has committed to the Society topic at a UK university. One of the symposi- Travel Scholarship in Mathematics to a young of outstanding and its charitable aims. um organizers is asked to arrange a one-day promise. The Scholarship is awarded to support a period of study or research abroad, typically for a period of three months. Study or research in all areas of mathematics is eligible for the award. The award is competitive and based on a written proposal describing the intended programme of study or research abroad and the benefits to be gained from such a visit. A shortlist of applicants will be selected for an interview during which they will be expected to make a short presentation on their proposal. Applicants should normally be nationals of the UK or Republic of Ireland, either registered for or having recently completed a doctoral degree at a UK University. Applications should be made using the form available on the Society’s website (www.lms.ac.uk/content/cecil-king-travel-scholarship) or by contacting [email protected]. The closing date for applications is Friday 2 March 2012. It is expected that interviews will take place in London in late April or early May.

The Cecil King Travel Scholarship was established in 2001 by the Cecil King Memorial Fund. The award is made by the Council of the London Mathematical Society on the recommendation of the Cecil King Prize Committee, nominated by the Society’s Education Committee. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 410 January 2012

LMS INVITED LECTURES all over the world to conduct research in the mathematical sciences broadly under- 2013 stood. It aims to bring together researchers Proposals for the 2013 lectures are sought from UK universities and leading experts from any member who, in addition to sug- from overseas for concentrated research gesting a topic and lecturer, would be pre- on specialised topics including pure and ap- pared to organise the meeting at their own plied mathematics and statistics, and cross- institution or a suitable conference centre. disciplinary research with significant and LOGICAL APPROACHES TO BARRIERS IN COMPLEXITY II The annual Invited Lectures series consists innovative mathematical content. of meetings at which a single speaker gives a Typically two visitor programmes are 26–30 March 2012 course of about ten expository lectures, exam- running at any one time, each with about in association with the Newton Institute programme ining some subject in depth, over a five-day thirty scientists in residence. Included Semantics and Syntax: A Legacy of Alan Turing period (Monday to Friday) during a University within these programmes are periods of (9 January – 6 July 2012) vacation. The meetings are residential and particularly intense activity involving, for open to all interested. It is intended that the example, instructional courses and work- texts of the lectures given in the series shall shops. Participants in Institute programmes Organisers: Arnold Beckmann (University of Swansea) and Anuj Dawar (University of be published. In addition to full expenses, the are encouraged to visit other institutes and Cambridge). lecturer is offered an honorarium for giving universities in the UK. During a programme  Computational complexity theory has its origin in logic. The fundamental goal of this the course. A grant is also given to the host the Institute may also support satellite  area is to understand the limits of efficient computation (that is, understanding the department to support attendance at the meetings at other UK institutions and often class of problems which can be solved quickly and with restricted resources) and the lectures. holds follow-up events some years after a sources of intractability (that is, what takes some problems inherently beyond the Enquiries about the Invited Lectures should programme has finished to review its im- reach of such efficient solutions). The most famous open problem in the area is the be directed to the Programme Secretary at the pact and look to the future. P = NP problem, listed among the seven Clay Millenium Prize problems. Logic provides Society ([email protected]). The deadline for the Ninety-two programmes have now been a multifarious toolbox of techniques to analyse questions like this, some of which submission of proposals is 13 February 2012. completed, the most recent being Discrete promise to provide deep insights in the nature and limits of efficient computation. Recent previous lecturers have been: Analysis and Moduli Spaces. The current 2008 A. Okounkov (Princeton) programmes are Inverse Problems, and In our workshop, we shall focus on logical descriptions of complexity, i.e. descriptive Random Surfaces Design and Analysis of Experiments. The complexity, propositional proof complexity and bounded arithmetic. Despite con- 2009 A.D. Ionescu (University of Wisconsin- former includes the discussion of mathe- siderable progress by research communities in each of these areas, the main open Madison) Black holes in vacuum: matics related to clinical medicine, finance, problems remain. In finite the major open problem is whether there examples & uniqueness properties geology and biology while the latter relates is a logic capturing on all structures the complexity class P of polynomial-time 2010 M. Bramson (University of Minnesota) to statistical issues arising, for example, in decidable languages. In bounded arithmetic the major open problem is to prove Stability of Queuing Networks IT, healthcare and physics, and both have strong independence results that would separate its levels. In propositional proof 2011 E. Candes (Stanford) Compressed contributions from industry and academia. complexity the major open problem is to prove strong lower bounds for expressive Sensing The Institute invites proposals for research propositional proof systems. 2012 A. Borodin (MIT) Determinantal point programmes in all areas of the mathematical processes and representation theory sciences and their applications. The Scientif- The workshop will bring together leading researchers covering all research areas See poster on page 28 of this Newsletter. ic Steering Committee usually meets twice within the scope of the workshop. We will especially focus on work that draws on each year to consider proposals for pro- methods from the different areas which appeal to the whole community. grammes (of 4-week, 4-month or 6-month duration) to run two or three years later. Deadline for applications is 26 January 2012. ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE Proposals to be considered at these meetings Call for Proposals For more information visit the website at www.newton.ac.uk/programmes/SAS/sasw01.html. should be submitted by 31 January or 31 July The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical respectively. Sciences is a national research facility based Further information is available at www. in Cambridge which attracts scientists from newton.cam.ac.uk/callprop.html. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 410 January 2012

LMS GRANT SCHEMES developing world lecturers for intensive 3–4 interests, and an outline of your planned Grants News week courses in mathematics at the advanced work during the visit (no more than one Call for Applications undergraduate or master’s level to build up side of A4). We would like to draw your attention to the Closing Date: 31 January 2012 local capacity. 2. A brief CV (no more than one side of A4). following: The hosting university has no financial ob- 3. A brief budget. Applications are invited for the following grants: ligations (all expenses of the lecturer will be 4. An invitation from the host in Russia, Computer Science Small Grants (Scheme 7) • Conferences and postgraduate research covered by the IMU CDC or one of its part- which must state explicitly that your Funding for grants up to £500 is available to conferences held in the UK (Schemes 1 ners) but is expected to provide a local assist- accommodation and subsistence expenses support a visit for collaborative research at and 8) ant who prepares the students beforehand, will be met by them. This should include the interface of Mathematics and Computer • Celebrating new appointments (Scheme 1) helps the volunteer lecturer when necessary provisional dates for the visit. Science either by the grant holder to another • Visitors to the UK (Scheme 2) during the course, and takes care of any nec- Financial and academic reports will be re- institution within the UK or abroad, or by a • Research in Pairs (Scheme 4) essary follow-up. These courses should have a quired after the visit. named mathematician from within the UK • International short visits with the main student audience of 15–20 or more, include In exceptional circumstances, applications or abroad to the home base of the grant focus on Africa (Scheme 5) examinations, and be part of a regular de- may be considered from strong research stu- holder. The next deadline for applications • Volunteer Lecturer Programme (Scheme 5 gree programme at the hosting university. dents who are close to finishing their doctor- is 31 January 2012 – please see the website – see further details below) The LMS is offering grants of up to £1,300, ates. Applications should include a strong for further details: www.lms.ac.uk/content/ • Young British and Russian Mathematicians with matching funding from the IMU, to case and the student should obtain a letter of computer-science-small-grants-scheme-7. Scheme (see further details below) meet the travel, accommodation and subsist- recommendation from his/her supervisor. 10 For full details of these grant schemes, ence costs of the Volunteer Lecturer. Applica- Small Grants for Education 11 and to download application forms, visit tions may be made through the LMS or IMU, Visits to Britain Funding for grants up to £600 is available from the LMS website (www.lms.ac.uk/content/ and further details and application forms are Under this Scheme, applications may be the LMS Education Committee to stimulate in- research-grants). available from the following websites: www. made by any mathematician in Britain wish- terest and enable involvement in mathemat- • Applications for the above grant schemes lms.ac.uk/content/research-grants and www. ing to host a visit by a young Russian post- ics from Key Stage 1 (age 5+) to Postgraduate which are received by 31 January 2012 will mathunion.org/cdc/volunteer-lecturer. doctoral mathematician who wishes to spend level and beyond. Anyone working/based be considered at a meeting in February. Enquiries should be made to the Grants a few weeks in Britain giving a series of in the UK is eligible to apply for a grant. If • Applications should be submitted well in Administrators: Sylvia Daly and Elizabeth survey lectures on the work of their Russian the applicant is not a member then the ap- advance of the date of the event for which Fisher (tel: 020 7291 9971/3, email: grants@ seminar. plication must be countersigned by an LMS funding is requested. lms.ac.uk). The LMS is offering grants to the host member or another suitable person such as • Normally grants are not made for events institution to meet the visitor’s actual travel a head teacher or senior colleague. The next which have already happened or where Young British and Russian and accommodation costs of up to £1,500. deadline for applications is 31 January 2012. insufficient time has been allowed for Mathematicians Scheme Applications should include the following: Please see the website for further details: www. processing of the application. 1. Name and brief CV of the visitor. lms.ac.uk/content/small-grants-education Queries regarding applications can be ad- Visits to Russia 2. A brief description of the course of dressed to the Grants Administrators who will Applications are invited from young British lectures. Childcare Grants be pleased to discuss proposals informally with postdoctoral mathematicians who wish to 3. A letter or email of agreement from the The Society believes that all parents working potential applicants and give advice on the spend a few weeks in Russia giving a series of head of the host department, including in mathematics should be able to attend con- submission of an application. survey lectures on the work of their school. the proposed dates of the visit. ferences and research meetings without be- • Grants Administrators: Sylvia Daly and The LMS is offering grants of up to £500 to Financial and academic reports will be re- ing hindered by childcare costs. Institutions Elizabeth Fisher (tel: 020 7291 9971/3, meet the travel costs, while the host should quired after the visit. are expected to make provision for childcare email: [email protected]) apply to the Russian Academy of Sciences for Further details of the Scheme can be costs and parents are encouraged to make funding towards local expenses for accom- found on the LMS website: www.lms.ac.uk/ enquiries. However, where this is not avail- Volunteer Lecturer Programme (Scheme 5) modation and subsistence. content/international-grants#YBR. able, the Society administers a Childcare Sup- Applications are invited from mathematicians Applications to the LMS should include the Enquiries should be made to the Grants plementary Grants Scheme. Further details who would like to participate in the IMU’s following: Administrators: Sylvia Daly and Elizabeth can be found on the LMS website: www. Volunteer Lecturer Programme. The goal of 1. A brief academic case for the visit, includ- Fisher (tel: 020 7291 9971/3, email: grants@ lms.ac.uk/content/childcare-supplementary- this programme is to offer universities in the ing a description of your current research lms.ac.uk). grants. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 410 January 2012

LONG-STANDING MEMBERS 17 Mar 1960 Andreadakis, S. 15 Jun 1961 Dey, I.M.S. 17 Mar 1960 Guy, R.K. 15 Jun 1961 Dlab, V. The following is a list of mathematicians who have completed fifty years or more of member- 17 Mar 1960 Harris, D.J. 15 Jun 1961 Robertson, S.A. ship of the London Mathematical Society, with their date of election. 18 Mar 1960 Scourfield, E.J. 15 Jun 1961 Stein, B. 18 Mar 1960 Strauss, D. 16 Nov 1961 Croft, H.T. 17 Mar 1943 Dyson, F.J. 12 May 1955 Wall, G.E. 19 May 1960 Hoare, A.H.M. 21 Dec 1961 Baker, J.W. 15 Jun 1944 Williams, A.E. 15 Dec 1955 Armitage, J.V. 17 Nov 1960 Morris, A.O. 21 Dec 1961 Barry, P.D. 25 Jan 1945 Ollerenshaw, K. 15 Dec 1955 Butler, M.C.R. 15 Dec 1960 Turner-Smith, R.F. 21 Dec 1961 Davies, R.O. 23 May 1946 Huppert, E.L. 19 Jan 1956 Bowers, J.F. 16 Mar 1961 Rhodes, F. 21 Dec 1961 Linden, C.N. 23 May 1946 Rees, D. 15 Mar 1956 Edmunds, D.E. 18 May 1961 Cuninghame-Green, R.A. 21 Dec 1961 Rutter, J.W. 16 Jan 1947 Macbeath, A.M. 15 Mar 1956 Horrocks, G. 18 May 1961 Sklar, A. 21 Dec 1961 Sands, A.D. 20 Mar 1947 Hayman, W.K. 19 Apr 1956 Penrose, R. 15 Jun 1961 Button, L.G. 21 Dec 1961 Wall, C.T.C. 22 May 1947 Ghaffari, A. 14 Jun 1956 Collins, W.D. 19 Jun 1947 Cassels, J.W.S. 14 Jun 1956 Noble, M.E. 18 Mar 1948 Isaacs, G.L. 14 Jun 1956 Perry, R.L. to the 1976 Layfield Report. She was pivotal in 18 Mar 1948 Reade, M.O. 15 Nov 1956 Edwards, D.A. ELEANOR JAMES 17 Jun 1948 Bateman, P.T. 14 Mar 1957 Brown, R. the work of the Aberystwyth OSA having com- 18 Nov 1948 Mullender, P. 14 Mar 1957 Dunnage, J.E.A. Dr Eleanor Mary James, who was elected a pleted over 25 years as its Treasurer. 13 Dec 1948 Fishel, B. 13 Jun 1957 Brown, A.L. member of the LMS on 21 May 1976, died on In the early nineties she took early retire- 20 Jan 1949 Borwein, D. 18 Jun 1957 Russell, D.C. 15 June 2011, aged 75. ment. Although she had been indisposed for 19 Jan 1950 Shepherdson, J.C. 12 21 Nov 1957 Wallington, J.E. Alun Morris writes: Eleanor James was one some years, her death in June was unexpected. 13 16 Feb 1950 Lehner, J. 19 Dec 1957 Divinsky, N.J. of those people that any university department 23 Mar 1950 Ponting, F.W. 19 Dec 1957 Longdon, L.W. would feel fortunate to have on its staff. A 14 Dec 1950 Patterson, E.M. VISIT OF R. MKRTCHYAN 19 Dec 1957 Mohamed, I.J. wonderful colleague who was dedicated to the 19 Apr 1951 Chen, D.L.C. 19 Dec 1957 Monk, D. well being of her students. Professor Ruben Mkrtchyan (Yerevan Physics 17 May 1951 Roth, K.F. 19 Dec 1957 Moran, S., 14 Jun 1951 Jackson, M. Eleanor was an Aberystwythian through and Institute, Armenia) will be visiting the UK from 19 Dec 1957 Newman, M.F. 20 Dec 1951 Dowker, Y.N. through. She was born in the town, went to the 16 February to 2 March 2012. His research area 19 Dec 1957 Schneider, H. 20 Dec 1951 Herszberg, J. local grammar school, proceeded to UCW Ab- is Quantum Field Theory and Mathematical 16 Jan 1958 Flanders, H. 17 Jan 1952 Wilson, D.H. erystwyth (now Aberystwyth University) where Physics. Professor Mkrtchyan will give lectures at: 20 Feb 1958 Clunie, J.G. 15 Feb 1952 Shephard, G.C. 20 Mar 1958 Keedwell, A.D. she graduated with a double first in Pure • Imperial College London, Department of 20 Mar 1952 Bonsall, F.F. 20 Mar 1958 Wallace, D.A.R. Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. After Physics, Friday 17 February at 4 pm: 20 Mar 1952 Swinnerton-Dyer, H.P.F. 17 Apr 1958 Macdonald, I.G. a year as a temporary assistant lecturer in Pure n → – n duality and universality; contact 20 Nov 1952 Knight, A.J. Mathematics, in 1959 she became an assistant Arkadij Tseytlin ([email protected]) 18 Dec 1952 Reeve, J.E. 15 May 1958 Foster, D.M.E. 18 Jun 1953 Rayner, M.E. 19 Jun 1958 Green, J.A. lecturer in the Pure and Applied departments • Loughborough University, School of Math- 18 Jun 1953 Marstrand, J.M. 20 Nov 1958 Rigby, J.F. and promoted to lecturer in 1962. In 1966, with ematics, Wednesday 22 February at 4 pm: 17 Dec 1953 Ringrose, J.R. 17 Dec 1958 De Barra, G. T.V. Davies, she wrote the well-regarded book Universal Lie algebra, duality and 17 Dec 1953 Samet, P.A. 18 Dec 1958 Birch, B.J. Nonlinear Differential Equations and later com- applications; contact Alexander Veselov 21 Jan 1954 Zeeman, E.C. 18 Dec 1958 Hallett, J.T. pleted her PhD under his supervision. ([email protected]) 18 Feb 1954 Cohen, D.E. 18 Dec 1958 Higgins, P.J. As she held a position in both departments, • University of Manchester, School of Math- 18 Dec 1958 McLeod, J.B. 18 Feb 1954 James, I.M. she did more than her share of the service ematics, Thursday 1 March at 4 pm: 18 Dec 1958 Miller, J.B. 17 Jun 1954 Taylor, S.J. courses in Mathematics and also of administra- SO(n) ~ Sp(– n), SU(n) ~ SU(– n) dualities, 15 Jan 1959 Blackburn, N. 25 Nov 1954 Amson, J.C. tive duties – these were performed with charm their applications and generalization; 25 Nov 1954 Halberstam, H. 16 Apr 1959 Burgess, D.A. and great efficiency. contact Hovhannes Khudaverdian 16 Dec 1954 Preston, G.B. 16 Apr 1959 Manogue, J.F. 27 Jan 1955 Atiyah, M.F. 21 May 1959 Ingram, G. She was heavily involved in the Women’s ([email protected]) 24 Feb 1955 Rayner, F.J. 18 Jun 1959 Carter, W. Institute taking a leading role both locally For further information about the visit of 24 Mar 1955 Farahat, H.K. 17 Dec 1959 Eames, W.P. and nationally. This led to her appointment as Professor Mkrtchyan contact Dr Hovhannes 12 May 1955 Harrop, R. 17 Dec 1959 Hoskins, R.F. Welsh representative on the Committee of In- Khudaverdian. The visit is supported by an 12 May 1955 Murdoch, B.H. 17 Dec 1959 West, A. quiry into Local Government Finance which led LMS Scheme 2 grant. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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LETTER FROM CMS CHAIR The Council for the Mathematical Sciences compris- extremely fortunate in having the very active es the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, MSOR Network which has taken full advan- 9 December 2011 the London Mathematical Society, the Royal Statis- tage of HEA transition funding and has been To: tical Society, the Edinburgh Mathematical Society continuing to deliver a busy programme of and the Operational Research Society, which are all Chief Executives of CMS constituent societies activities. Since taking up my new role I have registered charities. been working collaboratively with staff in the Future of the Mathematical Sciences in the UK has been made. EPSRC’s decision to offer Footnotes MSOR Network to familiarise myself with the Many members of our Societies will be aware no postdoctoral fellowships over most of its 1. EPSRC’s 111 research areas: http://gow.epsrc. wide range of work in which the Network has of the ‘Shaping Capability’ initiative of the mathematical sciences portfolio was taken ac.uk/NGBOListResearchAreas.aspx. been engaged. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research with no consultation, and EPSRC recently 2. The meeting between EPSRC and the learned societies followed a joint letter: http://royalsociety. Council (EPSRC). Under this initiative the reaffirmed this decision despite the clearly ex- Community priorities org/news/epsrc-funding-strategy/. EPSRC has mapped the disciplines that it pressed views of the community, the learned Following consultations undertaken last 1 3. The Nature letter: www.epsrc.ac.uk/SiteCollection- funds into 111 research areas and plans societies, the International Review panel, and Documents/press-release-documents/LetterRef9442- year, the Mathematical Sciences community to align funding with its assessment of UK EPSRC’s Strategic Advisory Team. Nature.pdf. identified several key priority areas of the strength and national importance. There has Both issues, the pre-eminence of research 4. The International Review of Mathematical Sci- MSOR Network’s activities which it wished to been considerable anxiety among members excellence and postdoctoral fellowships in the ences: www.epsrc.ac.uk/newsevents/pubs/corporate/ see continuing into the future. One of these of the EPSRC’s research community about the mathematical sciences, were discussed during intrevs/2010maths/Pages/default.aspx was maintaining the publication Connec- rationale for this approach, the lack of consul- the appearance of EPSRC’s Chair and Chief 5. The House of Lords Science and Technology Com- tions in hard copy format. Another was the tation, and the threat to research excellence Executive before the House of Lords Science mittee session: www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player. continuation of the course for new lecturers 14 aspx?meetingId=9580 15 as the key criterion for EPSRC funding. and Technology Committee on 29 November. and the teaching workshops for postgradu- 2 5 6. Details of other CMS activity can be found on its In October, the Royal Society brought The recording of the session is illuminating, website: www.cms.ac.uk ates in their current form, in which they are together the CMS with four other bodies but not encouraging. delivered by subject specialists in MSOR disci- (the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of CMS will continue to do its best to work plines. Indeed, this matter formed a topic for Chemistry, the Royal Academy of Engineering constructively with the mathematical sciences MATHEMATICS AT THE and the Institution of Engineering and Tech- programme team at EPSRC, and we are help- HIGHER EDUCATION nology) to discuss these concerns with John ing to identify members of the community ACADEMY Armitt and David Delpy, the EPSRC Chair and who can offer informed views. At the same Chief Executive respectively. Following the time we shall be pressing the case for the Discipline Lead meeting, the letter3 from John Armitt and mathematical sciences in wider groupings, in Following a recent restructuring at the David Delpy to Nature on 7 November offered parliament and elsewhere.6 Higher Education Academy (HEA), discipline a clear statement that research excellence Mathematics underpins our 21st century specific work within the HEA is now concen- remains pre-eminent in assessing applications; technology, economy and society, and this trated in four subject clusters namely: Arts & but on other areas of concern there has been is recognised in the employment market, Humanities, Health Sciences, Social Sciences less progress. where the prospects for our graduates and and STEM, with Mathematics being located An essential recommendation of the EPSRC’s postgraduates are amongst the best. The in STEM. Every discipline within the clusters 2010 International Review of Mathematical flow of trained mathematical scientists into has a designated Discipline Lead who is re- Sciences4 was the creation of a new struc- other disciplines and into the industries of sponsible for co-ordinating the HEA activities ture, designed together by EPSRC and the the future relies upon our universities’ re- in their discipline area. In September 2011, mathematical sciences research community, search and teaching excellence. The case for I took up the position of Discipline Lead for to allow communication, in advance rather the mathematical sciences is strong, and we Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Re- than after the fact, about the most effec- must make it. search (MSOR) on a fractional secondment tive structures for funding, the nature of If you would like to make this letter availa- (0.8) from Oxford Brookes University, where I initiatives and other key issues. During 2011 ble to your members please feel free to do so. continue to teach undergraduate Mathematics there has been a score of meetings between Yours sincerely students. CMS and EPSRC at a variety of levels, but Professor Frank Kelly FRS, Chair Since July 2011 the subject centres in Payens) (Jonathan Academy Education Higher © little real progress with this recommendation Council for the Mathematical Sciences some disciplines have closed. Mathematics is Mary McAlinden, MSOR Discipline Lead, HEA LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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discussion at the LMS Education Day in May be cross institutional and/or interdisciplinary. MATHEMATICS POLICY ROUND-UP 2011, as was reported in this Newsletter (LMS Further details can be found at www.heacad- Newsletter 406, September 2011, p. 25). In the emy.ac.uk/funding. December 2011 research excellence remains pre-eminent. The autumn I attended the course for new lectur- (ii) HEA travel funds. The HEA’s UK travel letter is available at http://tinyurl.com/cd6j77g. ers and one of the postgraduate workshops. fund can be used for UK travel to enable the RESEARCH This enabled me to appreciate the learning exchange and dissemination of good practice SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES experience these events offer to those new in learning, teaching and assessment. Further LMS engagement with EPSRC to teaching and to see the full extent of their details can be found at www.heacademy. The LMS, principally through CMS, is vigorously Mathematics in A-level science exams subject specificity. I listened to the views of ac.uk/travel-fund. representing the views of the membership and Science Community Representing Education those attending the events and have had the the mathematical community, and is seeking (SCORE) has commissioned research to investi- opportunity to hear directly from academics Conferences to influence EPSRC to minimise the damage to gate the assessment of mathematics in A-level about how highly these events are valued by HEA resources have already been allocated to mathematical research and to make construc- science examination papers. SCORE will present the Mathematics community. the next CETL-MSOR conference and the new tive changes in response to the International the preliminary findings on 6 January 2012 at Since taking up the role of Discipline Lead, HEA STEM conference, both of which will Review of the Mathematical Sciences (IRMS). the Association for Science Education Annual I have taken steps to communicate these pri- contain sessions relevant to HE Mathematics. Conference, University of Liverpool. orities in various ways within the HEA and Information about the CETL-MSOR confer- EPSRC Fellowships will continue to do so in the run up to the ence can be found at the MSOR Network’s EPSRC has outlined additional areas where How young learners master mathematics next planning cycle. website at mathstore.ac.uk and full details fellowship applications in the mathematical According to a recent Ofsted report, providing 16 of the HEA STEM conference are available sciences can be submitted. These are ‘inter- the best grounding in mathematics at primary 17 Funding for Mathematics at www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/2012/ disciplinary fellowships’ (early and established school is of fundamental importance to children’s Designated HEA resources have been allo- academyevents/STEM_annual_conf. career) to encourage connections across the future success in education, life and at work. The cated for work in each discipline area and mathematical sciences, and fellowships at the report – Good practice in primary mathematics: as such resources are available for activities Communication interface of the mathematical sciences and ICT evidence from 20 successful schools is available in Mathematics. These resources will be used To ensure that the HEA resources which have (early career). Further details are available at at http://tinyurl.com/6m4c4ks. to fund research and development work in been allocated for discipline specific work in http://tinyurl.com/cwph6g4. teaching and learning and to run a series of Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Re- Changes have also been made to the Doctor- DfE publishes data on Early Entry to GCSE workshops and seminars. search are used most effectively, I would like al Prize Scheme. Some individuals will be sup- Mathematics to invite staff working in these subject areas ported for up to two years beyond the end of The Department for Education has published a HEA workshop and seminar series to contact me directly with their suggestions their PhD. More details are available at http:// report presenting data on the difference in final If you would like to host a workshop or for future work. I am happy to visit institu- tinyurl.com/bnxcbxn. grades between those who enter GCSE mathe- seminar in your institution on an aspect of tions to meet with groups of staff who would matics and English early and those who do not. teaching and learning in Mathematics, there like to share their experiences and discuss Response to the International Review of Key headlines from the report include: is currently an open call for bids. Successful ways in which positive developments within Mathematics • ‘In both English and mathematics, early applicants will receive £1000 for hosting an teaching and learning can be achieved. EPSRC has produced an action plan in response entrants overall perform worse than pu- event and additional funds will be provided to the broad recommendations of the Interna- pils who do not enter early’ (http://tinyurl. to support speakers’ travel. Full details of the Finally, I would like to encourage the Mathe- tional Review of Mathematics. This has been com/cj9kkxx). application process can be accessed at www. matics community to take full advantage of shared with the Council for Mathematical Sci- heacademy.ac.uk/seminar-series. the HEA funding opportunities and invite you ences, the International Review panel and the Specialist mathematics free schools to participate in the events we will be run- Mathematical Sciences Strategic Advisory Team The Chancellor, George Osborne, announced Other funding opportunities ning in the future. Details of future events and reviewed by EPSRC Council. The action in his Autumn Statement that, ‘the govern- Other more general funding opportunities will be posted at www.heacademy.ac.uk/ plan is available at http://tinyurl.com/c8zd3ag. ment will invest an extra £600 million to fund are also available which are open to staff in disciplines/maths-stats-or. I am more than hap- 100 additional Free Schools by the end of this any discipline. These are summarised below. py to answer any queries you may have and can EPSRC letter to Nature Parliament. This will include new specialist (i) HEA teaching development grants. Early be contacted by email at the address below. EPRSC wrote to Nature in November welcom- mathematics Free Schools for 16–18 year olds, in 2012, there will be calls for both individual Mary McAlinden ing the offer of help from the National Acade- supported by strong university mathematics grants and collaborative grants which may [email protected] mies and Learned Societies and confirming that departments and academics. Continued on the next page. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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New teacher training strategy gained by people studying in the Further The government’s Initial Teacher Training Education and Skills sector. The reports – FE (ITT) Strategy Implementation Plan was STEM Data Project – July 2011 and The labour published in November 2011. The proposals market value of STEM qualifications and cover: occupations are available at http://tinyurl. • Encouraging more primary specialist com/cqm9ukp teachers to be trained. For 2013/14 the gov- Dr John Johnston ernment expects to introduce additional Mathematics Promotion Unit financial incentives for trainees who under- take a mathematics, science or language specialism as part of their primary ITT course, NEUMANN PRIZE 2011 and who have a good A-level in mathemat- ics, a science or a language. The British Society for the History of Mathe- • Offering graduates with first-class degrees matics (BSHM) has announced the winner of in physics, chemistry, mathematics and mod- the 2011 Neumann Prize as Cliff Pickover’s ern foreign languages significantly better The Math Book: From Pythagoras to the 57th financial incentives to train as teachers.Train - Dimension (Sterling Publishing). ees will receive a bursary of up to £20,000 in The prize, which is awarded every two 18 their training year – more than double the years, is for the best book in the history of 19 current maximum of £9,000. mathematics aimed at a broad audience. The • Requiring all trainees to have high stand- Math Book, which gives a wide-ranging tour ards of mathematics and English by requiring through 250 intriguing milestones in mathe- trainees to pass tougher literacy and numeracy matical history, covers each historical episode tests before they start training. in a single page with each entry accompa- More information is available at http:// nied by a full-page colour illustration. The tinyurl.com/d28xldn. ‘coffee-table’ format gives the reader snap- shots of the vast breadth of mathematics, New physics with mathematics teacher showing both its elegance as a discipline and training also its perennial importance in science and The Institute of Physics (IOP), the Royal Acad- engineering. emy of Engineering and the Training and Accepting the Prize, Cliff Pickover, who is Development Agency for Schools (TDA) are based at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research joining forces to pilot a new teacher training Center in Yorktown Heights, New York stated, programme, which combines physics with “I believe that placing science and mathemat- mathematics. The courses are designed to ics in their historical context has profound appeal to engineering graduates, who have value for students and anyone curious about specialist subject knowledge in physics and the evolution of thought and the wonders mathematics. of human ingenuity. Thus, I am happy and honored that the BSHM has awarded me the STEM qualifications bring higher wages 2011 Neumann Prize.” The Royal Academy of Engineering has The Neumann Prize is named in honour of published two reports resulting from a pro- the Oxford mathematician, and past Presi- gramme of work between the Science, Tech- dent of the BSHM, Dr Peter Neumann OBE. nology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) The BSHM also carried out a unique e-inter- community and government. Both relate view with Cliff Pickover which can be found to the wide range of STEM qualifications at www.bshm.org/NeumannPrize2011.html. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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MATHEMATICS: able to perform quite complicated calculations with sticks. It is not the only homage to Sangaku: inspired A BEAUTIFUL ELSEWHERE by them, artist Beatriz Milhazes has composed a Exhibition, 21 October 2011 – 18 March 2012 collage in which equations ruling phenomena such Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain as irisation, morphogenesis or electromagnetism Paris invite visitors to open the Book of Nature, where “numbers govern even fire”. Joseph Fourier could How can one communicate the ‘beautiful hardly imagine that the quotation opening his monu- elsewhere’ of abstract mathematics? If one mental treatise on heat would be used two centuries is willing to accept Cédric Villani’s explanation, later to design a fireplace next to Misha Gromov’s Li- in the series of interviews created by film- brary of Mysteries! makers Raymond Depardon and Claudine The Russian mathe- Nougaret, the answer to this recurrent ques- matician proposed tion for every working mathematician is a selection of thirty right in front of us: there is nothing as effec- major works in the tive as a blackboard! However, when trying history of mathe- to reach a general audience a more visual matics and human beauty often comes to the rescue. With this thought, from the 20 idea in mind, the Fondation Cartier pour fragments of Hera- 21 l’Art Contemporain conceived the nearly clitus to Grothend- impossible dream of establishing a fertile Chand�s, who relied on the patronage of ieck’s Récoltes et dialogue between many mathematicians the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques Semailles. But how to actually exhibit them? To that end, and artists with whom it has worked closely and UNESCO. The exhibition Mathematics: David Lynch has created a structure in the shape of a zero, in the past. The project came true thanks to a Beautiful Elsewhere is on in Paris until 18 in which an audiovisual installation presents extracts from the enthusiastic dedication of curators Jean- March 2012. the books, in a journey from the smallest particles to the Pierre Bourguignon, Michel Cassé and Hervé Japanese mathematicians of the Edo period largest galaxies. already understood Everybody agrees that infinity is one of the hardest con- the preeminent role cepts to comprehend. What about trying to learn it by that art can play in looking at Hiroshi Sugimoto’s three metre high Surface the popularization of revolution with constant negative curvature, whose of science, as they in- tip is only two millimetres in diameter? Henri Poincaré itiated the tradition would have been fascinated by this modern representa- of Sangaku: wooden tion of the pseudosphere because, as painter Jean-Michel tablets representing Alberola shows, hyperbolic geometry had a central place puzzles in Euclidian in his mathematical world. What about the mathemati- geometry that were cal worlds of today’s researchers? Eight mathematicians placed as offerings coming from different fields have given eight beautifully at the entrances to framed answers. While thinks of mathe- temples. Using the matics as a “reflection of what people dream”, for Don latest technology in Zagier they form an open world in which the only way to computer animation, get surprising results is to let oneself go by ideas. That is BUF Compagnie has probably the best metaphor of the whole exhibition. As given life to them in one visitor put it, “if I had known mathematics was like

a sequence of videos, Ouadah Olivier © that…” © Olivier Ouadah Olivier © which also show how Hiroshi Sugimoto Javier Fresán The Room of the Four Mysteries Chinese people were Conceptual Form 011, 2008 Université Paris 13 LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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BRITISH COLLOQUIUM This year, BCTCS is part of the Alan Turing Year, and will be collocated with the Auto- WOMEN IN MATHEMATICS DAY 2012 FOR THEORETICAL mated Reasoning Workshop ARW (http:// The next Women in Mathematics Day will be held on Friday 27 April 2012 at COMPUTER SCIENCE arw2012.cs.man.ac.uk/). Further BCTCS De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, London. Sessions will include talks by details are available from the Colloquium women mathematicians in a variety of appointments and at different career stages. The 28th British Colloquium for Theoreti- website http://bctcs2012.cs.manchester.ac.uk. The organisers would be very grateful if all members could encourage women cal Computer Science (BCTCS) will be host- mathematicians, particularly students (including final-year undergraduates) and ed by the School of Computer Science, those at an early stage in their career, to attend this meeting. The Women in University of Manchester from 2 to 5 April KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER Mathematics Day provides a valuable opportunity to meet and talk with women 2012. The purpose of BCTCS is to provide PAPER ON GRAPHICS who are active and successful in mathematics. Participants from previous meetings a forum in which researchers in theoreti- have found this opportunity useful and beneficial. While women are especially cal computer science can meet, present PROCESSING UNITS encouraged to attend this day, men are certainly not excluded. research findings, and discuss develop- Any postgraduates, postdocs or research assistants wishing to give a talk during the after- ments in the field. It also aims to provide The LMS–KTN Knowledge Transfer Reports noon session or present a poster should contact Susan Pitts ([email protected]) an environment in which PhD students can are an initiative coordinated jointly by the by 9 March 2012. gain experience in presenting their work, IM–KTN and the Computer Science Commit- To encourage high-quality posters, a £50 book token will be awarded for the poster and benefit from contact with established tee of the LMS. The latest report The GPU that is judged to be the best Women in Mathematics Day Poster 2012. researchers. Computing Revolution: From Multi-Core 22 Programme The scope of the colloquium includes all CPUs to Many-Core Graphics Processors was 23 aspects of theoretical computer science, launched at the recent computer science col- 10.30–11.00 Registration and Coffee including automata theory, algorithms, loquium hosted by the Computer Science 11.00–13.00 Morning Session complexity theory, semantics, formal meth- Committee of the LMS. Jennifer Scott ods, concurrency, types, languages and This report, written by Simon McIntosh- (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) logics. Both computer scientists and mathe- Smith, was distributed at the Innovate ‘11 Challenges from a large sparse world maticians are welcome to attend, as are conference and has already attracted some Rachel Camina (Cambridge) participants from outside of the UK. The interest from industry. The paper itself is The influence of conjugacy class sizes colloquium features both invited and con- available at www.lms.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ Christina Goldschmidt (Oxford) tributed talks. This year’s invited speakers files/reports/GPU-KT-report-screen.pdf. The The scaling limit of the critical are: Computer Science Committee hopes that random graph members with an interest in the interface of • Rod Downey (School of Mathematics, computer science and mathematics will look 13.00–14.00 Lunch and Poster Session Statistics and Operations Research, at the paper and pass it to others with an in- 14.15–16.00 Afternoon Session Victoria University of Wellington) © Jonathan Tickner Jonathan © terest in the technology. Postgraduate/Postdoc speakers LMS Keynote Speaker in Discrete 2011 Poster Competition Winner: The reports are produced as an occasional 16.00–16.30 Tea Ndifreke Udosen, Reading University Mathematics series, each one addressing an area where • Mike Edmunds (School of Physics and Participants are invited to join us for dinner at a local restaurant after the event. If mathematics and computing have come to- Astronomy, University of Cardiff) you would like to attend, please email Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]). gether to provide high-impact significant • Reiner Hähnle (Fachbereich Informatik, Please note that the dinner will not be paid for by the Society. new capability, ready for mainstream indus- Technische Universität Darmstadt) trial uptake. They are written by senior re- Limited funds are available to help with the travel costs of students attending the • Nicole Schweikardt (Institut für Informatik, searchers in each area, for a mixed audience event. Further details are available from Elizabeth Fisher at the Society (contact Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main) details below). in business and government. The Computer Registration and accommodation book- Science Committee looks forward to develop- To register contact Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) by Friday 20 April. ings open on 16 January. Participants wish- ing the series of KTPs, producing more papers Late registrations for places may still be accepted, subject to availability. ing to give 30-minute contributed talks may for publication in the near future. The day is free for students and £5 for all others – payable on the day. simply submit a title and abstract (100 to Tom Melham 300 words) by 19 March. Chair, Computer Science Committee LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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24 25 LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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HOMOTOPY AND This will be a follow-up meeting which, hopefully, will build upon the success of the GEOMETRY OF LOOP SPACES six-month research programme, of the same The Fourth Sheffield Homotopy Mini Confer- name, that was held at the INI in 2006. Finan- ence on Homotopy and Geometry of Loop cial support for the meeting has been provid- Spaces will take place from Friday 20 to Sunday ed by the INI, WIMCS and Oxford University 22 January 2012 at the University of Sheffield. Press. The following have agreed to partici- In recent years, the study of loop spaces has pate and make presentations: seen rapid progress and also brought about • J. Block (UPenn) new interactions between different areas of • R. Bocklandt (Newcastle) mathematics. This meeting aims to inform par- • M. Bojowald (Penn State) ticipants of the latest developments as well as • A.H. Chamseddine (Beirut and IHÉS) some of the future directions in this exciting • A. Connes* (Coll�ge de France, IHÉS & area of research. The speakers include: Vanderbilt) • Ralph Cohen (Stanford) • L. Evans (LHC, CERN) • David Gepner (Regensburg) • T. Gannon (Alberta) • Jelena Grbić (Manchester) • V. Ginzburg* (Chicago) • Richard Hepworth (Aberdeen) • Y. Kawahigashi (Tokyo) 26 • Kathryn Hess (Lausanne) • R. Longo (Rome) 27 • John Jones (Warwick) • R. Meyer (Göttingen) • Sadok Kallel (Lille) • E. Meinrenken (Toronto) • Birgit Richter (Hamburg) • J. Mickelson (Helsinki) • Andrew Stacey (Trondheim) • D. Nadler* (Northwestern) • Ulrike Tillmann (Oxford) • R. Nest (Copenhagen) • Nathalie Wahl (Copenhagen) • M. Piai (Swansea) • Konrad Waldorf (Regensburg) • T. Stafford (Manchester) Financial support will be available for UK- • D. Stevenson (Glasgow) based students. For more information, visit • C. Teleman (Berkeley) the website www.pokman-cheung.staff.shef. • D. Voiculescu (Berkeley) ac.uk/SHM4 or write to SHM4@sheffield. • P. Xu (Penn State) ac.uk. The meeting is supported by an LMS • D. Ben-Zvi* (Austin) * to be confirmed Conference grant and the University of Shef- field Mathematics and Statistics Research The meeting will consist of nine sessions, Centre. each concentrating on a particular research area that is currently attracting significant in- NONCOMMUTATIVE terest within the community: • Noncommutative GEOMETRY • Representation theory aspects of In April 2012, the Isaac Newton Institute for Baum-Connes Mathematical Sciences (INI), Cambridge, and • Noncommutative geometry and symplectic the Wales Institute of Mathematical and geometry Computational Sciences (WIMCS) will jointly • Free aspects of noncommutative geometry organise a meeting on Noncommutative • Noncommutative geometry and conformal Geometry. The meeting will be held at Cardiff field theory University and will start on Monday 16 April • Nonommutative geometry and and end on Friday 20 April. categorification Continued on the next page. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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• Noncommutative geometry and quantum Shahn Majid (Queen Mary, University of GROUPS ST ANDREWS 2013 ‘theme’, combining a retrospective on the field theory London) last ten years (the first PANDA meeting was • Noncommutative spacetime and For further information regarding the sci- Groups St Andrews 2013 is organised by the in December 2001) and a perspective on the cosmology entific programme email EvansDE@cardiff. University of St Andrews and will take place next. There will be two review/pedagogical • The standard model and beyond ac.uk, and for accommodation email in St Andrews (Scotland). It will run from talks: The scientific organisers of the meet- [email protected]. Full details are given Saturday 3 August (arrival day) to Sunday • Rebecca Hoyle (University of Surrey) ing are: David E. Evans (Cardiff University), at http://mathsevents.cf.ac.uk/iniwimcs2012/ 11 August 2013 (departure day). The talks Natural history of a PANDA, and nonlinear Nigel Higson (Penn State University) and index.html. will take place from 4 to 10 August 2013 dynamics in biology and sociology (inclusive). The conference aims to cover • Jonathan Dawes (University of Bath) all aspects of group theory. The short lec- Nonlinear dynamics in continuum ture courses are intended to be accessible mechanics: current challenges and future LMS INVITED LECTURER 2012 to postgraduate students, postdoctoral fel- opportunities lows, and researchers in all areas of group We invite contributed half-hour research theory. The principal speakers will each talks on any topic within the PANDA remit, deliver a short lecture course on a topic of and particularly welcome offers of talks by Professor Alexei Borodin (MIT) their choice. They are: postdocs and PhD students. A limited amount • Emmanuel Breuillard (Université Paris-Sud 11) of funding is available for the reimbursement Determinantal point processes and • Martin Liebeck (Imperial College, London) of travel expenses. We may also be able to 28 • Alan Reid (University of Texas) make a contribution towards childcare ex- 29 representation theory • Karen Vogtmann (Cornell University) penses incurred specifically for the purpose of One hour speakers are: attending the meeting. Please contact Alastair • Inna Capdeboscq (University of Warwick) Rucklidge ([email protected]) if you 26–30 March 2012 • Radha Kessar (University of Aberdeen) would like to speak at the meeting. University of Glasgow • Markus Lohrey (Universität Leipzig) For further details visit the website at www. • Derek Robinson (University of Illinois at maths.leeds.ac.uk/~alastair/12_panda/index. Urbana-Champaign) html. The PANDA network is organised by Alexei Borodin will give a ten-lecture minicourse, at a level suitable for • Christopher Voll (University of Bielefeld) Rebecca Hoyle (Surrey), Jon Dawes (Bath), graduate students, on Determinantal point processes and representation Those interested in attending the confer- Paul Matthews (Nottingham) and Alastair theory. The lectures will explore the interactions between probability theory ence are encouraged to sign up for confer- Rucklidge (Leeds), and is supported by an ence updates on the following webpage: LMS Scheme 3 grant. and algebra, which is a new fast-developing area. www.groupsstandrews.org/2013/form.shtml. There will also be supplementary lectures by: Further details will be posted when available on the conference website at www.groups- • Neil O’Connell (Warwick) standrews.org/2013/index.shtml, or email CONFERENCE fACILITIES • Patrik Ferrari (Bonn) [email protected]. This confer- ence, the ninth in the series of Groups St An- De Morgan House offers 40% discount on room hire to all Mathematical charities and Local B&B accommodation will be available. drews conferences, will be organised along similar lines to previous events in this series. 20% to all not-for-profit organisations. Limited financial support is available with preference given to UK Support the LMS by booking the next research students. Please contact the organisers for further details PANDA London event at De Morgan House. ([email protected]). 10 years on Call us now on 020 7927 0800 or email [email protected] The next Patterns, Nonlinear Dynamics and to check availability, receive a quote or For further details on the 2012 Invited Lectures please visit Applications (PANDA) meeting will be held on arrange a viewing of the venue. www.maths.gla.ac.uk/~mf/LMSLectures2012/index.htm. Friday 20 January 2012 in the School of Math- ematics, University of Leeds. There is a broad LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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ALGEBRA, COMBINATORICS, – Properties of various generating series associated to rings, Hilbert series, growth, DYNAMICS AND combinatorics of primes

APPLICATIONS – Representation spaces, dynamics of Gln action; Deformation theory This workshop will take place from 27 to 30 – Homological properties, properties of the August 2012 at Queen’s University, Belfast. It Koszul complex will focus on recent developments and classical • Structures originated in physics, geometry, ideas in the interplay between structural prop- topology, homotopy theory erties of algebras, properties of their represen- – Operads, props tations and combinatorics and dynamics. The – Novikov structures and pre-Lie algebras, organizers are particularly interested to dis- Leibnitz algebras, ternary algebras, etc. cuss problems where combinatorial methods – Poisson structures appear as a main ingredient in the solution of – Cluster algebras an algebraic problem or where arguments of • Actions of groups over rings, lower K-groups dynamical nature help to understand better over noncommutative rings some algebraic phenomenon. More general • Operator algebras and semigroup actions on structures appearing in various applications, in Banach spaces, their (infinite-dimensional) 30 particular in physics, analysis, geometry, topol- dynamics 31 ogy, homotopy theory, and coding theory will • Computational aspects of the above, in par- also be considered. Topics include, but are not ticular, related to the Gröbner bases theory limited to the following: Speakers include: • Algebras given by relations (including • Vladimir Bavula (Sheffield) quadratic algebras) • Peter Cameron (London) – Combinatorics of defining relations, particu- • Grigori Garkusha (Swansea) larly combinatorics and dynamics of words; • David Jordan (Sheffield) semigroups and semigroup algebras • Peter J�rgensen (Newcastle) • Arnfinn Laudal (Oslo) • Tom Lenagan (Edinburgh) • Abdenacer Makhlouf (Mulhouse) • Sergei Silvestrov (Lund) • Agata Smoktunowicz (Edinburgh) • Robert Wisbauer (Düsseldorf) Anyone interested is welcome to attend. Some funds may be available to contribute to the ex- penses of research students who wish to attend the meeting. For further details and registration visit http://sites.google.com/site/ algebrabelfast2010/2011 or con- “Sorry, Greg, but our Venn diagrams tact Natalia Iyudu at n.iyudu@qub. don’t overlap anywhere.” ac.uk. The workshop is supported © ScienceCartoonsPlus.com by an LMS Conference grant. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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QP–NG–QI FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN

A final meeting of the four-year UKIERI TROPICAL MATHEMATICS research network Quantum Probability, A two-day workshop on Future Directions in Noncommutative Geometry and Quantum Tropical Mathematics and its Applications will Information will be held at the ICMS in Edin- be held in Manchester from 19 to 20 January burgh from 16 to 18 January 2012. Non-UKIERI 2012. The workshop will bring together those invited speakers include using and developing tropical and max-plus • Philippe Biane (Université de Marne la Vallée) theory and methods, across both pure and ap- • Uwe Franz (Université de Franche-Comté) plied mathematics. Research speakers include: • Giovanni Lendi (Universit� di Trieste) • Florian Block (Warwick) • Hans Maassen (Radboud University) • Alexander Guterman (Moscow) • Adam Skalski (Polish Academy of Sciences) • James Hook (Manchester) • Reinhard Werner (Leibniz Universität) • Katharina Huber (UEA) • Stephen Wills (University College Cork) • Zur Izhakian (Bremen) The meeting is organised by Alexander Mini-courses will be given by Peter Butkovic Belton, Michael Dritschel, Martin Lindsay and (Birmingham) and Stephane Gaubert (INRIA). Kalyan Sinha. The number of participants For further details visit the website at 32 will be limited to around 40 people, so if http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/ 33 you wish to participate then please contact Marianne.Johnson/tropicalworkshop.html Martin Lindsay ([email protected]) The workshop is funded by the LMS or Alexander Belton (a.belton@lancaster. (through a Birmingham–Manchester–Warwick ac.uk). Up-to-date conference information Scheme 3 triangle) and EPSRC (through the may be viewed at www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/ CICADA project), and organised by Marianne ~belton/QPNGQI and at the ICMS website Johnson, Mark Kambites and Mark Muldoon. www.icms.org.uk. Funds are available to support the attend- The event is supported by the British ance costs of UK-based graduate students; Council’s UK–India Education and Research those interested in claiming should contact Initiative (UKIERI). the organisers in advance.

RECORDS OF PROCEEDINGS AT LMS MEETINGS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING held on Friday 18 November 2011 at the the Institute of Education, London. About 80 members and visitors were present for all or part of the meeting. The meeting began at 3.00 pm, with the President, Professor A.J. MACINTYRE, FRS, in the Chair. Members who had not yet voted were invited to hand their ballot papers to the Scrutineers, Professor P.T. Saunders and Dr D.J. Collins. The Vice-President Professor J. GREENLEES presented a report on the Society’s activities and the President invited questions. The Treasurer, Professor W.B. STEWART, presented his report on the Society’s finances during the 2010/11 financial year and the President invited questions.

Continued on the next page. LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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Brian Stewart (Oxford). The report highlighted subsequent efficiency) with which already Copies of the Report of the Trustees for 2010/11 were made available and the confident progress achieved by the Society over heavily-burdened people took on, often at very President invited members to adopt the Report of the Trustees for 2010/11 by a show the last year; such points as the increase in pub- short notice, tasks whose purpose was to safe- of hands. The Report of the Trustees for 2010/11 was adopted. lications income, the continuation of extensive guard our culture and independence, to stand The President proposed Messrs Kingston Smith be re-appointed as auditors for grant programmes, important contributions to up for reason against jargon, and to ensure 2011/12 and invited members to approve the re-appointment by a show of hands. policy, and the increased intensity of dialogue on that the young now emerging, and those who Messrs Kingston Smith were re-appointed as auditors for 2011/12. policy issues with the wider academic community come after us, can take mathematics forward in Seven people were elected to Ordinary Membership: E.A. Codling, A.C. Davis, and policymakers, deserve a special mention. freedom, to perspectives not imagined by us. E-M. Graefe, S.C.J. Kolb, A.J. Lobb, A.E. Mohamed, D. Todorov; three were elected to The first lecture of the LMS meeting, by Pro- I think the LMS can be proud of its democrat- Associate Membership: J.C.G. Biniok, R.M. Friswell, S. Wang. Two members signed the fessor FRS (Manchester), was on ic structures, guaranteed by the Charter. That book and were admitted to the Society. Polynomials, quasipolynomials and o-minimal- Charter has served us well, in the advancement, The President announced that the next meeting of the Society would be in London ity. It provided an outline of the model theory world-wide, of mathematics as understood by on 24 February 2012 and would include the Mary Cartwright Lecture. of exponential fields, a rapidly growing area of the open society of mathematicians. This Char- The President, on Council’s behalf, presented certificates to the 2011 Society mathematics which combines classical concepts ter should guide us through our 150th Anniver- Prizewinners – Polya Prize: Professor E. Brian Davies, FRS; Senior : and canonical examples (such as fields of real sary, and far beyond. I want to emphasise the Dr ; the Naylor Prize and Lectureship in Applied Mathematics: and complex numbers with exponentiation) moral nature of what we do, in trying to protect Professor J. Bryce McLeod, FRS; Whitehead Prizes: Dr Jonathan Bennett, with remarkable connections to mathematical and nourish mathematics everywhere, in the Professor Barbara Niethammer and Dr Alexander Pushnitski. The winner of the logic, number theory and analysis (including face of increasingly uninformed managerial- fourth Whitehead Prize, Dr Alexander Gorodnik, was unable to attend. 34 non-standard analysis). ism. I believe that most of us feel humble at our 35 Professor Alex Wilkie, FRS, gave a lecture on Polynomials, quasipolynomials and After the lecture, the Meeting returned to the good fortune in being chosen by mathematics. o-minimality. Society’s business: announcement of the election We live in a trusting community. Though tastes After tea, Dr Collins announced the results of the ballot. The following Officers and results and inauguration of the new President, may differ, and we rely for guidance on those of Members of the Council were elected. Professor Graeme Segal FRS (Oxford). proven excellence and wisdom, we are shocked President: G.B. Segal; Vice-Presidents: K. Brown, J. Greenlees; Treasurer: R.T. Curtis; The second lecture, by Professor Angus Mac- by the inflexible jargon of ‘reshaping’. And so, General Secretary: J.M.E. Hyland; Publications Secretary: J.D.S. Jones; Programme intyre FRS, The logic of the real, complex and of course, my anxiety tonight is not due to be- Secretary: R.A. Wilson; Education Secretary: A.D. Gardiner; Members-at-Large of perfect exponentials developed the theme of ing nervous about getting up here to speak, Council (for 2 year terms): J.E. Barrow-Green, S.K. Donaldson, J.R. Hunton, A. Laptev, exponential fields at a level of beautiful synthe- but because of the new climate of at once E.L. Mansfield, B.J. Totaro. Six Members-at-Large who were elected for two years sis of mathematical, logical and philosophical superficial and overly elaborate initiatives such in 2010 have a year left to serve: A.V. Borovik, D.E. Buck, W.S. Kendall, M. Marletta, ideas. as Impact and Reshaping. C.M. Roney-Dougal, U.L. Tillmann. The following were elected to the Nominating Dinner in the evening took place in the Hotel I no longer speak for the LMS, but I do intend Committee: F.C. Kirwan, M. Prest Russell. In his speech at dinner, Professor Angus to cooperate with others in defence of mathe- The newly-elected President, Professor G.B. SEGAL, FRS, took the Chair. Macintyre gave a retrospective view of the two matics and of reason. One of the most hearten- Professor Angus Macintyre, FRS, gave the Presidential Address on The logic of the turbulent but successful years in the life of the ing developments of the last year has been the real, complex and perfect exponentials. Society: appearance, both on blogs and in letters, of After the meeting, a reception was held at De Morgan House, followed by the “Dear Guests and Fellow Mathematicians, admirable, and admirably frank, analyses of just Annual Dinner, which was held at the Russell Hotel and attended by 75 people. I finished my term as LMS President less than how insensitive to the reality of mathematics are three hours ago, and right now I feel both grati- recent policies. The letters have been signed by tude and anxiety. some of the most eminent of UK scientists, and The gratitude comes not from being free and by the IRMS team. I travel a lot, and am by now AGM AND SOCIETY MEETING 2011 still, apparently, in possession of some mathe- accustomed to sympathy from foreign mathe- matical capability (shaped over many years by maticians about the unnecessary pressures faced Report the work of thousands of colleagues in our by us, distracting us from what we do best. We The 2011 Annual General Meeting of the LMS by President Professor Angus Macintyre FRS common endeavour). Rather it comes as I re- eagerly await some signs of trust in the accuracy took place at the Institute of Education, Lon- (QMUL). It started with the presentation of flect on the survival of democracy and altruism of what has been so carefully written.” don, on Friday 18 November 2011, and was the Trustees’ Report by Vice-President Profes- in our Society. In my time as President I have Alexandre Borovik well attended. Formal business was conducted sor John Greenlees (Sheffield) and Treasurer Dr marvelled at the cheerful demeanour (and University of Manchester LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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LMS COMPUTER SCIENCE REVIEWS ticularly enjoyed his essay on Dante, in Chapter 1 discusses the Egyptians. There’s which Peterson demonstrates that Dante’s evidence in a Middle Kingdom (2500–1800 BC) COLLOQUIUM Galileo’s Muse by Mark A. Peterson, Harvard ‘Paradiso’ contains a construction of the papyrus that they knew about 3,4,5 triangles, Report University Press, 2011, 352 pp, £21.95, ISBN 3-sphere and climaxes with an extended then there are references by Democritus in 978-0-674-05972-6. metaphor encapsulating Archimedes’ the fifth century BC to the ‘rope stretchers The LMS Computer Science Committee host- In this book, structured around Galileo proof of the area of a circle. of Egypt’, who were apparently construct- ed a colloquium at De Morgan House on but constituting a much wider discussion Peterson’s writing style is very read- ing right angles two millennia earlier using High Performance Scientific Computing at on Renaissance thought, Peterson argues able, and is effective in conveying his ropes of lengths 3, 4, 5 units, and there is the Exascale on Tuesday 11 October 2011. The that Renaissance art was a key motivating enthusiasm. Not only is the book itself possibly (well, maybe) some evidence from meeting showcased state-of-the-art scientific force behind the rediscovery of hellenistic self-contained, providing a comprehensive megaliths. computing applications, to identify some of science and the development of new sci- overview of all topics featured, but the But then Chapter 2 looks further back. May- the challenges posed by next-generation entific thought. With the science of the sections can be read in any order, making be the theorem actually originated even earlier high-performance machines and indicate classical period having suffered a reversal it easy to ‘dip into’. I found the book very in Mesopotamia. There are records of many promising approaches to tackling problems. over time (mathematics in particular hav- thought-provoking; it gave me a new ap- gnomonic Pythagorean triples (those with two Forty-one people attended the colloquium, ing become an ossified logical system in an preciation of how the Renaissance was not numbers consecutive) in records of old Baby- including twenty PhD students. The collo- obscure branch of philosophy), Peterson simply a ‘flowering’ of cultural activity, lonian mathematics. There’s the evidence of a quium speakers were: argues that the arts provided the stimulus but represented a significant step-change broken tablet (the ‘Babylonian Shard’) from for new, ‘living’ mathematics and phys- in modes of thought. Overall, I would around 1760 BC, and then there’s the palm- • Marc Snir (Illinois) 36 ics. He shows how problems arising in the thoroughly recommend this lively and sized ‘Yale tablet’, showing a calculation of 37 Exascale Computing: The Last Rehearsal arts led to the need for new mathematical stimulating book to anyone interested in the digits of root 2 (computed in the Babylo- Before the Post-Moore Era techniques (e.g. perspective in painting in- the history of ideas. nian base of 60) alongside a sketch of a square • Ulrich Rüde (Erlangen) spired work in optics and gave geometry Sophie Huczynska with its diagonals. Surely it was knowledge of Towards Exascale Computing: Multilevel a new connection with describing space), University of St Andrews the theorem that motivated that calculation? Methods and Flow Solvers for Millions of while ways of thinking from the arts pro- But certainly the Pythagoreans knew the Cores vided a fertile mental landscape for new Hidden Harmonies, The Life and Times of theorem. In Chapter 3 we learn about their • Oubay Hassan (Swansea) scientific approaches (eg. considering mul- the Pythagorean Theorem by Robert and society and style of proof, and the proof Towards Fully Parallel Aerospace Simulations tiple viewpoints, or the imprecision of ob- Ellen Kaplan, 2011, Bloomsbury Press, 304 pp, of irrationality of root 2 is attributed to the on Unstructured Meshes servational data). $25.00, ISBN 978-1-596-915220. Pythagorean Hippasus. Peterson illustrates this cross-pollination I really enjoyed this book • Paul Kelly (Imperial College London) between the arts and sciences through I had no idea that there was Software Abstractions for Many-Core an analysis of the work of key figures, in- so much to say about Py- Software Engineering cluding Dante, Piero della Francesca and thagoras’ theorem. I have The Computer Science Committee is very Kepler, as well as Galileo. In his final chap- been fascinated, and have grateful to the Centre for Numerical Algo- ter, Peterson contends that an Oration probably bored my colleagues rithms and Intelligent Software (NAIS) for delivered by one of Galileo’s students was to death. Still, everyone wants providing financial support that made possi- largely written by Galileo himself. While I to borrow my copy now... ble visits by high-quality speakers. cannot personally evaluate the likelihood The book starts with some The Computer Science Colloquium is part of this claim, it provides an opportunity history. The proof of the of a range of LMS activities at the interface for Peterson to bring together various theorem is of course attrib- of computing and mathematics, and the strands. uted to the Pythagoreans Computer Science Committee looks forward Peterson’s scientific background (he in the middle of the sixth to strengthening the Society’s interest in the is a professor of mathematics and phys- century BC. But were they interface between the disciplines and host- ics) makes him well equipped to iden- really the first to notice it? ing future events. tify and elucidate mathematical ideas Was it already known to Mark Ainsworth present in works which are often con- the Egyptians, or even the Strathclyde University sidered in purely artistic terms. I par- Babylonians? LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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Chapter 4 continues with the Greeks, and CALENDAR OF EVENTS 23-24 Rigidity of Periodic and Symmetric 16-20 Noncommutative Geometry INI–WIMCS especially Euclid. His Proposition 1.47 proves Structures Meeting, Kavli Royal Society Meeting, Cardiff (410) our theorem, with three squares and a tangle This calendar lists Society meetings and other International Centre, Newport Pagnell (409) 16-20 Condensed Matter, Black Holes and of five additional lines constructed around mathematical events. Further information 24 LMS Meeting and Mary Cartwright Holography INI Workshop, Cambridge the right-angled triangle. This proof has been may be obtained from the appropriate Lecture, London (410) 17-19 Frontiers of Nevanlinna Theory 3: variously called the ‘mouse trap’, ‘Dulcarnon’ LMS Newsletter whose number is given in Applications of Nevanlinna Theory to Differential and Functional Equations, (meaning ‘two-horned’ in Persian), and ‘the brackets. A fuller list of meetings and events MARCH 2012 University College London (401) bride’s chair’; there’s a beautiful reproduc- is given on the Society’s website (www.lms. 4 Neurodynamics Workshop Tutorial Day, 20-21 Elmer Rees’ 70th Birthday Celebration tion of a front cover from La Vie Parisienne, ac.uk/newsletter/calendar.html). Edinburgh (409) Conference, Bristol (409) showing a soldier carrying his bride and all Please send updates and corrections to [email protected]. 5-7 Neurodynamics Workshop, Edinburgh 24 Final Score, Gresham College Lecture, her chattels on his back, which really does (409) Museum of London (409) seem to have been constructed on Euclid’s 27 Women in Mathematics Day, De Morgan JANUARY 2012 14 Combinatorics Meeting, Oxford diagram. 14-16 Pattern Formation: The Inspiration of House, London (410) There have been a few published collections 4-6 British Postgraduate Model Theory Alan Turing INI Satellite Meeting, Oxford (408) of proofs of the theorem, the largest apparent- Conference, Oxford (409) 15-17 The Big Bang Science and Engineering MAY 2012 ly being Loomey’s collection of 367 in Harvard 4-8 String Theory, Geometry, and Fair, NEC Birmingham (407) 19 LMS Poincaré Meeting, London library; Chapter 5 looks at a few. I’ve long liked 18-23 Stochastic Modelling in Biological Sys- Mathematical Physics UK–Japan Winter 28-1 Jun Boundary Value Problems for the proof that places the hypotenuses of four School, Oxford (407) tems LMS–EPSRC Short Course, Oxford (410) Linear Elliptic and Integrable PDEs: 38 a,b,c triangles against the inside edges of a 8-11 Free Boundary Problems in Fluid 21 Zeeman Medal 2011 Award Ceremony, Theory and Computation ICMS Workshop, 39 square of edge , revealing a square of length The Royal Society, London (410) c Mechanics Meeting, Nottingham (406) Edinburgh (405) a – b in the middle; although somehow I feel 21-22 Young Functional Analysts’ Workshop, 9 Spitalfields Day, INI, Cambridge 28-1 Jun Infinite Ergodic Theory Workshop, it is cheating, since I need to do some algebra Oxford 16-18 Quantum Probability, Noncommutative Surrey to see that the combined area of those four 26-29 Ischia Group Theory 2012 Conference, Geometry and Quantum Information figures is really a 2+b2. But I found a new fa- Ischia, Naples, Italy vourite on p. 131: since the a,b,c triangle (with Meeting, ICMS, Edinburgh (410) 26-30 LMS Invited Lectures, Alexei Borodin, JUNE 2012 hypotenuse c) is the union of similar triangles 17 Citius, Altius, Fortius, Gresham College Glasgow (410) 2-3 Numerical Linear Algebra, Control with hypotenuses a,b, its area is the sum of Lecture, Museum of London (409) 26-30 Logical Approaches to Barriers in Com- Theory and Data Assimilation Conference, theirs, but of course their areas are in the same 19-20 Future Directions in Tropical plexity II, INI Workshop, Cambridge (410) Reading ratio as the squares of corresponding lengths. Mathematics and its Applications Workshop, 27 On the Waterfront, Gresham College 5-8 Higher Order Problems in Geometric Lecture, Museum of London (409) Analysis Workshop, Bath (409) And I am amazed that Alvin Knoer could still Manchester (410) 27-29 BAMC 2012, University College London 6 LMS Northern Regional Meeting, find a new proof in 1924! 20 PANDA, Leeds (410) (409) Northumbria University, Newcastle I thought that Chapter 5 would be the cli- 20-22 Homotopy and Geometry of Loop 11-12 Numerical Analysis of Stochastic Partial max of the book. But it carries on. Chapter 6 Spaces Mini-Conference, Sheffield (410) APRIL 2012 Differential Equations, Warwick is about consequences; we discuss Ptolemy, 31-2 Feb Cryptographic Theory INI 12-15 The Incomputable Workshop, Pappus, Apollonius, Dijkstra, and more. Chap- Workshop, Cambridge (404) 2-3 Biological Flow Conference, Cambridge Chicheley Hall, North Buckinghamshire (407) ter 7 classifies all relatively prime Pythagorean 2-4 Young Researchers in Mathematics 12-15 Chaotic Modeling and Simulation triples. Chapter 8 moves beyond 2 dimensions, Conference, Bristol International Conference, Athens, Greece ultimately to infinite dimensions and Fourier FEBRUARY 2012 2-4 Recent Advances in Scattering 18-20 Frontiers of Nevanlinna Theory 4: series. Then in Chapter 9, we see the ‘Deep 1 Heilbronn Quantum Algorithms Day, Amplitudes INI Workshop, Cambridge Nevanlinna Theory and Number Theory, Point of Dream’, that Pythagoras’ theorem is Bristol (409) 2-5 British Colloquium for Theoretical University College London (401) Computer Science, Manchester (410) equivalent to Euclid’s parallel postulate. 13-17 Symmetries of Discrete Objects 18-23 Turing Centenary Conference, 10-13 Formal and Computational Cambridge (407) This book is about far more than Pythagoras’ Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand Cryptographic Proofs INI Workshop, 25-29 String Phenomenology INI Workshop, theorem. It’s accessible, and fun. I recommend (406) it! Cambridge (408) Cambridge 21 Let’s Twist Again, Gresham College Sarah Rees 16-19 BMC 2012, University of Kent, 29 LMS Meeting and Hardy Lecture, Lecture, Museum of London (409) Canterbury (409) London University of Newcastle LMS AGM AND ANNUAL DINNER Friday 18 November 2011 © Jonathan Tickner Jonathan © © Jonathan Tickner Jonathan ©

Graeme Segal, incoming President Angus Macintyre, outgoing President © Jonathan Tickner Jonathan ©

PRIZE WINNERS 2011 (left to right) Alexander Pushnitski (Whitehead Prize), Jonathan Bennett (Whitehead Prize), Angus Macintyre (LMS President 2009–11), Graeme Segal (LMS President), Bryce McLeod (Naylor Prize), Jonathan Pila (), Barbara Niethammer (Whitehead Prize), Brian Davies (Pólya Prize).