Of the American Mathematical Society June/July 2018 Volume 65, Number 6
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ISSN 0002-9920 (print) ISSN 1088-9477 (online) of the American Mathematical Society June/July 2018 Volume 65, Number 6 James G. Arthur: 2017 AMS Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement page 637 The Classification of Finite Simple Groups: A Progress Report page 646 Governance of the AMS page 668 Newark Meeting page 737 698 F 659 E 587 D 523 C 494 B 440 A 392 G 349 F 330 E 294 D 262 C 247 B 220 A 196 G 145 F 165 E 147 D 131 C 123 B 110 A 98 G About the Cover, page 635. 2020 Mathematics Research Communities Opportunity for Researchers in All Areas of Mathematics How would you like to organize a weeklong summer conference and … • Spend it on your own current research with motivated, able, early-career mathematicians; • Work with, and mentor, these early-career participants in a relaxed and informal setting; • Have all logistics handled; • Contribute widely to excellence and professionalism in the mathematical realm? These opportunities can be realized by organizer teams for the American Mathematical Society’s Mathematics Research Communities (MRC). Through the MRC program, participants form self-sustaining cohorts centered on mathematical research areas of common interest by: • Attending one-week topical conferences in the summer of 2020; • Participating in follow-up activities in the following year and beyond. Details about the MRC program and guidelines for organizer proposal preparation can be found at www.ams.org/programs/research-communities /mrc-proposals-20. The 2020 MRC program is contingent on renewed funding from the National Science Foundation. SEND PROPOSALS FOR 2020 AND INQUIRIES FOR FUTURE YEARS TO: Mathematics Research Communities American Mathematical Society Email: [email protected] Mail: 201 Charles Street, Providence, RI 02904 Fax: 401-455-4004 The target date for pre-proposals and proposals is August 31, 2018. www.ams.org/programs/research-communities/mrc Notices of the American Mathematical Society June/July 2018 FEATURED 637684 646 26661 James G. Arthur: AMS The Classification of Finite Graduate Student Section 2017 Leroy P. Steele Prize Simple Groups: A Progress Joe Harris Interview for Lifetime Achievement Report Laure Flapan James Cogdell and Freydoon Ronald Solomon WHAT IS...the Langlands Program? Shahidi, Guest Editors Solomon Friedberg Graduate Student Blog This summer we honor James G. Arthur, former president of the AMS, on the occasion of his 2017 AMS Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement. Ron Solomon provides a progress report on the classification of all finite simple groups. Solomon Friedberg considers “WHAT IS...the Langlands Program?” And we’ve got a record number of Letters to the Editor. Relax with us and math. —Frank Morgan, Editor-in-Chief FROM THE AMS SECRETARY ALSO IN THIS ISSUE, CONT'D 668 2018 Governance of the AMS 670 Robert Langlands Awarded Abel Prize Calls for Nomination 676 Letters to the Editor 681 Opinion: e Mechanization of Mathematics 674 Levi L. Conant Prize; E. H. Moore Research Jeremy Avigad Article Prize; Oswald Veblen Prize in Geometry; Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics; 692 Review: A Welcome Addition to the Philosophy of Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics; David P. Mathematical Practice Robbins Prize Brendan Larvor ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 697 Beilinson and Drinfeld Awarded 2018 Wolf Prize in Mathematics 635 About the Cover 703 e CBMS Survey: A New Report omas H. Barr 653 A Case Study in Noncommutative Topology Claude L. Schochet 657 Some Open Problems in Asymptotic Geometric Analysis Bo'az Klartag and Elisabeth Werner Notices of the American Mathematical Society Tactile Learning Activities in IN EVERY ISSUE Mathematics A Recipe Book for the Undergraduate 700 Inside the AMS Classroom 706 Mathematics People 717 Mathematics Opportunities 720 Classified Advertising 723 New Publications Offered by the AMS NO NOT USE 735 Meetings and Conferences of the AMS AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT 760 e Back Page AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT AVAILABLE IN CURRENT INVITATIONS AMS / MAA Press EBOOK FORMAT FROM THE AMS Julie Barnes, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, and Jessica M. Libertini, 660 Graduate Student Travel Grants Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA, Editors 667 Start a Graduate Student Chapter Q: What do feather boas, cookies, and paper shredders have in common? 674 Calls for Nomination: Levi L. Conant Prize; E. H. Moore Research Article Prize; Oswald Veblen Prize A: They are all ingredients that have the potential to help your undergraduate stu- in Geometry; Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied dents understand a variety of mathematical Mathematics; Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathemat- concepts. In this book, 43 faculty from a wide ics; David P. Robbins Prize range of institutional settings share a total of 64 hands-on activities that allow students to 702 Call for Proposals: MRC 2020 physically engage with mathematical ideas ranging from the basics of precalculus to spe- inside back cover Member Discounts cial topics appropriate for upper-level courses. Purchase of the book also includes access to electronic printable versions of the handouts. Classroom Resource Materials, Volume 54; 2018; approximately 314 pages; Hardcover; ISBN: 978-1- 4704-4351-1; Order code CLRM/54; Price $45 Visit bookstore.ams.org/clrm- 54 to pre-order your copy. ISSN 0002-9920 (print) ISSN 1088-9477 (online) of the American Mathematical Society June/July 2018 Volume 65, Number 6 James G. Arthur: 2017 AMS Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement page 637 The ClassificationAbout the of FiniteCover Simple Groups: A Progress Report page 646 This month we honor 2017 Steele Prize Lifetime Achievement winner James G. Arthur. Governance of the AMS ous geometric property. Sound is an example of what is pageoften called 668 a spectral phenomenon… . We thus have an example of something geometric—the shape of a musical instrument—which corresponds to something spectral— Newarkthe sound produced Meeting by the instrument. Harmonic analy- sis in the broadest sense refers to a general principle in pagemathematics xxx that links geometric objects with spectral objects… .” Photo Credit Photo of James G. Arthur receiving the Steele Prize from Robert L. Bryant courtesy of Asif Ali Zaman. 698 F 659 E 587 D 523 C One of Arthur’s main research interests is in harmonic 494 B analysis, a broad mathematical area with origins in the analysis of periodically recurring phenomena. Inspired 440 A by his research, this month’s cover features the harmonic 392 G components of the sound waves produced by a piano playing an excerpt from Bach’s Gott sei uns gnädig und 349 F barmherzig (BWV 323)–1725.1 330 E Of harmonic analysis in music and mathematics, Arthur 294 D 2 once wrote: 262 C “Harmonic analysis in music is the study of chords, 247 B and of how they are used in combination to create musi- cal effects. Harmonic analysis in mathematics takes on a 220 A somewhat different meaning. It too has roots in music, or 196 G at least in the mathematical analysis of sound. However, 145 F the term can also mean a kind of universal duality that 165 E runs throughout mathematics. Different musical instruments make different kinds of 147 D sound, even when they play the same note. The analysis 131 C of this phenomenon can be very complicated, but to a 123 B first approximation, it is the shape of the instrument 110 A that determines the sound it creates. Shape is an obvi- 98 G 1This imagery is in the public domain. 2www.claymath.org/library/cw/arthur/pdf/hainMath.pdf JUNE/JULY 2018 NOTICES OF THE AMS 635 About the Cover, page 635. Notices of the American Mathematical Society EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CONTACTING THE NOTICES Frank Morgan SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ASSOCIATE EDITORS Subscription prices for Volume 65 (2018) are US$662 list; Benjamin Braun, US$529.60 institutional member; US$397.20 individual mem- Alexander Diaz-Lopez, Thomas Garrity, Joel Hass, ber; US$595.80 corporate member. (The subscription price for Stephen Kennedy, Florian Luca, Steven J. Miller, members is included in the annual dues.) A late charge of 10% of Harriet Pollatsek, Carla Savage (ex officio), the subscription price will be imposed upon orders received from Cesar E. Silva, Christina Sormani, Daniel J. Velleman non-members after January 1 of the subscription year. Add for CONSULTANTS postage: Surface delivery outside the United States and India— John Baez, Hélène Barcelo, Ricardo Cortez, Jerry Folland, US$27; in India—US$40; expedited delivery to destinations in Tara Holm, Kenneth A. Ribet North America—US$35; elsewhere—US$120. Subscriptions and orders for AMS publications should be addressed to the ASSISTANT to the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF American Mathematical Society, PO Box 845904, Boston, MA Sophia D. Merow 02284-5904 USA. All orders must be prepaid. MANAGING EDITOR Rachel L. Rossi ADVERTISING ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Notices publishes situations wanted and classified advertising, Anne Newcomb and display advertising for publishers and academic or scientific organizations. Advertising requests, materials, and/or questions REPRINT PERMISSIONS should be sent to: Erin M. Buck [email protected] (classified ads) CONTRIBUTING WRITER [email protected] (display ads) Elaine Kehoe PERMISSIONS COMPOSITION, DESIGN, and EDITING All requests to reprint Notices articles should be sent to: Brian Bartling, John Brady, Anna Hattoy, Lori Nero, [email protected] Karen Ouellette, Rebecca Rivard, Courtney Rose, Deborah Smith, Mike Southern, Peter Sykes SUBMISSIONS The editor-in-chief should be contacted about articles for Supported by the AMS membership, most of this publication, consideration after potential authors have reviewed the “For including the opportunity to post comments, is freely available Authors” page at www.ams.org/publications/journals/notices/ electronically through the AMS website, the Society’s resource noticesauthors. for delivering electronic products and services. Use the URL The managing editor should be contacted for additions to our www.ams.org/notices/ to access the Notices on the website.