November 2008
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 375 November 2008 Society THE NEW MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Meetings AND MEMBERS ABROAD and Events The LMS has 30% of its members Personal membership in the LMS based outside the UK. This remark- comes only in the forms Member, 2008 ably high number has never been Associate Member and Honorary Friday 21 November trumpeted by the Society, but Member. If you join the Society AGM, London could be. The Royal Statistical Soci- through one of the reciprocity ar- [page XX] ety proclaims with pride that 25% rangements with a national society of its members are outside the abroad you are a Member, just like 12–13 December UK, and a fortiori, the LMS could any other, with full voting rights. Joint Meeting with do so too. The high proportion You, like the UK-based Members, the Edinburgh reflects the international nature are the LMS. It is your Society, and Mathematical Society of our subject. Much more than its vigour and success are impor- Edinburgh [page XX] other disciplines, and more even tant for mathematics. than other sciences, mathematics I write this piece on a visit to the 2009 crosses international boundaries Mathematics Department of the Wednesday 14 January with ease. Technical University of Dresden. Northern Regional Should the LMS’s overseas mem- The location has as good a claim Meeting, Manchester bers engage with the present as any to be the middle of Europe, consultation over the New Math- with the rest of Germany to the Friday 27 February ematical Society, and vote if the north and west, Prague nearby to Mary Cartwright vote ensues? The natural initial the south, and Poland a short dis- Lecture, London assumption might be “No: leave tance east. There is nevertheless 31 March – 4 April it to the ‘home’ members’”, but much interest in UK mathematics LMS Invited Lectures that would be an error. In short: and in the LMS. It seemed natural Edinburgh the Society needs your votes, there from this location to count the LMS Friday 3 July are so many of you. Less perfunc- members abroad, as listed in the London torily: the LMS belongs to you as 2007 Handbook, which apparently much as it does to the members no-one had done before. The larg- Wednesday 15 July based in the UK; you have a right est contingent is in the USA (240), SW & South Wales to participate and vote and should followed by Germany (6), Canada Regional Meeting exercise it. Although the consulta- (49), Australia (33), Republic of Ire- Southampton tion is about the creation of a new land (3), and France (25). Wednesday 16 September UK-wide society, the international In all, 66 countries are represent- Midlands Regional profile that the new society might ed. Besides those who are British Meeting, Leicester aspire to, as compared to those and working abroad, and those which the LMS and IMA currently who have formerly worked in the have, is a matter of importance, UK, there are many who appear to which members outside the UK are have no such special reason for be- likely to be well informed about. longing. The proportion of promi- THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 375 November 2008 nent, well-known names appears high, at least activities during her time with the Society. She to this observer. Participation in its affairs, pure- has been to, indeed organized, almost every ly out of interest, by distinguished mathemati- Society Meeting since her arrival, all with ex- MEETINGS ON THE PROPOSALS FOR A cians from all over the world is surely something emplary efficiency, and may well know more for the LMS to celebrate, and their contribution British mathematicians than any of us. She has NEW UNIFIED MATHEMATICS SOCIETY to the current debate and, if it occurs, the ensu- seen and coped with enormous changes, par- As you will know, meetings are being arranged around the country at which the ing vote, is unequivocally welcomed. ticularly relating to the move to De Morgan Presidents of the LMS and IMA will outline the proposals to create a new unified Charles Goldie House, and has provided the continuity that mathematics society. A list of the meetings being arranged for November is given General Secretary has been so important during this period of below. If you have not yet been able to attend one of the meetings, then please try to transition. attend one of the remaining meetings, to hear about the proposals, to take part in the SUSAN OAKES I am pleased to say that Susan will continue discussion, to ask questions and to contribute to the consultation. to undertake occasional projects for the Socie- Announcement of Retirement ty, primarily related to membership and Socie- Please pass on this information to your colleagues. Further details about these meetings With considerable personal regret, which many ty activities, working from home. Nonetheless, and other aspects of the consultation are available at www.newmathsoc.org.uk. members will certainly share, I am writing to her central role will inevitably mean that her Glasgow Wednesday 5 November, late morning/lunchtime inform you that Susan Oakes has decided to departure will leave a large hole in our staffing (check www.newmathsoc.org.uk for details). retire on 3 December this year. The attrac- structure, our corporate knowledge and our tions of Dorset and her interests outside the membership relations. The Officers of the So- Edinburgh Lecture Theatre A, James Clerk Maxwell Building, Wednesday 2 LMS have led her to this decision, no doubt in- ciety are working on plans for our future staff- 5 November. Discussion will start at 4.00 pm; refreshments will be 3 fluenced by her experiences of moving to part ing to provide the continuity of our activities available from 5.00 pm. time work last year. and support services at the same high level. St Andrews Lecture Theatre A, Mathematics Institute, Thursday 6 November. There Susan has been a central figure in the Soci- We will all miss Susan greatly, and the Soci- will be a talk Spectral theory of a class of large finite directed graphs ety for 27 years, since January 1981, when the ety’s Officers are now considering how to indi- by Professor Brian Davies at 4.5 pm. Discussion will start at 5.00 pm; Society was based in a single room in Burling- cate our gratitude to her for her loyal service. a reception will follow from 6.00 pm. ton House. She has been intimately involved Brian Davies in its development and the expansion of its President Aberdeen Friday 7 November, morning (check www.newmathsoc.org.uk for details). Cambridge Tuesday November, late morning/lunchtime LMS Newsletter (check www.newmathsoc.org.uk for details). General Editor: Dr D.R.J. Chillingworth ([email protected]) East Anglia Room S.20, School of Mathematics, Tuesday November. There will Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) be a talk Homogenization of simple periodic and near periodic composite materials by Professor David Abrahams in Room S3.05 at 4.00 pm; Reviews Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) discussion will start at 4.45 pm in room S.20. Administrative Editor: Miss S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) Editorial office address: London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, Sussex Wednesday 2 November, afternoon London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655; e: [email protected], w: www.lms.ac.uk) (check www.newmathsoc.org.uk for details). Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. London Imperial College, Thursday 3 November, late morning/lunchtime Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the (check www.newmathsoc.org.uk for details). first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. Oxford Tuesday 18 November, late morning/lunchtime News items and notices in the Newsletter are free to be used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter (check www.newmathsoc.org.uk for details). are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author for the rights to reproduce. The Southampton Maths 5A, Mathematics Building (Building 54), Tuesday 18 November. LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed Discussion will start at 4.00 pm; refreshments will be available from do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. 5.00 pm in the Staff Reading Room (room 4005). Charity registration number: 252660. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 375 November 2008 D E G R U Y T E R ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING I hope that as many members as possible will be able to attend. The Annual General Meeting of the Society Peter Cooper Just published will be held at 3.5 pm on Friday 2 No- Executive Secretary vember 2008 at University College London. The business shall be: LMS ANNUAL DINNER Sergey Repin (i) elections to Council and Nominating N A Posteriori Estimates for Committee The Annual Dinner will be held after the Annual General Meeting at 7.30 pm on Friday Partial Differential Equations (ii) the adoption of the Annual Report 2 November at the Hotel Russell, London September 2008. xi, 316 pages. Hardcover. for 2007–08 WC. The cost is £42.00 per person, and RRP € [D] 64.00 / * US$ 80.00 (iii) the report of the Treasurer members may book places for guests.