CSHPM Bulletin, November 2016
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BULLETIN November/Novembre 2016 Number/le num´ero 59 WHAT’S INSIDE Articles Announcements ................................................................................................ 3 Interact with MAA Convergence [Janet Beery] .............................................................. 7 Joint AMS/MAA Meetings in Atlanta........................................................................ 9 Quotations in Context [Mike Molinsky] ...................................................................... 13 Grattan-Guinness Archival Research Travel Grants [Karen Parshall] ...................................... 14 Ohio Section 100th Annual Meeting [David Kullman]....................................................... 18 Three Societies in Edmonton [David Orenstein] ............................................................. 19 COMHISMA12 in Marrakech [Gregg de Young] ............................................................. 20 Jim Kiernan (1949–2014) [Walter Meyer]..................................................................... 22 Reports From the President [Dirk Schlimm] ........................................................................... 2 Executive Council Meeting CSHPM/ SCHPM............................................................... 9 2017 Call for Papers............................................................................................ 10 Annual General Meeting HSSFC [Amy Ackerberg-Hastings] ............................................... 15 AGM of CSHPM/SCHPM [Patricia Allaire] ................................................................. 16 From the Archives: Invited Speakers [Mike Molinsky]....................................................... 17 New Members................................................................................................... 23 From the Editor ................................................................................................ 23 Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics Soci´et´ecanadienne d’histoire et de philosophie des math´ematiques ISSN 0835-5924 ABOUT THE SOCIETY New Members are most cordially welcome; please con- tact the Secretary. Founded in 1974, the Canadian Society for the His- tory and Philosophy of Mathematics / Soci´et´ecana- dienne d’histoire et philosophie des math´ematiques From the President (CSHPM/SCHPM) promotes research and teaching in the history and philosophy of mathematics. Officers of It was a little over ten years ago, in May 2006, that the Society are: I attended my first meeting of the CSHPM at York University in Toronto. I remember well the welcom- President: Dirk Schlimm, McGill University, Mon- ing and supportive atmosphere of the meeting, the treal, QC H3A 2T7, CA, [email protected] genuine interest in each presenter’s contribution, and Vice-President: Maria Zack, Point Loma Nazarene how smoothly the traditional disciplinary boundaries University, San Diego, CA 92106, USA, MariaZack@ between history and philosophy of mathematics were pointloma.edu overcome. This impression hasn’t changed over the Secretary: Patricia Allaire, 14818 60th Ave., Flush- years, and I still consider the CSHPM to embody the ing, NY 11355, USA, [email protected] ideal of a scholarly society. All the more I am now ex- Treasurer: Gregory Lavers, Concordia Univer- tremely honoured to have been elected its 22nd Presi- sity, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, CA, Greg.Lavers@ dent. My thanks to all who participated in the election concordia.ca this year. Many thanks also to Glen Van Brummelen, Past President: Elaine Landry, UC Davis, Davis, who finished his second formal six-year presidential cy- CA 95616, USA, [email protected] cle, and to our Past-President, Elaine Landry, for their energetic and successful work for the CSHPM. At this Members of Council point I’d also like to express my thanks to David Bell- Craig Fraser, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON house for keeping our finances in order over the past M5S 1K7, CA, [email protected] years and to welcome Greg Lavers as our new Trea- Jean-Pierre Marquis, Universit´ede Montr´eal, Mont- surer. Finally, no round of thanks would be complete r´eal, QC H3C 3J7, CA, jean-pierre.marquis@umont- without thanking our Secretary Pat Allaire and our real.ca Webmaster and Archivist Michael Molinsky for their Karen Hunger Parshall, University of Virginia, continued vital contributions to our society. Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA, khp3k@eservices. Our annual meeting was held this year at the Uni- virginia.edu versity of Calgary in conjunction with the Congress Joel Silverberg, 31 Sheldon Street, Providence, RI of the Humanities and Social Sciences. We had a 02906, USA, [email protected] packed three-day programme with 33 exciting talks on a wide range of topics and covering many di↵er- Volunteer Positions ent time periods. In honour of our late associate Aldo The Society’s Web Page (www.cshpm.org) is main- Antonelli the Special Session was on ‘Logic and Math- tained by Michael Molinsky, University of Maine at ematics in the 19th and 20th Centuries.’ Several stu- Farmington, Farmington, ME 04938, USA, michael. dents of Aldo were able to participate in this session, [email protected], who also manages the Soci- which gave us the opportunity to hear more than one ety’s Archives. The Proceedings of the Annual Meet- moving anecdote about our deeply missed colleague. ing are edited by Maria Zack and Dirk Schlimm Jamie Tappenden gave the Kenneth O. May Lecture, (see above). Hardy Grant, hardygrant@yahoo. showing us how philosophical and historical issues can com, and Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, aackerbe@ both be addressed in an engaging talk on “Frege, Carl verizon.net, edit the CSHPM Notes column for Snell and Romanticism; Fruitful Concepts and the Notes of the Canadian Mathematical Society. Mar- ‘Organic/Mechanical’ Distinction.” Many thanks to itza Branker, Niagara University, Lewiston, NY Thomas Drucker for organizing the special session, to 14109, [email protected], serves as CMS Liai- Eisso Atzema for organizing the general programme, son. and to Richard Zach for the local organization as well as for securing support from the Pacific Institute for 2 Figure 1: Jamie Tappenden Figure 2: Larry D’Antonio the Mathematical Sciences and the Department of Phi- Proceedings volumes. The first volume, from our 2014 losophy at the University of Calgary. I thank all par- Meeting, appeared last year and the second should be ticipants, session chairs, and organizers for bringing available on the shelves (or in your hands) very soon. together this wonderful event. Maria Zack, the driving force behind the proceedings In 2017, the year of the 150th anniversary of the (and our newly elected Vice-President), was recently Canadian Confederation, we will meet again together able to negotiate an extension of our contract with with the ‘Learneds’, at Ryerson University in Toronto. the publisher, which clearly shows a general enthusi- The Special Session on ‘18th Century Mathematics’ asm for the work that we are doing. Many thanks will be organized by Pat Allaire and Rob Bradley; to Hardy, Amy, Elaine, and Maria for all their truly Eisso Atzema will organize the general programme; terrific work! Craig Fraser will lead the local organizing commit- All in all the CSHPM is a flourishing society that lives tee; and William Dunham will be presenting the Ken- and thrives on the activities and e↵orts of all of its neth O. May Lecture. I am looking forward to seeing members. Let’s all keep it up! many of you at our next meeting in Toronto! Dirk Schlimm As you all know, several very successful e↵orts have Announcements been started in the course of the past years to foster and strengthen our ties with other societies and profes- Janet Heine Barnett is one of three recipients of the sional associations, as well as to increase our visibility MAA Teaching Award and will speak on “Drinking in the community at large. After several years as our straight from the source: Learning today’s mathemat- CMS Liaison, Tom Archibald stepped down from this ics through its historical roots” at the 2017 JMM. position. He was essential for organizing the History Janet also gave one of four plenary talks at a joint of Mathematics sessions at the CMS Winter Meetings meeting of the Intermountain and Rocky Mountain and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to have histori- Sections on April 8–9. Shirley Gray received the ans as invited speakers at the CMS meetings. For all of SoCal-Nevada Section’s Teaching Award. this, I thank him very much! At the same time, I’d like to welcome Maritza Branker as our new CMS Liaison. Deana Haunsperger will be presented with the 2nd Maritza hit the ground running and is organizing the Association for Women in Mathematics Presidential history session at the upcoming CMS Meeting in Ni- Award at the Saturday evening banquet at the 2017 agara Falls, ON. Other ongoing outreach projects are JMM, recognizing, among other achievements, her the column devoted to history and philosophy of math- work with the Carleton Summer Math Program. She ematics in CMS Notes, written by our members and and Stephen Kennedy (North Central Section) also re- edited by Hardy Grant and Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, ceived Certificates of Meritorious Service at the 2016 the PhilMath Archive, the online research paper repos- MAA MathFest. Steve talked about Fibonacci at the itory for which Elaine worked very hard and which student luncheon of the Louisiana-Mississippi Section should soon see the light of day, and, of