NEWSLETTER No. 466 February 2017
MATHEMATICS and brexit House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report ‘Bold steps are needed to ensure UK science has a prominent place in the global economy after Brexit’, says a House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report. Amongst other things the report goes on to say that: ‘the UK needs to retain current scientific talent and attract even more of the world's leading scientists. The UK should expand and enhance existing New CEO of UK Research and programmes. But it must also search out the Innovation critical for its success world's most accomplished scientists and The soon to be appointed CEO of UK Research and persuade them to pursue careers here. The gov- Innovation (UKRI) will be critical for making a success ernment should send repeated signals to the of the new organisation, according to a Science and global science community that the UK remains Technology Select Committee report. Science and Tech- a welcoming place for talented scientists’. nology Select Committee Chair, Stephen Metcalfe MP, More information and the full report are available at http://tinyurl.com/zhph2ae. said: ‘UKRI represents a revolution in our research and Chief scientific adviser needed at DExEU innovation landscape, and the new organisation Following a House of Commons debate in will change how the country funds and commercial- December 2016 on 'Exiting the EU: Science and ises publicly-funded research. Getting UKRI right will Research', Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chair of the secure our position as a research superpower at a Science and Technology Committee, has written time when it is crucial to protect and build upon our to David Davis MP, Secretary of State, Depart- strength’. ment for Exiting the European Union (DexEU), ‘The soon to be appointed Chief Executive of UKRI regarding the need for a Chief Scientific Adviser will play a crucial role in determining the success of in the Department. The letter is available at the new organisation. They will have to address the http://tinyurl.com/zrzgk8s various concerns that the science and innovation sector
SOCIETY MEETINGS AND EVENTS 2017
• 3 April: Society Meeting at BMC, Durham page 31 • 30 June: Society Meeting, London • 18–22 April: LMS Invited Lectures, Newcastle page 18 • 30 June: Graduate Student Meeting, London • 5 May: Mary Cartwright Lecture, London • 11 December: SW & South Wales • 1 June: Northern Regional Meeting, York Regional Meeting, Cardiff
NEWSLETTER ONLINE: newsletter.lms.ac.uk @LondMathSoc LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
Contents No. 466 February 2017
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Awards Mathematical Models in Ecology BSHM Undergraduate Essay Prize...... 10 and Evolution...... 24 Compositio Prize 2016...... 9 North British Functional Analysis Seminars....24 Rough Paths in Probability and Statistics...... 24 2 Calendar of Events 35 Scalable Statistical Inference INI Workshop.....30 LMS Items SciCADE...... 23 Cecil King Travel Scholarship 2017...... 34 News David Crighton Medal 2017...... 4 EMS President - New Year Message...... 5 News for Early Career Researchers European News...... 6 and Students...... 10 International Mathematics Competition for Undergraduate Research Bursaries in University Students...... 13 Mathematics 2017...... 17 Mathematics and Brexit...... 1 LMS Meetings Obituaries Algebraic Topology of Manifolds Keller, Joseph...... 28 Reade, Maxwell...... 29 Research School...... 27 Safarov, Yuri...... 28 Christopher Zeeman Lecture...... 19 Invited Lecturer 2017...... 18 Records of Proceedings Microlocal Analysis and Applications SW & South Wales Regional Meeting...... 15 Research School...... 20 Reports New Trends in Representation Theory LMS SW & South Wales Regional Meeting....15 Research School...... 21 Mathematics Society at the University Orthogonal Polynomials and Special of Central Lancashire...... 16 Functions Research School...... 26 Transpennine Topology Triangle...... 14 Society Meeting at BMC...... 31 Reviews Meetings My Search for Ramanujan...... 32 Computer-Aided Mathematical Proof Single Digits...... 30 INI Workshop...... 25 The GCHQ Puzzle Book...... 29 Computing for the Future of the Planet...... 24 Visits Gregynog Welsh Maths Colloquium 2017...... 23 Antolin, Yago...... 22 Index Theorems in Analysis, Geometry Cartier, Pierre...... 22 and Mathematical Physics...... 23 Treschev, Dmitry...... 22 [email protected] No. 466 February 2017 has raised about the government’s plans for UKRI. rate the principles identified in Lord Stern’s Inde- The government will need to take great care in ap- pendent Review of the REF. The closing date for pointing the UKRI Board to ensure it has the right responses is Friday 17 March 2017. balance of experience of innovation and research More information is available at http://tinyurl. throughout the UK, to avoid any disconnect com/h29ayjd. between UKRI’s UK-wide and England-only remits’. The full report on Setting up UKRI is available at SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES http://tinyurl.com/hbnfxw5. Schools Green paper consultation Government response to Dowling Review The consultation on the government Green Paper Schools that Work for Everyone closed on 12 The Review (published in July 2015) sought to December 2016. The LMS response is now available understand how businesses of all types and sizes on the LMS website at http://tinyurl.com/guw37uh. could be encouraged to connect with UK universi- ties through research collaborations that delivered PISA results benefit for both the collaborators and the country The Organisation for Economic Co-operation as a whole. The government’s response states and Development (OECD) recently published the that the recommendations from the Review have results of their international student assessments. already had a significant influence on govern- The Programme for International Student Assess- ment policy and makes it clear that the Review has ment (PISA) is undertaken once every three years helped to stimulate a wealth of activity in the UK and tests 15-year-olds' abilities in the core academic aimed at improving conditions for business-univer- disciplines of reading, mathematics and science. sity collaborations. The government’s response is The UK's performance in mathematics has fallen, 3 available at http://tinyurl.com/jj4goba. with the UK dropping from 26th to 27th in the rankings. RESEARCH More information is available at http://tinyurl. Consultation on the second Research com/hu2snx3. UK specific results are available at Excellence Framework (REF2021) http://tinyurl.com/hmtxpbv.
The four UK funding bodies for higher education Technical education at the centre of industrial have published a joint consultation on the arrange- strategy ments for research assessment in a second REF. The Prime Minister has recently outlined the The consultation sets out proposals to build on next steps in her ‘Plan for Britain’. The Industrial the first REF, conducted in 2014, and to incorpo- Strategy will include plans for a ‘radical overhaul
Editorial team Publication dates and deadlines http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk Editorial office General Editor Published monthly, except August. Items and adver- London Mathematical Society, Mr A.J.S. Mann tisements by the first day of the month prior to publi- De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell ([email protected]) cation, or the closest preceding working day. Notices Square, London WC1B 4HS and advertisements are not accepted for events that Reports Editor occur in the first week of the publication month. (t: 020 7637 3686; Professor I. A. Stewart f: 020 7323 3655) ([email protected]) News items and notices in the Newsletter may be freely used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, al- Events calendar Reviews Editor though attribution is requested when reproducing Updates and corrections to Professor D. Singerman whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter are [email protected] ([email protected]) made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact Articles Administrative Editor the author or photographer for the rights to repro- Send articles to S.M. Oakes duce. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the [email protected] ([email protected]) accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or Advertising Typeset by the LMS at De policy of the London Mathematical Society. For rates and guidelines see Morgan House; printed by newsletter.lms.ac.uk/rate-card Holbrooks Printers Ltd. Charity registration number: 252660. Awards, News
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of technical education to address its historic under- • Action to tackle shortages of STEM skills valuation in the UK and provide a credible alterna- Including by further encouraging the growth of tive to the academic route for young people who STEM subjects in higher education and exploring choose not to go to university’. options to incentivise growth in the number of Among other areas the strategy will include: STEM graduates. It will also look at how regional • Plans to use the successful free school model to imbalances in the number of students progress- expand the provision of specialist maths educa- ing to higher-level STEM qualifications can be tion across the country addressed, with Professor Sir Adrian Smith’s Working with local partners including top uni- review due to outline proposals shortly. versity maths departments to spread new spe- More information is available at http://tinyurl. cialist “mathematics schools” building on high- com/hn74sog. performing Exeter and Kings College London Dr John Johnston Mathematics Schools. Joint Promotion of Mathematics
DAVID CRIGHTON MEDAL 2017 Call for nominations The David Crighton Medal was established award at a joint meeting of the IMA and the by the Councils of the LMS and IMA in 2002 LMS, and will be invited to give a lecture. 4 in order to pay tribute to the memory of The David Crighton Medal was awarded in Professor David George Crighton, FRS. The 2015 to Professor Frank Kelly, FRS. Previous silver gilt medal will be awarded to an eminent winners of the Medal are Professor Arieh Iserles mathematician for services both to math- and Dr Peter Neumann, OBE (2012), Professor ematics and to the mathematical community, Keith Moffat, FRS (2009), Professor Sir Christo- who is normally resident in the mathematical pher Zeeman, FRS (2006) and Professor Sir John community represented by the two organisa- Ball, FRS (2003). tions on the 1 January of the year of the award. Nominations are now invited. These should In 2015 the Councils of the Institute and the be made on a nomination form available on Society agreed that the frequency of the award both Societies’ websites (https://www.lms.ac.uk/ should be increased, and the award is now con- prizes/ima-lms-prizes) or from the Secretary to sidered biennially by the Councils. The medal- the David Crighton Committee (prizes@lms. winner will normally be presented with the ac.uk) by 28 February 2017. [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM THE EMS PRESIDENT
Dear LMS Members Any society's life contains both climactic and anticli- mactic periods. The year just concluded was full of major events, but while the New Year promises many things we look forward to, it is day-to-day work which will provide the Leitmotiv of the coming months. This includes the imple- mentation of the decisions taken at our
Council meeting in Berlin last summer. Pavel Exner, EMS President To begin with, the society's leadership has been substantially renewed. With have invited their members to discuss the deep gratitude for their devoted work we formation of a unified committee within part with Franco Brezzi and Martin Raussen, the next few months. Before leaving the and we wish success to Volker Mehrmann topic of committees, let me also mention and Armen Sergeev who replace them the generous support the EMS has received 5 as the society's vice-presidents. We also from the Simons Foundation, targeted at thank the other departing members of the mathematics in Africa. Our Committee for Executive Committee: Alice Fialowski, Gert- Developing Countries has worked hard to Martin Greuel, and Laurence Halpern. We create appropriate grant schemes, and its welcome the new members: Nicola Fusco, five year programme is now under way. Stefan Jackowski, Vicente Muñoz, Beatrice While none of the largest mathemati- Pelloni, and Betül Tanbay. cal meetings will occur this year, some Equally important is the renewal of our are already looming on the horizon. On standing committees, which form the a global scale, we look forward to the backbone of the EMS. Around half their ICM 2018 in Rio, and are delighted that Chairs and a number of members have the following meeting in 2022 will return, reached the end of their tenure. Their re- after sixteen years, to Europe: either Paris placements were decided at the recent or Saint Petersburg. The EMS, as a society meeting of the Executive Committee in representing the entire European math- Tbilisi. Let me express here our gratitude ematical community, will express no pref- to all of them, with personal thanks to erence between the two bids, but we are follow separately. In some committees, the confident that both offer the prospect of changes run particularly deep. This is es- a wonderful meeting. At the European pecially true for the Education Committee, scale, the Berlin Council decided to hold which will see a majority of new members. the eighth European Congress in Portorož We wish them success and hope that the in 2020. Our Slovenian colleagues have committee's scope will broaden, and started working intensively, and we are include some hands-on activities. certain of an attractive meeting, which will Another big change concerns the Publica- do much for the standing of mathematics tion and Electronic Publication Committees. in this part of Europe. As technology advances, this separation has Even if it is still a long time ahead, I become gradually less justifiable, and we encourage you to contemplate possible News
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candidates for the EMS prizes in 2020. Our task for each of us to seek out opportuni- main award is highly renowned - recent ties within the funding system, and I would confirmation can be seen from two of its like to praise members of the EU-MATHS-IN latest laureates, Hugo Duminil-Copin and initiative and other colleagues who have Geordie Williamson, winning the 2017 New devoted their energies to such activities. Horizons in Mathematics Prize just a few This matter regularly features at the yearly days ago. It is in all our interests to keep meeting of the Presidents of EMS member the flag high. societies, and no doubt it will be raised A New Year message generally strikes an again in April in Lisbon. optimistic tone. However, I hope it won’t Then we come to a still wider political do any harm to add a few words about our scene, in which our ability to influence worries. Some of them, frankly, are of our things is close to zero. We received a own making; if I were to characterize their harsh reminder of this on the eve of the common root, I would suggest a lack of Berlin congress, when an attempted coup loyalty to the mathematical community. To (or whatever we should call it) prevented give a few examples, numerous colleagues our colleagues in Turkey from attending. registered for the Berlin congress but did An immediate consequence was that the not then pay, causing a financial headache second Caucasian Conference (planned for the organizers (and we know that at with EMS support) had to be postponed; least some such individuals did indeed subsequent events in Turkey have thrown attend). On the other hand, far from its new date into further doubt. In other 6 every member of the congress’s organizing countries, we see processes unfolding committee opted to attend the meeting which may not be as violent, but which whose programme they had designed! signify deep instabilities in the political There are problems we can resolve climate. In such a situation, it is useful to ourselves. That is less true of difficulties keep in mind a double inclusion: geograph- in our relations to the ‘outside world’, ical Europe is wider than political Europe, including European funding schemes. In last and mathematical Europe is wider than ge- year’s message I spoke about the ERC, a very ographical Europe. We can and must hold valuable instrument which covers, however, together, even as we sail through rough only a limited segment of mathematical waters. activities. During 2016, the European Com- Let me end on an optimistic note, after mission led an open consultation on the all: these political tumults are temporary, role of mathematics in Horizon 2020. This but - as we all know - mathematics is was a useful exercise in which many of us eternal. Happy New Year! participated, but it would be overly opti- Pavel Exner mistic to expect an enduring effect. It is a EMS President
EUROPEAN NEWS ICM 2022 The International Mathematical Union Committee of the IMU will make site visits (IMU) received two bids for hosting the and then make a recommendation to the International Congress of Mathematicians General Assembly which will decide on (ICM) in 2022: Paris and St Petersburg. Both the venue of ICM 2022 at its meeting in bids have the support of the European São Paulo 29-30 July 2018 prior to the ICM Mathematical Society. The Executive 2018 in Rio de Janeiro. [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
EC meeting Czech Republic The EMS Executive Committee (EC) held The Neuron Fund for Support of Science has its regular autumn meeting 4-6 November named this year's laureates for the Neuron 2016, this time in Tbilisi at the kind invita- Award for Contribution to Science, who include tion of the Georgian Mathematical Society. mathematical physicist (and EMS President!) Decisions taken included the renewal of Pavel Exner and mathematical logician Mgr. EMS committees and support for scientific Emil Jeřábek. This prestigious award recog- activities in 2017. Some headlines: nises top Czech scientists at home and abroad Simons Foundation support of Mathemat- who have made outstanding achievements in ics in Africa. The EC discussed how the their field. generous Mathematics in Africa grants from the Simons Foundation will be ad- CIRM 2018 ministered. The scheme devised by the EMS CIRM Luminy (near Marseille) is widening Committee on Developing Countries was its range of scientific events, by introducing approved and will be soon launched. several new types of programme from late Scientific activities in 2016. As a result of 2018: calls for proposals are now open. The the healthy budgetary situation the EMS 'Multi-Year' programme will welcome events in was able to support a number of scientific Mathematics and in Mathematics in interaction activities last year including eight summer with Medicine, Biology, Finance, Economics, schools, a distinguished speaker, and the Social Sciences, etc. Projects will be given the Joint EMS-Bernoulli Society Lecture. chance to stage a one-week event at CIRM over Society good standing in focus. The EMS several years. The 'Interface' programme will 7 has always showed understanding for focus on mathematics with and for industry. regional societies having temporary diffi- New SMF-sponsored weeks will complement culties in fulfilling their duties as members. the offer. All programmes will benefit from We expect, however, that they show the brand new facilities due to open at CIRM late intention to resolve their situation. If this 2018. See www.cirm-math.fr. is not the case, the EC could recommend to The Jean-Morlet Chair welcomes a whole the Council to reconsider the membership semester on the subject of KPZ-Universality of such a society. and Directed Polymers, organized by Konstan- tin Khanin (University of Toronto) in collabora- Switzerland tion with Senya Shlosman (Aix-Marseille Uni- Swiss researchers and organisations will versity) and others. Two large and one medium now be able to participate fully in Horizon workshop are planned between January and 2020, the European Union's research and June 2017. Interested participants can pre- innovation funding programme, on equal register online: http://khanin-shlosman.weebly. terms with entities from EU Member States com/. Funding will be available (from CIRM and other associated countries. and other sponsors) to subsidize board and lodging. Barcelona The Catalan Mathematical Society will ICMAT hold the second Barcelona Mathematical The Institute of Mathematical Sciences Days 27-28 April 2017: see http://abelinbcn. (Madrid) is embarking on a new four-year espais.iec.cat/. Note also that there research program funded by the Severo Ochoa will be a joint meeting with the Spanish Excellence Programme, and invites applica- and Swedish Mathematical Societies in tions for PhD and postdoc positions: see www. Unea, Sweden 12-15 June, and with the icmat.es. Edinburgh Mathematical Society at ICMS David Chillingworth 27-29 September 2017. LMS/EMS Correspondent LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
cambridge.org/com Publishing first-class mathematics research in the mainstream of pure mathematics 8 Covering all areas of pure mathematics including algebra, number theory, topology, algebraic and differential geometry and (geometric) analysis. Submit your paper to: compositio.nl/compositio.html [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
FOUNDATION COMPOSITIO MATHEMATICA Compositio Prize 2016
On 9 December 2016 the Compositio Prize was 1954 which Chern awarded to Bhargav Bhatt (right) for his paper and Hodge num- Derived splinters in positive characteristic, which bers are topologi- appeared in Compositio Mathematica 148 (2012) cal invariants. This pp 1757-1786. The Compositio Prize is a prize problem was open awarded once every three years by the Founda- for 60 years, but was tion Compositio Mathematica for the best paper solved in their nomi- that appeared in Compositio in a three year nated paper in an period. The present prize covered the period elegant way by the 2011-2013 and the jury chaired by Frits Beukers introduction of the came forward with the following shortlist of Hodge ring, an ana- nominated paper. logue of the cobord- • Bhargav Bhatt: Derived splinters in positive ism ring. characteristic Compositio Mathematica 148 The third talk was by the prize winner, Bhargav (2012), no. 6, pp 1757–1786 Bhatt from Ann Arbor. Bhargav Bhatt gave a • Dieter Kotschick, Stefan Schreieder: The very clear and energetic talk on his proof of Hodge ring of Kähler manifolds Compositio the fact that regular rings are derived splinters Mathematica 149 (2013), no. 4, pp 637–657 as conjectured by Johan de Jong. The notion • June Huh: The maximum likelihood degree of of derived splinter was introduced in his prize 9 a very affine variety Compositio Mathematica winning paper: a ring (or scheme) that in the 149 (2013), no. 8, pp 1245–1266 derived category splits off from the cohomology The paper by Bhargav Bhatt was later chosen as of a proper cover. This paper was motivated by prize winner. The prize was handed out during the direct summand conjecture of Hochster that a festive day with lectures by all nominated says that for a regular ring R which is a subring authors. of a ring S such that S is a finitely generated The first lecture, by June Huh from Princeton R-module the ring R splits as a direct summand. dealt with a combinatorial problem motivated Hochster proved it in case R contains a field, but it by a theorem of de Bruijn and Erdős that says remained open for the mixed characteristic case. that a set E of points in a projective plane de- Bhatt’s paper led to a proof by Yves André last termines at least #E lines unless all points are summer of this conjecture and shortly afterwards contained in a line. June Huh proves together Bhatt found a simpler proof. The proof uses the with Botong Wang that for a subset E of a vector newly developed perfectoid techniques intro- space V of dimension d that spans V, the poset duced by Scholze and developed by Scholze and of linear subspaces generated by E contains at Bhatt. least as many subspaces of codimension d − k as After the talk the prize object, a model of the subspaces of dimension k if k ≤ d/2. This proves Cayley surface, was handed out to Bhargav Bhatt the “top-heavy” conjecture of Dowling and in a nearby place where the traveling exhibition Wilson from 1974. The surprising thing about the ‘Imaginary’ had its temporary home. The Cayley proof is that this simply formulated result follows surface was found by Cayley in 1844 and is a from heavy cohomological weaponry, the de- cubic surface in projective three-space with four composition theorem for ℓ-adic intersection ordinary double points and with S4 symmetry. It complexes. Despite this, June Huh was able to is given by the vanishing of the third elementary sketch the proof in a very vivid and atrractive talk. symmetric function of the four coordinates. Dieter Kotschick from Munich and Stefan Gerard van der Geer Schreieder from Bonn shared the second talk President, Foundation which dealt with Hirzebruch’s problem from Compositio Mathematica News, LMS Items
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BSHM UNDERGRADUATE ESSAY PRIZE
The British Society for the History of Math- graduate in a UK or Irish university during ematics is pleased to invite submissions the academic year 2016-17. The value of for its 2016-17 undergraduate essay prize. the prize will be £100, plus free member- The essay may be on any topic within the ship of the Society for three years. history of mathematics and should be no Details about how to enter can be found more than 2500 words in length (excluding on the Society website at www.bshm. references). The competition is open to ac.uk/ug-essay. The deadline for receipt of any person who is enrolled as an under- submissions is the 21 June 2017.
NEWS FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS
UNDERGRADUATES searchers in a core area of mathemat- ics. Students and post-docs can meet a Funding for Undergraduate Society number of international leading experts Meetings in the topic as well as other young re- Funds of up to £500 are available to searchers working in related areas. The 10 support meetings of Undergraduate Research Schools are also supported by Mathematical Societies to cover the travel the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematics and accommodation costs for an invited Research. speaker (from academia or industry) There will be four research schools in and to cover catering costs e.g. a wine 2017 run in partnership with the Clay reception after the meeting. Further Mathematics Institute: information and an application form is 24 March 2017: Deadline for applica- available online: www.lms.ac.uk/grants/ tions to the LMS-CMI Research School LMS-Funding-Undergrad-Soc-Meetings. New Trends in Representation Theory - 16 February 2017: deadline for receipt The Impact of Cluster Theory in Represen- of applications for LMS undergraduate tation Theory, Leicester; 19-23 June 2017 research bursaries. More information Further details here: https://sites.google. here: https://www.lms.ac.uk/grants/un- com/site/clustertheoryinreptheory/. Apply dergraduate-research-bursaries. here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ RS-28-NewTrendsInRepresentationTheory. MASTERS STUDENTS A reference will also be required so ask 30 June 2017: Graduate Student Meeting your referee to complete the form here: in London. Look out for further details https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS- next month. 28RefereeForm. 31 March 2017: Deadline for applications PHD STUDENTS, POST-DOCS AND to the LMS-CMI Research School Microlo- EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS cal Analysis and Applications, Cardiff; 26 June – 30 June 2017. Further details here: Research Schools in 2017 – Application https://www.math.ens.fr/~guillarmou/ deadlines cardiff2017.html. The London Mathematical Society and Apply here: https://www.surveymonkey. Clay Mathematics Institute Research co.uk/r/RS-32-MicrolocalAnalysis. Schools provide training for young re- A reference will also be required so ask [email protected] No. 466 February 2017 your referee to complete the form here: here: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/ https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS- sci/maths/research/events/2017-18/ 32RefereeForm. symposium/igdm/. Further details on how 16 June 2017: Deadline for applica- to apply and how your referee can submit tions to the LMS-CMI Research School a reference will be available shortly. Algebraic Topology of Manifolds, Oxford, There will be also be a LMS Research 11-15 September 2017. Further details School in 2017: here: https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/ 31 March 2017: Deadline for applica- tillmann/ATM-SCHOOL.html. Apply here: tions to the LMS Research School Or- https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS33- thogonal Polynomials & Special Functions, ATManifoldsApplicationForm. Kent; 26-30 June 2017. Further details A reference will also be required so ask here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/opsf-sum- your referee to complete the form here: merschool/. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS33- Apply here: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ ATManifoldsRefereeForm. RS31OrthogonalPolynomialsApplication- 16 June 2017: Deadline for applica- Form. tions for the LMS-CMI Research School A reference will also be required so Introduction to geometry, dynamics, ask your referee to complete the form and moduli in low dimensions, Warwick, here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ 11-15 September 2017. Further details RS31OrthogonalPolynomialsRefForm.
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Joe Bailey (Essex) gives a talk at the Graduate Student Houry Melkonian (Heriot-Watt) speaks at the Graduate Meeting (Nov 2016) Student Meeting (Nov 2016)
Organisers, Speakers and Tutors at the LMS Research School Philippe Trinh (Oxford) gives a talk at the Graduate Student Combinatorics and Operators in Quantum Information Meeting (Nov 2016) Theory, QUB (Sept 2016) LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
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Developing efficient methodologies for modelling stochastic dynamical systems in biology
A one-day conference featuring high profile speakers sharing novel methods and analysis, as well as efficient algorithms for simulation. Further information: go.bath.ac.uk/imi-sds
10 April 2017 - University of Bath
Institute for Mathematical Innovation [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS COMPETITION FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Preliminary Announcement
The 24th International Mathematics Com- the last twenty three petition for University Students (IMC) is competitions can being held from 31 July to 6 August 2017, give a general idea organized by University College London of the level expected and hosted by the American University in (see the IMC website Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. www.imc-math. Every participating university is invited org.uk). Additional to send several students and one teacher. topics may be also Individual students are welcome. The com- included. petition is planned for students complet- ing their first, second, third or fourth year Evaluation of university education and will consist of The students' work will be evaluated by two sessions of five hours each. Problems Team Leaders and other Professors and will be from the fields of Algebra, Analysis Assistant Professors using criteria provided (Real and Complex), Geometry and Com- by the Jury. binatorics. The working language will be English. Over the previous twenty three Necessary information 13 competitions we have had participants Participants are invited to confirm their from over two hundred institutions in over intention to participate by on-line regis- fifty countries. tration by the end of May 2017, providing The IMC is a residential competition and the following information. all student participants are required to stay in the accommodation provided by Visas the hosts. The participants from some countries will need a visa to enter Bulgaria. Please, Groups contact your travel agent or the Bulgarian Although this is an individual event, the Consulate in your country for details. If Universities traditionally divide their necessary, the organizers will post formal participants into groups of four each. invitations for participation in the Com- The number of students in the teams is, petition. You must begin the visa process however, not fixed. The professor who ac- early as it requires time. companies the students is expected to be a member of the Jury. Local expenses The Competition Fee, which has not yet Selection of the problems been finalized, will include accommoda- The problems will be chosen at the Meeting tion and meals from dinner on the 31 July of the Jury on 1 August from those to breakfast on 6 August. received in advance by the President of the Send all confirmations of participation Jury, Professor John Jayne. The problems and arrival details to Professor John Jayne proposed should be precisely formulated ([email protected]). If you would like a and accompanied by a detailed solution. copy of the competition poster, send your The problems should be in fields of Algebra, request with postal address to John Jayne. Analysis (Real and Complex), Geometry For further information visit the website at and Combinatorics. The problems given at www.imc-math.org.uk. Record of Proceedings, Reports
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TRANSPENNINE TOPOLOGY TRIANGLE Report
Invited Speaker Tara Holm Attendees
The Transpennine Topology Triangle (TTT) is second 100 TTT meetings will be just as influ- a joint venture between the Universities of ential as the first in shaping the directions of 14 Leicester, Manchester and Sheffield, whose UK algebraic topology. existence relies on an LMS Scheme 3 Grant. The invited speakers and their one hour Since the inaugural meeting in Manchester talks were as follows: in 1995, the meetings have grown in stature • Tara Holm: Symplectic embeddings and and influence throughout the UK. Genera- infinite staircases tions of UK algebraic topology students have • Andrey Lazarev: Homotopy theory of given their first external talk, or spoken with coalgebras their first international expert, during a TTT • Charles Nash: From Hilbert’s sixteenth meeting. problem to physics To mark the centenary meeting last • Oscar Randal-Williams: Finiteness prop- September, the milestone TTT100 was specially erties for tautological rings of smooth enhanced with a two day programme in manifolds Manchester, and was something of a celebra- • Constanze Roitzheim: Algebraic models in tion of the widening influence of algebraic topology topology in physics. TTT100 incorporated • Hisham Sati: Spectra and M-theory the 2016 Adams Memorial Lecture (the (2016 Adams Memorial Lecture) Frank Adams Seminar Room was full!) which Further details of TTT100, and other TTT focused on potential applications of several meetings (both past and future) are pub- concepts that Frank himself had helped to licised on the TTT homepage, http://sarah- formulate. whitehouse.staff.shef.ac.uk/ttt/TTTonWWW. The Adams Memorial Lecture was followed htm. by a wine reception and conference dinner, The TTT is grateful for its sponsorship by which facilitated informal and relaxed discus- the London Mathematical Society; additional sion of matters both mathematical and social. support for TTT100 was provided by MIMS, One important question was raised – have The University of Sheffield and The Open any other LMS meetings supported by a University. Scheme 3 Grant reached 100 meetings? There Gareth Williams was certainly a feeling that (LMS willing!) the Open University [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
RECORDS OF PROCEEDINGS AT LMS MEETINGS SOUTH WEST & SOUTH WALES REGIONAL MEETING held on 20 December 2016 at the University of Bath as part of the South West & South Wales Regional Workshops on New Developments at the Interface between Geometry and Physics (19–20 December 2016) and Partially Ordered Materials – Mathematical Perspectives and Challenges (21 December 2016). Over 35 members and visitors were present for all or part of the meeting. The meeting began at 2.15 pm with The Vice-President, Professor John Greenlees, in the Chair. No members were elected to membership. One member signed the book and was admitted to the Society. Dr Johannes Nördstrom introduced a lecture given by Professor Simon Donaldson FRS (Simons
Center for Geometry and Physics, and Imperial College) on Progress and Problems on G2 Manifolds. After tea, Dr Apala Majumdar introduced a lecture by Professor Carlos Conca (Universidad de Chile) on An Inverse Problem in Biological Olfactory Cilia. The Vice-President expressed the thanks of the Society to the local organisers for putting on such an interesting meeting. Afterwards, Dr Jon Dawes invited participants to a wine reception, which was held at the Depart- ment of Mathematics in Building 4 West, and the Society Dinner took place at Woods Restaurant.
LMS SOUTH WEST & SOUTH WALES 15 REGIONAL MEETING 2016 Report
The 2016 LMS South West and South Wales geometry and algebra. He was followed Regional Meeting took place at the Uni- by Professor Carlos Conca (Universidade de versity of Bath on Tuesday 20 December, Chile) who described an inverse problem between two workshops on New Develop- motivated by the detailed biology within ments at the Interface Between Geometry cell membranes that holds the key to our and Physics (19-20 December) and Partially ability to smell. Seemingly small changes in Ordered Materials (21 December). The the mathematical model enable the well- Regional Meeting was chaired by Professor posed formulation of an inverse problem John Greenlees, LMS Vice-President who that produces explicit results with which the welcomed participants and presided over the mathematicians can provoke the biologists. traditional formal business of the meeting, As a pair of survey talks aimed at a general including inviting members of the Society to mathematical audience, both speakers are sign the Membership Book if they had not to be highly commended for their presen- previously done so. tations, coming from very different parts of The two speakers at the Regional Meeting the mathematical spectrum. The Regional delivered engaging illustrations of the Meeting was, as usual, followed by a wine themes of the two workshops. The first reception and dinner, well-attended and speaker was Professor Simon Donaldson thoroughly enjoyed by speakers and partici- (Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, pants in both workshops as well as the LMS and Imperial College London) who conveyed representatives. extremely successfully the motivations and The workshop days contained a total of rationale behind the study of G2 manifolds, twelve presentations; five in the Geometry starting from only undergraduate-level and Physics workshop given by (alphabeti- Reports
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cally) Bobby Acharya (ICTP & KCL), Jeffrey concerning materials that are magnetic, Giansiracusa (Swansea), Mathew Pugh elastic, stochastic or undergoing fracture. In (Cardiff), David Skinner (Cambridge), and both cases the combination of regional and Katrin Wendland (Freiburg). Speakers international speakers neatly highlight both discussed a range of geometric and algebraic research strengths in the region and how problems and their various connections to globally connected the communities are. particle physics and field theories. The seven The workshops and meeting were very speakers in the Partially Ordered Materials ably organised by Dr Apala Majumdar, Dr workshop were David Bourne (Durham), Johannes Nordström and Ms Elaine Ritchie Isaac Chenchiah (Bristol), Kirill Cherednichen- (all from the University of Bath) whose ko and Roger Moser (Bath), Nicolas Dirr and efforts were greatly appreciated by all the Federica Dragoni (Cardiff) and Xianmin participants. Xu (Chinese Academy of Sciences). Topics Jonathan Dawes covered included mathematical problems University of Bath
MATHEMATICS SOCIETY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE 16 Report
The Mathematics Society at the University of sity: mathematics, physics, computing and Central Lancashire (UCLan) has hosted its first languages. We thank Ann for her talk which seminar on the 28 November 2016. The speaker was accessible, interesting and very interdisci- was Ann Copestake, Professor in Computation- plinary, bringing together for the first time the al Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, above mentioned research groups. who spoke about Symbolic models of natural The seminar received LMS funding for Under- language in the era of deep learning. The graduate Mathematical Society Meetings. talk was well received, with 50 participants Amy Cottom from various areas of research in the univer- Chair of the Mathematics Society [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
London Mathematical Society Undergraduate Research Bursaries in Mathematics 2017 Nature of Awards
The purpose of the awards is to give experience of research to undergraduates to explore the potential of becoming a researcher and to encourage them to consider a career in scientific research.
The awards provide support for the student at a rate of £180 per week (or £190 per week in London), for a period of between 6 and 8 weeks.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm Thursday 16 February 2017.
Eligibility
• Students may only take up the award during the summer vacation between the intermediate years (i.e. 2/3, 2/4 or 3/4) of their undergraduate degree. Students in the final year of their degree intending to undertake a taught Masters degree immediately following their undergraduate degree may apply. Applications on behalf of first-year undergraduates will not be considered. 17 • Researchers in Mathematics at universities and research institutions within the UK are eligible to apply. Interdisciplinary projects will be considered providing the project has significant mathematical content. • Postdoctoral researchers and new lecturers, early in their careers are also encouraged to apply, and should note this on the application form. • Only one application should be submitted by a supervisor. • Departments are asked to provide match-funding for half of the grant awarded (for example, for a 6 week grant at £180 per week, departments will be asked to contribute £540 and the Society will contribute £540). Departments offering match-funding will be able to receive funding for up to 4 half-funded Bursaries. Departments not willing to provide match-funding will only be able to receive funding for up to 2 Bursaries. Please bear in mind that this is a national scheme with a limited number of bursaries. • Mature students are eligible to apply, but must not have a previous degree in any subject. • Students will normally be expected to be on track for a first class degree in order to be considered. • Students must be registered at a UK institution for the majority of their undergraduate degree. • Supervisors and students do not necessarily have to be based at the same institution, however we expect that they will work together at the same institution for the duration of the project and have regular meaningful personal contact contact (an average of 1 hour per week meeting in person is the minimum expected). • Bursaries will not be awarded for projects that are a part of degree work, or that take place overseas for more than 50% of the project time. • Bursaries will only be granted for the student named on the application form; awards are not transferable between students.
How to apply
- Application Forms can be downloaded from the Society’s website: www.lms.ac.uk/content/grants. - Applications must be made by the project supervisor on behalf of the student, and not by the student. - Applications should be discussed with the nominated student, who should also contribute to the project design. - Applications should include the student’s academic record and a supporting statement from his/her academic tutor. - Applications must be signed by the Head of Department to confirm his/her approval for the award to be administered by the department and to confirm any match-funding contributions by the department (awards are not offered directly to individual researchers but to the institutions to which they belong).
Further information including the Guidelines on How to Apply are available from the Society website: www.lms.ac.uk/ content/grants. Queries may also be addressed to Katy Henderson ([email protected]). LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
LMS INVITED LECTURER 2017 Professor Jim Agler (UCSD) Function Theory by Hilbert Space Methods 18-22 April 2017, Herschel Building, Newcastle University Our topic will be a powerful machinery that has been developed in the last 60 years both to discov- er and to prove theorems about analytic functions in one and several complex variables through the construction of operators on Hilbert space. The lectures will begin with expositions of the elementary operator theory that is required to 18 achieve interesting results in function theory. Next we will show how a number of classical results in the theory of analytic functions in one variable, when cast in a Hilbert space setting, can be proved by operator-theoretic methods which are largely algebraic in nature. These results will include the Herglotz Representation Theorem, the Carathéodory and Pick Interpolation Theorems, Nevanlinna’s Representation Theorems, the Car- athéodory-Julia Theorems, and Loewner’s Theorem. The remainder of the talks will focus on how the operator-theoretic proofs of these one- variable theorems can be generalized to yield a variety of new results in several complex variables. Guest Lectures There will also be supplementary lectures by: Professor John McCarthy (Washington University in St. Louis, USA) Research interests: Analysis, especially Operator Theory and one/several Complex Variables Associate Professor Greg Knese (Washington University in St. Louis, USA) Research interests: Complex Function Theory, Operators, Harmonic Analysis Assistant Professor Kelly Bickel (Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA) Research interests: Multivariate Operator Theory, Several Complex Variables, Harmonic Analysis Accommodation, Travel Funding and Registration Accommodation will be provided at the Osborne Hotel. Limited fi nancial support is available with preference given to UK research students. Please contact the organiser for further details: Zinaida Lykova [email protected]. Deadline for funding: 1 April 2017.
For further details and how to register for the 2017 Invited Lectures please visit: http://www.mas.ncl.ac.uk/~nek29/lmslectures2017/function_theory.html [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
Christopher Zeeman Lecture and Medal Presentation Rob Eastaway
Wednesday 22 March 2017 at 6.00 p.m. followed by a reception at The Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG Registration will open at 5.30 p.m. 19 Maths, Teamwork and Googlies
Abstract: Maths is usually regarded as a solo activity, yet some of the richest mathematical ex- perience can come from collaboration: think of Hardy and Ramanujan...Lovelace and Babbage... Duckworth and Lewis. Rob Eastaway takes a light-hearted look back at some of his own mathematical partnerships that have explored games, puzzles, mathematical modelling of everyday life... and even (a little bit of) cricket. Rob Eastaway will give the Christopher Zeeman Lecture and be presented with the Christopher Zeeman Medal, which is awarded biennially by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and the London Mathematical Society. Admission to the lecture and reception is by ticket only. For tickets please contact Alison Penry at the IMA, Catherine Richards House, 16 Nelson Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1EF or email [email protected]. uk by 1 March 2017. Tickets are free of charge and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please confirm whether you wish to attend the lecture and reception, or the lecture only. LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
Microlocal Analysis and Applications LMS-CMI research School Cardiff 26 – 30 June 2017 Organisers: S. Eswarathasan (Cardiff), C. Guillarmou (ENS, Paris), R. Schubert (Bristol) Microlocal analysis is a study of partial differential equations through the lens of symplectic geometry and Fourier analysis. The fi eld has a wide range of applications towards, and not limited to, spectral theory, scattering theory, inverse problems, and dynamical systems. The purpose of this school is to introduce graduate students and young researchers to both its foundations and recent applications. Lecture Courses Alexander Strohmaier (University of Leeds) and Jared Wunsch (Northwestern University) 20 Basic ideas in Microlocal Analysis Stéphane Nonnenmacher (Université Paris-Sud, 11) and Andrew Hassell (Australian National University) Scattering Theory and Spectral Theory Viviane Baladi (Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu) and Colin Guillarmou (CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, 11) Pollicott-Ruelle Resonances, Mixing in Dynamical Systems, and X-Ray Transform These lecture courses will be supplemented by tutorial sessions. Distinguished Speakers Maciej Zworski (Spectral Theory, University of California, Berkeley) Gunther Uhlmann (Inverse Problems, University of Washington, Seattle) Mark Pollicott (Dynamical Systems, University of Warwick) Click here for further information: https://sureshes.wordpress.com/lms-cmi-research-school/ Apply by 31 March 2017: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS-32-MicrolocalAnalysis. A reference will also be required so your referee should complete this form: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS-32RefereeForm. *All applicants will be contacted within three weeks after the deadline; information about individual applications will not be available before then.* Fees Research students: £150. There will be no charge for subsistence costs. Early career researchers: £250. There will be no charge for subsistence costs. Other participants (e.g. those working in industry): £250 plus subsistence costs. Research students who will not have completed their PhDs by the start of the Research School (who would otherwise be unable to attend under the title of “research student”) can apply for fi nancial aid. Fees are not payable until a place at the Research School is offered but will be due by 26 May 2017. [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
New Trends in representation Theory - The Impact of Cluster Theory in representation Theory LMS-CMI research School University of Leicester 19 – 23 June 2017 Organisers: Karin Baur (U Graz) and Sibylle Schroll (Leicester) The focus of the course is on recent advances that have emerged in representation theory through cluster theory: n-representation theory, integrable systems and friezes, and silting and infi nite dimensional representations. These areas of mathematics are enriched by their interactions with other areas of mathematics such as category theory, dynamical systems and mathematical physics. 21 Lecture Courses Peter Jorgensen (Newcastle) n-representation theory Sophie Morier-Genoud (Paris) Integrable systems and friezes Lidia Angeleri-Hügel (Verona) Infi nite dimensional representations These lecture courses will be supplemented by tutorial sessions. Guest lectures: M. Herschend (Uppsala), P.-G. Plamondon (Orsay) and M. Prest (Manchester) For further information, please visit: https://sites.google.com/site/clustertheoryinreptheory/ Apply by 24 March 2017: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS-28-NewTrendsInRepresentationTheory. A reference will also be required so your referee should complete this form: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS-28RefereeForm. Research students, post-docs and those working in industry are invited to apply. *All applicants will be contacted within three weeks after the deadline; information about individ- ual applications will not be available before then.* Fees Research students: £150. There will be no charge for subsistence costs. Early career researchers: £250. There will be no charge for subsistence costs. Other participants (e.g. those working in industry): £250 plus subsistence costs. Research students who have not completed their PhDs by the start of the Research School and who would otherwise be unable to attend can apply for fi nancial aid. Fees are not payable until a place at the Research School is offered but will be due by 19 May 2017. Visits, Meetings
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VISIT OF YAGO ANTOLIN • Monday 20 February, ICMS Edinburgh Dr Yago Antolin (Universidad Autonoma de (Maxwell Colloquium) Madrid, Spain) will visit the UK between 6 and A non-commutative Galois theory for 18 March 2017. His main research interest is differential equations in geometric and combinatorial group theory, (contact Christian Saemann: and he will visit and collaborate with mathema- [email protected]) ticians in this area at the universities of Heriot- • Tuesday 21 February, University of Watt, Royal Holloway and Southampton. Dr Edinburgh (general audience) Antolin will give the following presentations: Hopf Algebras as a source for exotic • Wednesday 8 March groups MAXIMALS (Algebra) Seminar, Heriot-Watt (contact Natalya Iyudu: [email protected]) (contact Laura Ciobanu: [email protected]) • Friday 24 February, University of Oxford • Monday 13 March (Arithmetic Algebraic Geometry Seminar) Pure Mathematics Seminar, RHUL A new construction of Nori motives (contact Aditi Kar: [email protected]) by Caramello and Barbieri-Viale, Joyal and • Friday 17 March Cartier Pure Mathematics Colloquium, (contact Francis Brown: Southampton [email protected]) (contact Armando Martino: Further details of these arrangements may [email protected]) be obtained from Herbert Gangl (herbert. Dr Antolin will participate in other research [email protected]). The visit is supported 22 events following his visit of the three universi- partially by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. ties, such as the Young Geometric Group Theory meeting in Oxford. The visit is supported by an VISIT OF DMITRY TRESCHEV LMS Scheme 2 grant. For further information contact Laura Ciobanu ([email protected]). Professor Dmitry Treschev (Steklov Math- ematical Institute, Moscow, Russia) will be VISIT OF PIERRE CARTIER visiting the UK between 20 and 31 March 2017. Professor Treschev works on Hamilto- Professor Pierre Cartier (Institut des Hautes nian dynamical systems. Details of Professor Etudes Scientifiques, Bures-sur-Yvette) will be Treschev’s talks during his visit are: visiting the UK between 15 and 25 February • Tuesday 21 March, Warwick University 2017. Professor Cartier was formerly an Locally linearizable billiard map associate of the legendary Bourbaki group, (contact Vassily Gelfreich: and his name is associated with notions for a [email protected]) number of objects (e.g. Hopf algebras, divisors, • Thursday 23 March, Imperial College, duality) in many different areas of research. His London current long term project concerns the `cosmic Arnold diffusion in a priori unstable case Galois group’, combining Grothendieck’s ideas (contact Dmitry Turaev: about motives with the algebra of Feynman [email protected]) diagrams in Quantum Field Theory. Details of • Wednesday 29 March, Loughborough Professor Cartier’s talks during his visit are: University • Thursday 16 February, Durham University On the inclusion of a map into a flow (Collingwood Lecture, aimed at a Maths (contact Alexander Veselov: undergraduate audience) [email protected]) Is there a future for the cosmic Galois Further details of these arrangements group? may be obtained from Anatoly Neishtadt (contact Herbert Gangl: ([email protected]). The visit is [email protected]) supported by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
INDEX THEOREMS IN role in fostering mathematical discussion ANALYSIS, GEOMETRY and collaboration between staff and post- graduates in Wales, both on research topics AND MATHEMATICAL and on higher education policy, and offers PHYSICS a stimulating environment for postgradu- ate researchers to present their results with A one-day conference on Index Theorems ample time for follow-up discussion. The in Analysis, Geometry and Mathematical following invited plenary speakers have Physics will take place at the University of agreed to give keynote lectures: Kent in May 2017. The speakers are: • Chris Budd OBE (University of Bath and • Alexander Strohmaier (Leeds) Gresham College) • Ulrich Pennig (Cardiff) • Chris Farmer (University of Oxford) • Nils Waterstraat (Kent) • Sarah Hart (Birkbeck University of The exact date of the meeting will be London) announced soon. Anyone interested is The organisers of the Gregynog Welsh welcome to attend and can contact the Mathematics Colloquium 2017 are Matthew organiser Nils Waterstraat (N.Waterstraat@ Lettington and Karl Michael Schmidt kent.ac.uk). The meeting is supported by (Cardiff University School of Mathematics). an LMS Conference grant Celebrating New For more information please email Letting- Appointments. [email protected] or [email protected]. Some financial support is available for UK based research students. The Colloquium is 23 GREGYNOG WELSH supported by an LMS Conference grant. MATHEMATICS COLLOQUIUM 2017 SCICADE 2017 SciCADE is a long-running conference series on Scientific Computation and Differential Equations. It meets every two years, and has recently been held in Valladolid (2013) and Potsdam (2015). The University of Bath will host the next SciCADE from 11 to 15 September 2017. The programme includes the following plenary speakers: • Martin Burger (University of Muenster) • Martin Gander (University of Geneva) • Anne Gelb (Arizona State University) • Patrick Joly (ENSTA ParisTech) • Rachel Kuske (UBC Vancouver) The Gregynog Welsh Mathematics Collo- • Hans Munthe-Kaas (University of quium 2017 will be held at Gregynog Hall, Bergen) Newtown, Powys, Wales from 22 to 24 May • Anne-Karin Tornberg (KTH Stockholm) 2017. This is a long-standing annual event For more information see https://sites. with a broad mathematical outlook across google.com/site/scicade2017. There is some areas of pure and applied mathematics, financial support available for UK-based statistics and OR. It is aimed at bringing research students. SciCADE is supported together mathematicians at Welsh HEIs, by an LMS Conference grant, the EPSRC while also welcoming mathematicians from network Climathnet, the IMA, SIAM UKIE, other parts of the UK. It plays an important and the University of Bath. Meetings
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ROUGH PATHS IN COMPUTING FOR THE PROBABILITY AND FUTURE OF THE PLANET STATISTICS The 2017 Bakerian Lecture will be given A one day meeting on Rough Paths in Prob- by Professor Andy Hopper (Cambridge) on ability and Statistics will take place on 2 Computing for the future of the planet at May 2017 in the Department of Mathemat- the Royal Society, London on Thursday 2 ics and Statistics, University Reading. The March 2017. He will explore using the power meeting aims to bring together researchers of digital technologies to solve problems working on the theory and application of facing the planet, such as sustainability. rough paths and to provide an opportu- The talk is a public lecture which is free to nity for research students to present short attend and no registration is required (on a summaries of their work on rough paths. first come, first served basis). It starts at 6:30 The speakers are: pm. More information about the talk can • Horatio Boedihardjo (Reading) be found at https://royalsociety.org/science- • Thomas Cass (Imperial College) events-and-lectures/2017/03/bakerian-lec- • Anastasia Papavasiliou (Warwick) ture/. There will also be short talks by graduate students. Details about the conference can NORTH BRITISH be found at https://sites.google.com/site/ roughpathsprobstat/. There is a limited FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS 24 amount of funds available to cover the SEMINARS travelling expenses for UK based research students who wish to attend the meeting. The next meeting will be held at the Uni- Contact [email protected] for versity of Birmingham on Friday 10 and further details. The meeting is supported Saturday 11 March 2017. The speakers will by a LMS conference grant. be Professor Kevin Beanland (Washing- ton and Lee University, USA) and Professor Enrico Le Donne (Finnish Academy and Uni- MATHEMATICAL versity of Jyväskylä, Finland). MODELS IN ECOLOGY Further details on the programme including abstracts of the talks are available AND EVOLUTION on the NBFAS website at http://www1.maths. City, University of London will host the 6th leeds.ac.uk/nbfas/belf16.html. bi-annual Mathematical Models in Ecology NBFAS is partly supported by an LMS and Evolution conference from 10 to 12 Scheme 3 grant which is gratefully acknowl- July 2017. The call for abstracts and regis- edged. tration for the conference are now open. A meeting of the North British Func- The organising committee are welcoming tional Analysis Seminar (NBFAS) was held abstracts on the latest developments in the at the University of Warwick on Friday 11 field and the importance of modelling to November 2016. Professor Jouni Luukkainen the next generation of researchers. of the University of Helsinki, Finland gave Abstracts should be submitted via the con- two lectures entitled Assouad dimension ference website by 15 March 2017. Early and Lipschitz manifolds, respectively. A joint bird registration will close on 1 June 2017. dinner was held for the participants in the Visit the website http://tinyurl.com/htf6vod evening. to book your place and for conference Dr Martin Mathieu and submission details. The conference is Queen’s University Belfast supported by an LMS Conference grant. NBFAS Secretary [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
COMPUTER-AIDED MATHEMATICAL PROOF 10 – 14 July 2017 in association with the Isaac Newton Institute programme Big Proof (26 June - 4 August 2017)
Proofs as constructive demonstrations of mathematical validity have been at the heart of mathematics since antiquity. Formal proof systems capture the definitions, statements, and proofs of mathematical discourse using precisely defined formal languages and rules of inference. Formal proofs have enabled mathematicians to rigorously explore foundational issues of expressiveness, consistency, independence, completeness, computability, and decidability. The formalisation of proof facilitates the representation and manipulation of mathematical knowledge with modern 25 digital computers.
During the last sixty years, the digitisation of formal mathematics has yielded satis- fiability solvers, rewriting engines, computer algebra systems, automated theorem provers, and interactive proof assistants. Proof technology can be used to perform large calculations reliably, solve systems of constraints, discover and visualise examples and counterexamples, simplify expressions, explore hypotheses, navigate large libraries of mathematical knowledge, capture abstractions and patterns of reasoning, and interactively construct proofs. The scale and sophistication of proof technology is approaching a point where it can effectively aid human mathematical creativity at all levels of expertise. Modern satisfiability solvers can efficiently solve problems with millions of Boolean constraints in hundreds of thousands of variables. Automated theorem provers have discovered proofs of open problems. Interactive proof assis- tants have been used to check complicated mathematical proofs such as those for the Kepler’s conjecture and the Feit-Thompson odd order theorem. Such systems have also been applied to the verification of practical artifacts such as central processing units (CPUs), compilers, operating system kernels, file systems, and air traffic control systems. Several high-level programming languages employ logical inference as a basic computation step.
Further information available from the website http://www.newton.ac.uk/event/bprw01
Closing date for receipt of applications: 8 April 2017 LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
ORTHOGONAL POLYNOMIALS & SPECIAL FUNCTIONS LMS Research School University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; 26–30 June 2017 Organisers: Peter Clarkson (Kent) and Ana Loureiro (Kent) Course outline Modern developments in theoretical and applied science depend on knowledge of the properties of various mathematical functions, from elementary trigonometric to the multitude of orthogonal 26 polynomials and special functions. These lectures cover various aspects of orthogonal polynomials and special functions of current interest and undergoing rapid development. The three main lecture course topics are: • Properties of Orthogonal Polynomials, Kerstin Jordaan (University of Pretoria, South Africa) • Discrete Painlevé Equations, Nalini Joshi (University of Sydney, Australia) • Multiple Orthogonal Polynomials, Walter Van Assche (KU Leuven, Belgium) These lecture courses will be supplemented by tutorial sessions. Guest lectures • Adri Olde Daalhuis (University of Edinburgh, UK) • Andrei Martinez-Finkelstein (University of Almería, Spain) Apply online; see details below. Research students, post-docs and those working in industry are invited to apply. All applicants will be contacted within three weeks after the deadline; information about individual applications will not be available before then* Fees Research students: £150 (no charge for subsistence costs). Early career researchers: £250 (no charge for subsistence costs). Other participants: £250 (plus subsistence costs). Research students who will not have not completed their PhDs by the start of the Research School and who would otherwise be unable to attend can apply for fi nancial aid. Fees are not payable until a place at the Research School is offered but will be due by 26 May 2017.
Further information: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/opsf-summerschool Apply online at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS31OrthogonalPolynomialsApplicationForm by 31 March 2017 [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
Algebraic Topology of Manifolds LMS-CMI research School Oxford 11 – 15 September 2017 Organiser: Ulrike Tillmann (Oxford) Manifolds are at the centre of much of geometry and topology, and through the infl uence of axiomatic topological quantum fi eld theory they have become an important organising force in category and representation theory. Classically, in the 1960s, algebraic topology was at the heart of their classifi cation theory in form of characteristic classes and numbers, cobordism theory, surgery theory, and later Wald- hausen’s K-theory of manifolds. We are now experiencing a renaissance of the fi eld as well as a paradigm shift where manifolds not only are the objects of study but become the tools. The school aims at inspiring the next generation with this exciting success story of interwoven 27 ideas bouncing between different fi elds, and giving the participants the tools to contribute to this lively research area. Lecture Courses Dan Freed (Austin, USA) Topological Quantum Field Theory Oscar randall-Williams (Cambridge, UK) Characteristic classes & moduli spaces of manifolds Greg Arone (Virginia, USA) The Goodwillie–Weiss embedding calculus Nathalie Wahl (Copenhagen, Denmark) Homological stability These lecture courses will be supplemented by tutorial sessions. In addition there will be guest lectures. For further information, please visit: https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/tillmann/ATM-SCHOOL.html Apply online (www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RS33-ATManifoldsApplicationForm) by 16 June 2017. Research students, post-docs and those working in industry are invited to apply. *All ap- plicants will be contacted within three weeks after the deadline; information about individual applications will not be available before then* Fees Research students: £150. There will be no charge for subsistence costs. Early career researchers: £250. There will be no charge for subsistence costs. Other participants: £250 plus subsistence costs. Research students who will not have completed their PhDs by the start of the Research School and who would otherwise be unable to attend can apply for fi nancial aid to cover their travel costs. Fees are not payable until a place at the Research School is offered but will be due by 21 July 2017. Obituary, Reviews
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JOSEPH KELLER
Joseph Bishop Keller, who eigenvalue spectra in quantum mechanics, to was elected a member of develop optimal strategies for runners in a the London Mathematical race, to study the propagation of nerve pulses, Society on 16 June 2006, to model the development of the visual system died on 7 September 2016, in mammals, and to understand the locomo- aged 93. tion of worms and how it differs from that Alice Whittemore writes: of snakes. His explanations for why teapots Keller was Professor Emer- dribble and why joggers’ ponytails swing from itus of Mathematics and side to side received two Ig Nobel Prizes for Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University ‘research that makes you laugh and then makes and member of the Geophysical Fluid Dynam- you think’. ics Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Keller was a member of the US National Institute. Considered by many as the ‘Dean of Academy of Science (NAS), a Foreign Member Applied Mathematics’, Keller was best known of the Royal Society of London, and Honorary for his geometrical theory of diffraction, a Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the Uni- method for determining how acoustic or elec- versity of Cambridge. He received many scien- tromagnetic waves are deflected by the sur- tific honors, including the Wolf Prize in Math- face of an object. This research has had broad ematics (1997), the Frederick E. Nemmers Prize applications to radar, stealth technology and (1996), the NAS Award in Applied Mathematics 28 antenna design. Keller also studied many other and Numerical Analysis (1995), the National issues related to national security, including Medal of Science (1988), the Timoshenko Medal the possibility that underwater explosions of (1984), the Eringen Medal (1981), and the von atomic bombs might cause a tsunami - a ques- Karman Prize (1979). He was the Gibbs Lecturer tion prompted by the US testing of nuclear de- of the American Mathematical Society (1977), vices at Bikini Atoll more than 50 years ago. and the von Neumann Lecturer of the Society Keller’s work was inspired by a wide-rang- of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (1983). ing curiosity and gift for finding a problem’s His work earned him honorary doctorates from mathematical essence. With a child at a party, eight universities throughout the world. he might discuss how tiny soda bubbles In awarding him the Wolf Prize in Mathemat- form patterns in a glass, and later discuss the ics, the Wolf Foundation noted that Keller nuances of wave propagation with a colleague. ‘brought a deep understanding of physics and He developed and used a method of approxi- a superb skill at asymptotics to an astonishing mation known as ‘asymptotic analysis’ to tackle range of problems’, adding, ‘He is really the problems that cannot be solved exactly, and model of what a mathematician interested in applied it to predict behavior in many fields. a wide variety of physical phenomena can and For example, he used the method to describe should be’.
IN MEMORY OF YURI SAFAROV The Journal of Spectral Theory has published a special issue (http://tinyurl.com/zfpnxrr) has a special issue (volume 6 (2016) issue 4) in memory preface which serves as an extended obituary of Professor Yuri Safarov who died on 2 June and describes Safarov's research. 2015, aged 57. It is a collection of papers in Professor Safarov was elected a member of subject areas related to Safarov’s work which the London Mathematical Society on 21 January are written by people who knew him well. This 1994 and awarded a Whitehead Prize in 1996. [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
MAXWELL READE
Professor Maxwell O. Reade, who was the University of Michigan for 40 years, until elected a member of the London Mathemati- he retired in 1986, specializing in Complex cal Society on 18 March 1948, died on 13 April Analysis, publishing 83 papers. Professor 2016, aged 100 years and two days. Professor Maxwell was the fifth longstanding LMS Reade was a Professor of Mathematics at member.
THE GCHQ PUZZLE BOOK by Michael Joseph, Penguin Books, 2016, pp 368, £12.99, ISBN 780-718185541.
2016 was an excellent year for puzzle books, pages of fascinat- with outstanding collections from David ing historic photo- Singmaster (Problems for Metagrobologists, graphs (in colour recently reviewed by Colin Wright in this where possible) Newsletter) and Alex Bellos (Can you solve relating to cryp- my problems?). And just before the end of tography. the year they were joined by this exciting The book also volume from GCHQ (the Government Com- contains the 2016 munications Headquarters). It comes with GCHQ Kristmas 29 an introduction from HRH the Duchess of Kwiz comprising Cambridge, whose grandmother worked 41 questions. That at Bletchley Park during the War, and who this is designed to with her husband is spearheading the Heads be solved by teams Together campaign tackling stigma around of up to four over mental health: all GCHQ proceeds from the a period of seven weeks indicates that this book are going to Heads Together. While is quite a challenge! (Answers to this one there may be an element of post-Snowden are not in the book, for obvious reasons, but public relations at play in the publication, will be made available on the web in due this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection. course.) There is also a competition, with The puzzles are all set by people who the closing date of 28 February 2017, so you work, or have worked, at GCHQ: many of still have time to enter! them come from the organisation’s annual The questions are rarely straightforward internal Christmas Quiz (or, as they regretta- – unless you are a much better solver than bly term it, Kristmas Kwiz). In style they are I am, you won’t get many answers immedi- reminiscent of the BBC Radio 4 Round Britain ately, but it is very satisfying when an insight Quiz, often having many parts leading to eventually comes. Perhaps the problems are an overall answer: a few involve codes but ideally tackled with company: the refer- generally the puzzles are not just mathe- ences are drawn from such a wide range of matical but require wide general knowledge, fields that teamwork would be very helpful. logical thinking and imagination. They vary I cannot imagine that any reader of this in difficulty but, although they initially look Newsletter who likes a challenge will not baffling, they are not all impossible! There be delighted by this collection. That any is a helpful section explaining some of the purchase helps a good cause is an additional different kinds of puzzle, and some “starter” reason to purchase. questions with clues available to get you Tony Mann going. And as a bonus we get sixteen University of Greenwich Reviews, Meetings
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SINGLE DIGITS: IN PRAISE OF SMALL NUMBERS by Marc Chamberland, Princeton University Press, 2015, pp 240, hb £19.95, US$26.95, ISBN 978- 0691161143, pb June 2017, £14.95, US$17.95, ISBN 978-069117560.
All mathematicians of lively interest in each chapter. Chapters are will be familiar with divided into sections (of varying length) on the theorems which begin topics covered, making it easy to dip into the "If n is a sufficiently large book even when one has only a few minutes integer, ...". Professor to spare. Chamberland sets out to The areas covered vary in difficulty – from investigate the gaps left, those easily accessible to a mathematically where small values of inclined amateur, to those which are defi- the parameters involved nitely research level – but all are well set out lead to strange and fas- and clearly explained, with diagrams where cinating phenomena. necessary. His investigation is With such wide-ranging topics it is not easy to wide-ranging, covering various areas of both give a full list of helpful references, so if one par- pure and applied mathematics, as well as ticular topic catches your interest you may well oddities such as origami and magic tricks. While need to do your own investigation. However, mathematicians will find many familiar topics Professor Chamberland does give a list of useful among those he investigates, the variety is such books and articles for those who wish to brush 30 that everyone will find some material which is up on their background knowledge. new to them and sparks their interest. Altogether, this is an interesting and enter- The book is divided into nine chapters, each taining book on a wide range of material. If you dealing with one of the first nine positive are looking for a present for a mathematically integers. It will come as no surprise to find that inclined friend, this is it! the chapters on 2 and 3 are by far the longest, Mary Jones but Professor Chamberland introduces topics Southampton University
SCALABLE STATISTICAL INFERENCE 3 – 7 July 2017 in association with the Isaac Newton Institute programme Scalable Inference; Statistical, Algorithmic, Computational Aspects (3 - 28 July 2017)
The complexity and sheer size of modern data sets, of which ever increasingly demanding questions are posed, give rise to major challenges and opportunities for modern statistics. Many of those challenges are of a computational nature and the aim of the workshop is to bring together researchers from a broad range of horizons with an interest in such issues, in particular scalability. Further information available from the website http://www.newton.ac.uk/event/sinw01 Closing date for receipt of applications: 27 March 2017 [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
BMC 2017: 3–7 April 2017 including LMS Society Meeting Monday 3 April Durham 3:45 pm LMS Society Meeting Plenary Lecture: Isabelle Gallagher (Université Paris-Diderot, IMJ-PRG) This Society Meeting is part of the British Mathematical Colloquium 2017. The full conference 31 will also include a public lecture by Noam Elkes (Harvard), and plenaries given by Eva Bayer-Fluckiger (ÉPFL), Kenji Fukaya (Kyoto University/Simons Center), Laurent Lafforgue (IHÉS), Jacob Lurie (Harvard University) and George Lusztig (MIT). MORNING SPEAKERS Alessandra Bernardi, Gérard Besson, Tara Brendle, Jan Bruinier, Olivia Caramello, Alexander Grigor’yan, Fanny Kassel, Ari Laptev, Diane Maclagan, Oscar Randal-Williams, James Robinson. Workshops (Tue & Wed afternoon) Algebra, organiser: Emilie Dufresne Analysis, organisers: Norbert Peyerimhoff, Ari Laptev Geometry, organiser: John Parker Number Theory, organiser: Jens Funke Topology, organiser: Dirk Schuetz The plenary and morning talks will take place in the Calman Learning Centre (CLC) on the Science Site. The tea/coffee and lunches will be served in the Earth Sciences (ES) building, adjacent to the CLC. Rooms E101 and E102 are in the Engineering building and CM101 is in the Maths building. The cost of registration is £50 (early bird until 28 February 2017; £80 thereafter). The registration fee for postgraduate students is £50. The conference dinner is £50. The accommodation is in Collingwood College, which is a 10min walk from where the Science Site, where the conference will take place.
For further information and to register: http://www.maths.dur.ac.uk/bmc2017/index.xhtml Early bird registration is now open. Reviews
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MY SEARCH FOR RAMANUJAN by K. Ono and A.D. Aczel, Springer, 2016, pp 238, £19.99, ISBN 978-3319255668.
This book is a book, recounts the story of Ramanujan. His non-technical remarkable journey from obscurity to world- narrative of the fame, all made possible by the depth and life journeys of breadth of his mathematical discoveries, has three mathema- been told by several authors. G.H. Hardy’s ticians, namely classic work [2] (and its modern variant [3]) Emory University give an overview of large parts of Ramanu- professor Ken jan’s mathematics. But going beyond the Ono, his father mathematics, it is the story of Ramanujan’s Takashi Ono, a life that is so fascinating both professional professor at and lay people alike. Johns Hopkins The popular biography The Man Who University, and Knew Infinity by R. Kanigel has attracted the Indian math- public attention, both through the book ematical genius itself, as well as its adaptation to the screen Srinivasa Ramanujan, who never held an by Matt Brown. In it, we see a young man academic position. It is touching, at times who was passionately absorbed in math- moving, and a compelling human story. ematics, who by the power of his hard 32 While it is reasonable to expect that the work, had made discoveries on par with narrative of the father-son pair would be the greatest mathematicians of history, and intertwined, the introduction of Ramanujan who was only partially recognized in his day. into the story, is both unexpected and We also see the heart-wrenching tragedy of inspiring. It is unexpected because of the aspects of his life that must have weighed time, location and culture separating heavily on him at an emotional level and Ramanujan from the Ono family. And it is wonder whether he would have achieved inspiring as it illustrates the power of ideas even greater scientific heights had there and thoughts, and perhaps more impor- been a way of resolving those issues. We see tantly, the power of the human struggle, a young man who came to England eager to to bridge the chasm of time and space and share his ideas with Hardy, a leading math- culture. ematician of the day, and for which he had While we often hear of human unity in to endure cultural racism. And we see him terms of basic physical needs of food and die at the very young age of 32. shelter, it is important to note that there Both the scientific and the human aspects are also basic emotional, intellectual and of Ramanujan’s story are powerful in their spiritual needs. In the book, these needs appeal. Subramanian Chandrasekhar, a are poignantly described through Ken Ono’s Nobel laureate in Physics and for many years early life, growing up as the youngest son a professor at the University of Chicago, in a Japanese immigrant family in America, wrote: “The fact that Ramanujan’s early years facing the clash of cultures and the racism were spent in a scientifically sterile atmos- of the time, and then narrating how a phere, that his life in India was not without letter from Janaki Ammal, the widow hardships, that under circumstances that of Ramanujan, brought father and son appeared to most Indians as nothing short together, and showed the young Ono a of miraculous, he had gone to Cambridge, direction forward. This occupies Part 1 of supported by eminent mathematicians, and the book. had returned to India with every assurance Part 2, which is about one fourth of the that he would be considered, in time, as one [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
of the most original mathematicians of the the strong need to come to terms with century – these facts were enough – more the sense of awe elicited by Ramanujan’s than enough – for aspiring young Indian formulas, and more generally the beautiful students to break their bonds of mathemati- infinite complexity of the universe. Thanks cal confinement and perhaps soar the way to this awakening, I now wish to experience that Ramanujan had.” [1, pp. 3-4] the world, to enjoy its beauty and its people. But the inspirational power of the story of My curiosity pushes me, and it has left me Ramanujan was not just confined to India. open to discovering my spirituality.” Atle Selberg, the famous Norwegian math- To many, mathematics is seen as an impen- ematician and Fields medalist, wrote how etrable wall of logic, symbols and formulas. I through his brother he was able to see a would highly recommend this book to those copy of the Collected Papers of Ramanujan. who want to get a meaningful glimpse of “It seemed quite like a revelation – a com- what is behind the wall and how the wall pletely new world to me, quite different can be penetrated. There are too few books from any mathematics book I had ever seen that describe the artistic, creative and human, – with much more appeal to the imagination, and even spiritual aspect of the mathemati- I must say. And frankly, it still seems very cal enterprise. “My search for Ramanujan” is exciting to me and also retains that air of therefore a welcome addition to this litera- mystery which I felt at the time. It was really ture. what gave the impetus which started my While the entire narrative is told in the own mathematical work.” [4, pp. 695-696] context of a mathematical journey, the And there are countless others, both math- deeper message is of the fundamental inter- 33 ematicians and non-mathematicians, who connectedness of humanity in terms of our have been inspired by Ramanujan’s scientific aspirations and our struggles, and the power and human legacy. of ideas to transcend national or cultural The third and final part, which occupies boundaries. This is something that should about half the book, describes Ken Ono’s appeal to a broad audience. Moreover, it is awakening to his own mathematical destiny, essential that stories of this interconnected- always guided in some way by the work, ness be widely heard and discussed. For at a ideas and life of Ramanujan. It details his time when forces around the world threaten path towards becoming a professional math- to drive people and nations apart, we need ematician. We see him as an undergraduate to hear about the humanity, nay the spiritu- at Chicago, then as a graduate student at ality, that connects us all. UCLA, where he found similarities between V. Kumar Murty his advisor Basil Gordon and Ramanujan’s Department of Mathematics mentor G.H. Hardy, and his path to Emory University of Toronto through various positions at different uni- References versities. 1. S. Chandrasekhar, “On Ramanujan”, in: In one of the final chapters, Ono reflects Ramanujan Revisited, pp. 1-6, eds. G. Andrews, et. on what this entire adventure has taught al., Academic Press, San Diego, 1988. him about how to live life and in a TedX talk 2. G.H. Hardy, Ramanujan: Twelve lectures on summarizes his view as ‘how to live math- subjects suggested by his life and work, 3rd edition, ematically, but not by the numbers’, where Chelsea, New York, 1978. ‘living mathematically’ means to live life with 3. M. Ram Murty and V. Kumar Murty, The math- creativity, flexibility, confidence and deter- ematical legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan, Springer mination. He concludes with a brief discus- India, New Delhi, 2013. sion on the connection to spirituality and 4. Atle Selberg, “Reflections around the Ramanujan says “My search for Ramanujan has trans- Centenary”, in Collected Papers, Volume 1, Springer, formed me. Raised with no religion, I found Berlin, 1989. LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk
CECILC KINGECIL KTRAVELING TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
The London Mathematical Society annually awards a £5,000 Cecil King Travel Scholarship in Mathematics, to a young mathematician of outstanding 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. 34
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 must be nationals of the UK or the Republic of Ireland, either registered for or having completed a doctoral degree within 12 months of the closing date.
Applications should be made using the form available on the Society's website (https://www.lms.ac.uk/prizes/cecil-king-travel-scholarship) or by contacting [email protected]. The closing date for applications is Friday 31 March 2017. It is expected that interviews will take place in London in late May or early June.
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 Research Meetings Committee.
The London Mathematical Society is a registered charity for the promotion of mathematical knowledge. [email protected] No. 466 February 2017
CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 2017 This calendar lists Society meetings and other 2 Rough Paths in Probability and Statistics, mathematical events. Further information Reading (466) may be obtained from the appropriate LMS 5 Mary Cartwright Lecture, London Newsletter whose number is given in brackets. 8–12 Approximation, Deformation, A fuller list is given on the Society’s website Quasification INI Workshop, Cambridge (464) (www.lms.ac.uk/content/calendar). Please send 22–24 Gregynog Welsh Mathematics updates and corrections to [email protected]. Colloquium, Gregynog Hall, Newtown, Powys (466) FEBRUARY 2017 2–3 Mathematical Medicine and Mathematical JUNE 2017 Pharmacology, Swansea (465) 1 LMS Northern Regional Meeting, York 11 Mathscon, Imperial College London 19–23 Group Actions and Cohomology In Non- 20–21 Origins of Numerical Abilities Royal Positive Curvature, INI Cambridge (465) Society Scientific Discussion Royal Society 19–23 New Trends in Representation Theory London (463) LMS–CMI Research School, Leicester (466) 20–21 Mathematical Imaging with Partially 26–30 Quantum Topology and Categorified Unknown Models, Cambridge (465) Representation Theory, INI Cambridge (465) 23–24 COW and Calf in Cardiff (465) 26–30 Orthogonal Polynomials and Special Functions LMS-CMI Research School, Kent (466) 26–30 Microlocal Analysis and Applications LMS– MARCH 2017 CMI Research School, Cardiff (466) 2 Computing for the Future of the Planet, Royal 30 LMS Graduate Student Meeting, London 35 Society, London (466) 30 LMS Society Meeting, London 10–11 North British Functional Analysis Seminar, Birmingham (466) 20–24 Young Geometric Group Theory Meeting, july 2017 Oxford (465) 3–7 Scalable Statistical Inference, INI Cambridge 22 Maths, Teamwork and Googlies, Rob (466) Eastaway, Christopher Zeeman Medal Lecture, 3–7 BSDEs, SPDEs and their Applications London (466) Workshop, Edinburgh 29–31 Young Functional Analysts' Workshop, 3–7 British Combinatorial Conference, Glasgow (465) Strathclyde (464) 30 Spectral Geometry, Leeds (465) 10–12 Mathematical Models in Ecology and Evolution Conference, City, University of London (466) APRIL 2017 10–14 Computer-aided Mathematical Proof, INI 3 Society Meeting at BMC, Durham (466) Cambridge (466) 3–6 BMC, Durham (463) 10–19 Foundations of Computational 10 Developing Efficient Methodologies for Mathematics Conference, Barcelona (461) Modelling Stochastic Dynamical Systems in 31–5 Aug International Mathematics Biology, Bath (465) Competition, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria (466) 10–12 BAMC, Surrey (463) 18–21 Research Students Conference, Durham (465) SEPTEMBER 2017 18–22 Function Theory by Hilbert Space 10–15 Mathematics Education for the Future Methods, Jim Alger, LMS Invited Lecturer, Decade, Balatonfüred, Hungary (460) Newcastle (466) 11–15 Algebraic Topology of Manifolds LMS- 25 Reforms to Mathematics Qualifications CMI Research School, Oxford (466) Westminster Education Forum Seminar, London 11–15 Scientific Computation and Differential 27–28 Mathematical Ecology Workshop, Equations, Bath (466) Swansea (464) 24–29 Heidelberg Laureate Forum (465) LMS SOUTH WEST AND SOUTH WALES rEGIONAL MEETING Friday 20 December 2016 (Report on page 15)
Organiser Johannes Nördstrom Simon Donaldson, first speaker signing the LMS Membership Book Progress and Problems on G2 Manifolds
Organiser Apala Majumdar introducing the Carlos Conca, second speaker second speaker Carlos Conca An Inverse Problem in Biological Olfactory Cilia
Questions from the audience LMS Vice-President, Professor John Greenlees, chairing the meeting