THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER No. 400 February 2011

Society CREATING ORIGINAL AND ELEGANT Meetings MATHEMATICS and Events The Career of a De Morgan Medallist

2011 Inspiration has come from four years at the Courant Insti- Friday 25 February many sources for Professor Bill tute of Mathematical Sciences Mary Cartwright Morton (University of Oxford), (CIMS) in New York, USA where Lecture, Oxford the winner of this year’s De his early research in numerical [page 3] Morgan Medal ‘in recognition analysis produced several publi- of his seminal contributions to cations that are regularly cited 21-25 March the field of numerical analysis as landmarks. The CIMS was LMS Invited Lectures of partial differential equa- the successor to Hilbert’s insti- [page 5]  tions and its applications, and tute at Göttingen, Germany, 3-8 April for services to his discipline’. A and Richard Courant, Peter Lax, LMS Short Course, hallmark of Morton’s work is Cathleen Morawetz and many Oxford [page 24] the creation of original, elegant others were key influences. Thursday 5 May mathematics for real-world Morton had gone to CIMS ini- LMS Spitalfields Day applications. tially on sabbatical leave from INI, Cambridge Morton’s long-standing inspi- the Atomic Energy Authority ration from one of the greats (AEA) at Harwell where he Friday 6 May in mathematics, David Hilbert, had worked on Monte Carlo Women in Mathematics started when he was first intro- methods for nuclear critical- Day, London [page 21] duced to Hilbert spaces by Jack ity. It was this that led to the Tuesday 17 May de Wet whilst studying quan- initial invitation to the CIMS, LMS–Gresham Lecture, tum mechanics as a mathemat- but then Courant invited him London [page 17] ics undergraduate at Oxford. back to pursue the graduate Tuesday 14 June Hilbert is one of the most in- studies that completely changed Midlands Regional fluential mathematicians of his his career. Meeting, Birmingham time, and his famous address At Harwell, and later at Friday 1 July to the International Congress Culham, Morton ‘found it par- London of Mathematicians in Paris in ticularly enlightening to work 1900, where he announced a with theoretical physicists’, but Tuesday 19 July number of unsolved problems, his role was too much concerned Northern Regional was to Morton’s mind ‘crucial’ with developing computing, Meeting, Leeds in its plea that mathematics and he wanted to get back to NEWSLETTER should always remain a single, mathematics. So he left the undivided subject. AEA and went into academia, ONLINE: first in the mathematics depart- Go to www.lms.ac.uk/ A change of direction ment at the University of Read- newsletter Morton enjoyed a productive ing and later at the University

Feb11-NL.indd 1 25/01/2011 11:11:21 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

of Oxford, and finally, in semi-retirement, Analysis; later he became an IMA vice- at the University of Bath. In each case he president. At the University of Reading concentrated on graduate teaching, bring- he founded (with Professor M. Baines) the ing his wide experience to bear on the MSc Institute for Computational Fluid Dynamics courses in each department. whose international reputation for its con- ferences remains to this day. Other work Bill Morton has changed the way we look Morton has also been a pioneer in other at the numerical analysis of partial differ- areas. In 1963 he joined the Society of ential equations through his world-leading Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), research, his vision and his dynamic lead- and was elected the first President of the ership qualities. With regard to his award UK Section when it was formed in 1997. He Morton states: ”It was an immense pleasure joined the Institute of Mathematics and its to receive the De Morgan Medal and a very Applications (IMA) when he returned to the rewarding moment in my career. I would UK in 1964. The IMA was then very influen- like to thank the Prizes Committee, particu- tial in promoting conferences and publica- larly for the award citation, which made me tions in numerical analysis, and Morton was very proud.” a founding editor (jointly with Professor Dr John Johnston  M. Powell) of the IMA Journal of Numerical Mathematics Promotion Unit © Jonathan Tickner Jonathan ©

Bill Morton (right), with the Medal and LMS President Angus Macintyre

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Analysis; later he became an IMA vice- president. At the University of Reading he founded (with Professor M. Baines) the LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Institute for Computational Fluid Dynamics whose international reputation for its con- ferences remains to this day. MARY CARTWRIGHT MEETING Bill Morton has changed the way we look at the numerical analysis of partial differ- Friday 25 February 2011 ential equations through his world-leading research, his vision and his dynamic lead- Oxford University Museum of Natural History ership qualities. With regard to his award Morton states: ”It was an immense pleasure to receive the De Morgan Medal and a very rewarding moment in my career. I would Programme: like to thank the Prizes Committee, particu- larly for the award citation, which made me 3.30 Opening of the meeting very proud.” Dr John Johnston Peter Donnelly (Oxford) Mathematics Promotion Unit Modelling Genes 

4.30 Tea

5.00 Mary Cartwright Lecture © Jonathan Tickner Jonathan © Alison Etheridge (Oxford) Evolution in a Spatial

Continuum Post Evening Wales South the of Courtesy Mary Cartwright

A reception will be held after the meeting at the Mathematics Institute followed by a dinner at the Ashmolean Museum at a cost of £30 per person, inclusive of wine. Contact Isabelle Robinson (isabelle.robinson@ lms.ac.uk) by Friday 18 February 2011 if you would like to attend.

There are limited funds available to contribute in part to the expenses of members of the Society or research students to attend the meeting. Contact Duncan Turton/Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) for further information.

Bill Morton (right), with the Medal and LMS President Angus Macintyre

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST ICIAM 2011 PRIZES

2011 At the opening ceremony of the Internation- Congratulations to the following who have al Congress for Industrial and Applied Mathe- been recognised in the New Year Honours list: matics (ICIAM 2011) to be held in Vancouver from 18 to 20 July 2011 (see page 16), five Knights Bachelor (KB) ICIAM prizes will be awarded: Professor Adrian Smith, FRS, Director General, • The ICIAM Collatz Prize is awarded to Knowledge and Innovation, Department for Emmanuel Cand�s (Stanford and Pasadena, Business Innovation and Skills, for public serv- USA) in recognition of his outstanding con- ices and higher education tributions to numerical solution of wave propagation problems and compressive Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) sensing, as well as anisotropic extensions of Professor Brian Collins, Chief Scientific Adviser, wavelets. Department for Business Innovation and • The ICIAM Lagrange Prize is awarded to Skills, for services to civil engineering and the Alexandre J. Chorin (Berkeley, USA) in environment recognition of his fundamental and origi- nal contributions to applied mathematics,  Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) fluid mechanics, statistical mechanics and Professor Muffy Calder, University of Glasgow, turbulence modelling. His methods for for services to Computer Science the numerical solution of Navier–Stokes

LMS Newsletter www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter

Editorial office: [email protected]; London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655)

Events calendar: please send updates and corrections to [email protected]

General Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) Reviews Editor: Dr C.M. Roney-Dougal ([email protected]) Administrative Editor: S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) equations stand at the basis of the most Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. popular codes in computational fluid mechanics. Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the • The ICIAM Maxwell Prize is awarded to first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. Vladimir Rokhlin (New Haven, USA) for Advertising: for rates and guidelines, see www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.html his work on fast multipole methods which have revolutionized fields like numerical News items and notices in the Newsletter may be freely used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, electromagnetism for radar, and molecular although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter dynamics for chemistry. are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author or photographer for the rights to • The ICIAM Pioneer Prize is awarded to reproduce. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. James Albert Sethian (Berkeley, USA) for Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. his fundamental methods and algorithms Charity registration number: 252660. which have had a large impact in applica- tions such as imaging and shape recovery in

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ICIAM 2011 PRIZES

At the opening ceremony of the Internation- LMS INVITED LECTURER 2011 al Congress for Industrial and Applied Mathe- matics (ICIAM 2011) to be held in Vancouver from 18 to 20 July 2011 (see page 16), five Professor Emmanuel Cand�s (Stanford) ICIAM prizes will be awarded: • The ICIAM Collatz Prize is awarded to Compressed Sensing Emmanuel Cand�s (Stanford and Pasadena, USA) in recognition of his outstanding con- 21–25 March 2011 tributions to numerical solution of wave Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge propagation problems and compressive sensing, as well as anisotropic extensions of wavelets. Emmanuel Cand�s will give an eight-lecture minicourse, at a level suitable • The ICIAM Lagrange Prize is awarded to for graduate students, on Compressed Sensing. This is a subject very much Alexandre J. Chorin (Berkeley, USA) in at the interface of pure and applied mathematics and the lectures should recognition of his fundamental and origi- interest a wide audience. nal contributions to applied mathematics, There will also be one-hour lectures by: fluid mechanics, statistical mechanics and  turbulence modelling. His methods for • Anders Hansen (Cambridge) the numerical solution of Navier–Stokes • Vincent Rivoirard (Paris-Dauphine) • Carola Schönlieb (Cambridge) • Jared Tanner (Edinburgh) LMS Newsletter www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter College accommodation will be available. Funding is available for research Editorial office: [email protected]; London Mathematical Society, students from UK universities and a limited amount of funding is available De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655) for others. Please email [email protected] for more details. Events calendar: please send updates and corrections to [email protected] For further details see: www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~bjg23/candeslectures.html. General Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) Reviews Editor: Dr C.M. Roney-Dougal ([email protected]) Administrative Editor: S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) equations stand at the basis of the most medicine, geophysics and tomography, and Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. popular codes in computational fluid drop dynamics in inkjets. mechanics. • The ICIAM Su Buchin Prize is awarded Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the • The ICIAM Maxwell Prize is awarded to to Edward Lungu (Gabarone, Botswana) first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. Vladimir Rokhlin (New Haven, USA) for for his mathematical modelling of prob- Advertising: for rates and guidelines, see www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.html his work on fast multipole methods which lems related to Africa and his fundamen- have revolutionized fields like numerical tal contribution to developing teaching, News items and notices in the Newsletter may be freely used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, electromagnetism for radar, and molecular research and organizational structures although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter dynamics for chemistry. for applied mathematics in Southern are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author or photographer for the rights to • The ICIAM Pioneer Prize is awarded to Africa. reproduce. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. James Albert Sethian (Berkeley, USA) for For the full citations visit the website at Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. his fundamental methods and algorithms www.iciam.org/prizes2011.html, and for Charity registration number: 252660. which have had a large impact in applica- further information about ICIAM 2011 visit tions such as imaging and shape recovery in the website at www.iciam2011.com.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

LMS INVITED LECTURES will visit the University of Oxford from 12 February to 12 March 2011. She will give the SERIES 2012 following talks: Proposals for the 2012 Lectures are sought • Monday 21 February, 2.15 pm, Oxford-Man from any member who, in addition to sug- Institute, Stochastic Analysis Seminar gesting a topic and lecturer, would be Numerical algorithms for backward prepared to organise the meeting at their stochastic differential equations: convergence own institution or a suitable conference and simulations; contact: Z. Qian centre. ([email protected]) The annual Invited Lectures series consists • Wednesday 2 March, 2 pm, School of of meetings at which a single speaker gives Mathematics, Loughborough University, a course of about ten expository lectures, Probability Seminar Reflected BSDE examining some subject in depth, over a with discontinuous barriers and related five day period (Monday to Friday) during variational inequality; contact: H. Zhao a University vacation. The meetings are ([email protected]) residential and open to all interested. It is • Tuesday 8 March, 4 pm, Imperial College intended that the texts of the lectures given London, Probability Seminar in the series shall be published. In addition Reflected BSDE with a constraint and its  to full expenses, the lecturer is offered an applications; contact D. Crisan honorarium for giving the course. A grant ([email protected]) is also given to the host department to sup- For further information contact Zhongmin port attendance at the lectures. Qian ([email protected]). The visit is sup- Enquiries about the Invited Lectures ported by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. should be directed to the Programme Secre- tary at the Society ([email protected]). The VISIT OF deadline for the submission of proposals is Tuesday 15 February 2011. PROFESSOR F.L. SANTOS Professor Francisco Leal Santos (University Recent Invited Lecturers are: of Cantabria, Santander, Spain) will visit the 2010 M. Bramson (University of Minnesota) UK from 14 to 20 March 2011. His research Stability of queuing networks is concentrated around polytopes and trian- 2009 A.D. Ionescu (University of Wisconsin, gulations. In 2010 he came up with a spec- Madison) Black holes in vacuum: tacular construction disproving the famous examples and uniqueness properties Hirsch conjecture from 1957 stating that the 2008 A. Okounkov (Princeton) diameter of the one-skeleton of a d-dimen- Random surfaces sional polytope with n facets is at most n – d. 2007 D. Ben-Zvi (University of Texas, Austin) Professor Santos will give lectures at: CHRISTOPHER ZEEMAN MEDAL The geometric Langlands correspondence • University College London, 15 March; 2006 M.F. Singer (North Carolina State Univ.) contact Imre Bárány ([email protected]) Deadline Introduction to the Galois theory of • Oxford, 16 March; contact Alex Scott Readers are reminded that the deadline for differential and difference equations ([email protected]) receipt of nominations for the 2011 IMA–LMS • Cambridge, 17 March; contact Imre Leader Christopher Zeeman Medal is Friday 11 February ([email protected]) 2011. To put someone forward for the medal, VISIT OF DR XU MINGYU Professor Santos will be based in London, please contact the IMA for a nomination form Dr Xu Mingyu (Institute of Applied Mathe- hosted by Imre Bárány. His visit is supported by sending an email to [email protected]. matics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing) by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. uk, or by writing to:

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will visit the University of Oxford from 12 February to 12 March 2011. She will give the following talks: Cecil King • Monday 21 February, 2.15 pm, Oxford-Man Travel Scholarship Institute, Stochastic Analysis Seminar Numerical algorithms for backward stochastic differential equations: convergence The London Mathematical Society annually awards a £5,000 Cecil King and simulations; contact: Z. Qian ([email protected]) Travel Scholarship in Mathematics to a young mathematician of outstanding • Wednesday 2 March, 2 pm, School of promise. The Scholarship is awarded to support a period of study or research Mathematics, Loughborough University, abroad, typically for a period of three months. Probability Seminar Reflected BSDE with discontinuous barriers and related The award is competitive and based on a written proposal describing the variational inequality; contact: H. Zhao intended programme of study or research abroad and the benefits to ([email protected]) be gained from such a visit. A shortlist of applicants will be selected for • Tuesday 8 March, 4 pm, Imperial College interview. London, Probability Seminar Reflected BSDE with a constraint and its Applicants should normally be nationals of the UK or Republic of Ireland, applications; contact D. Crisan either registered for or having recently completed a doctoral degree at a  ([email protected]) For further information contact Zhongmin UK University. Qian ([email protected]). The visit is sup- ported by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. Applications should be made using the form available on the Society’s website (www.lms.ac.uk/content/cecil-king-travel-scholarship) or by VISIT OF contacting [email protected]. The closing date for applications is Friday PROFESSOR F.L. SANTOS 25 February 2011. It is expected that interviews will take place in London in late April or early May. Professor Francisco Leal Santos (University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain) will visit the The Cecil King Travel Scholarship was established in 2001 by the Cecil UK from 14 to 20 March 2011. His research King Memorial Fund. The award is made by the Council of the London is concentrated around polytopes and trian- gulations. In 2010 he came up with a spec- Mathematical Society on the recommendation of the Cecil King Prize tacular construction disproving the famous Committee, nominated by the Society’s Education Committee. Hirsch conjecture from 1957 stating that the diameter of the one-skeleton of a d-dimen- sional polytope with n facets is at most n – d. Professor Santos will give lectures at: CHRISTOPHER ZEEMAN MEDAL • University College London, 15 March; contact Imre Bárány ([email protected]) Deadline The Secretary to the Christopher Zeeman Medal • Oxford, 16 March; contact Alex Scott Readers are reminded that the deadline for The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications ([email protected]) receipt of nominations for the 2011 IMA–LMS Catherine Richards House • Cambridge, 17 March; contact Imre Leader Christopher Zeeman Medal is Friday 11 February 16 Nelson Street ([email protected]) 2011. To put someone forward for the medal, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 1EF. Professor Santos will be based in London, please contact the IMA for a nomination form For full details of Zeeman Medal see the hosted by Imre Bárány. His visit is supported by sending an email to [email protected]. Society’s December Newsletter (No. 398) or by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. uk, or by writing to: email [email protected].

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

MATHEMATICS POLICY ROUND UP the higher education sector. Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, International Review of Mathematical extremely sensitive to assumptions about said: “As universities have developed their Sciences 2010 future graduate earnings and also about the wider roles in the economy and society, the Following the recent International Review level of fees that universities would charge. bond with the public has strengthened signif- of Mathematical Sciences, there was a public On the latter point, HEPI concluded that unless icantly. A recent HEFCE-commissioned survey launch of the Review Panel’s report and find- measures were put in place to restrict the fees by Ipsos MORI demonstrated that the public ings at an EPSRC ‘town meeting’ on Friday that universities could charge, most would appreciates this relationship, with a large ma- 28 January 2011 at the Senate House, Uni- charge around or close to £9,000, whereas jority indicating the importance of govern- versity of London. For more information visit the government’s assumption was that such a ment investment in higher education, while the EPSRC website at www.epsrc.ac.uk. level of fee would be ‘exceptional’ and that acknowledging the wide benefits that -uni £7,200 would be charged on average. versities bring to the UK. We are keen to sup- Funding for HEFCE, science and research A copy of the full report is available on the port this Concordat. It provides a significant The individual budgets for the seven UK Re- HEPI website at www.hepi.ac.uk. milestone in furthering mutual engagement search Councils over the 2011/12–2014/15 and understanding between universities and spending review period have been announced Mathematics education their wider communities and will underpin by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and The Nuffield Foundation has published a re- the importance to the country of all disci- Science: “Despite the considerable pressure port Is the UK an outlier? An international plines, including the arts and humanities as  on public spending, we have delivered sta- comparison of upper secondary mathematics well as the sciences.” ble funding. A ring fence around science and education. The research was undertaken by research programmes – including for the first Dr Jeremy Hodgen and David Pepper from Consultation on changes to information time HEFCE research funding – will provide sta- King’s College London, and by Linda Sturman published by institutions bility and certainty.” The total budget alloca- and Graham Ruddock from the National Foun- This is a joint consultation by HEFCE, Univer- tion across RCUK for 2011/12–2014/15 is around dation for Educational Research. It compares sities UK and GuildHE on proposals for giv- £11.2 billion. the participation rates and content of upper ing prospective students useful information To coincide with the announcement of the secondary mathematics education in 24 coun- about higher education courses; developing budgets, each Research Council published its tries. In the UK, upper secondary refers to the National Student Survey; and improving Delivery Plan for the period. These delivery post-GCSE education (or post-S4 in Scotland), accessibility to the information which higher plans set out the priorities and commitments although the precise age group varies from education institutions publish about their that the Councils will meet to achieve their country to country. According to the research courses and which is used for quality assur- forward strategies. The EPSRC Delivery Plan fewer than one in five students in England, ance. The consultation closes on Monday executive summary can be found at http:// Wales and Northern Ireland studies any kind 7 March 2011. For more information visit the tinyurl.com/34pnmku. of mathematics after GCSE, representing the HEFCE website at www.hefce.ac.uk. For more information visit the Research lowest levels of participation among the 24 Councils UK website at www.rcuk.ac.uk/news/ countries. The level of participation is higher Programme for International Student Assess- 2010news/Pages/101220.aspx. There is also more in Scotland, where just under half of students ment (PISA) 2009 results information and a copy of the HEFCE funding study mathematics after S4, but is still below The PISA 2009 results present the findings letter available at http://tinyurl.com/2dblkbp. the average. A copy of the full report is avail- from the most recent PISA survey, which fo- able on the Nuffield Foundation website at cused on reading and also assessed math- Higher Education Policy Institute report www.nuffieldfoundation.org/#3. ematics and science performance. The full The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has results are available on the OECD website at published a commentary on the government’s New Concordat to engage the public with www.oecd.org. proposals for the future financing of higher research education and student fees. In its report, HEFCE has signed a Concordat which aims to World Maths Day HEPI analysed the financial implications of create stronger ties between the public and World Maths Day takes place on Tuesday 1 these proposals and concluded that they were research carried out across all disciplines in March 2011. Students play at home and at

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MATHEMATICS POLICY ROUND UP the higher education sector. school against other students around the Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, world in live games of mental arithmetic. For extremely sensitive to assumptions about said: “As universities have developed their more information visit www.worldmathsday. future graduate earnings and also about the wider roles in the economy and society, the com. level of fees that universities would charge. bond with the public has strengthened signif- Dr John Johnston On the latter point, HEPI concluded that unless icantly. A recent HEFCE-commissioned survey Mathematics Promotion Unit measures were put in place to restrict the fees by Ipsos MORI demonstrated that the public that universities could charge, most would appreciates this relationship, with a large ma- charge around or close to £9,000, whereas jority indicating the importance of govern- IMA MATHEMATICS 2011 the government’s assumption was that such a ment investment in higher education, while level of fee would be ‘exceptional’ and that acknowledging the wide benefits that -uni The Institute of Mathematics and its £7,200 would be charged on average. versities bring to the UK. We are keen to sup- Applications (IMA) is holding a major one-day A copy of the full report is available on the port this Concordat. It provides a significant conference on mathematics and its current HEPI website at www.hepi.ac.uk. milestone in furthering mutual engagement applications on 24 March 2011 at Saddlers’ and understanding between universities and Hall, Gutter Lane, London. The conference Mathematics education their wider communities and will underpin is the sixth in the series addressing the wide The Nuffield Foundation has published a re- the importance to the country of all disci- range covered by mathematicians in their port Is the UK an outlier? An international plines, including the arts and humanities as work. The aim of the conference is to bring comparison of upper secondary mathematics well as the sciences.” together people with an interest in mathe-  education. The research was undertaken by matics and its applications to consider current Dr Jeremy Hodgen and David Pepper from Consultation on changes to information issues in the subject. The conference topics King’s College London, and by Linda Sturman published by institutions will cover research topics in mathematics, in- and Graham Ruddock from the National Foun- This is a joint consultation by HEFCE, Univer- dustrial applications of mathematics and the dation for Educational Research. It compares sities UK and GuildHE on proposals for giv- public understanding of mathematics. These the participation rates and content of upper ing prospective students useful information topics will be of interest to both mathemati- secondary mathematics education in 24 coun- about higher education courses; developing cians and those working with mathematicians tries. In the UK, upper secondary refers to the National Student Survey; and improving as the presentations will address the impact post-GCSE education (or post-S4 in Scotland), accessibility to the information which higher of the work rather than emphasise its techni- although the precise age group varies from education institutions publish about their cal nature. The conference gives an opportu- country to country. According to the research courses and which is used for quality assur- nity for informal discussion between people fewer than one in five students in England, ance. The consultation closes on Monday who are interested in a variety of areas in Wales and Northern Ireland studies any kind 7 March 2011. For more information visit the mathematics. of mathematics after GCSE, representing the HEFCE website at www.hefce.ac.uk. Speakers include: David Hand on modern lowest levels of participation among the 24 applications in statistics, Heather Tewkesbury countries. The level of participation is higher Programme for International Student Assess- on industrial mathematics, Steve King on the in Scotland, where just under half of students ment (PISA) 2009 results use of mathematics for a manufacturer to as- study mathematics after S4, but is still below The PISA 2009 results present the findings sess the health of equipment, David Percy on the average. A copy of the full report is avail- from the most recent PISA survey, which fo- mathematics in sport, Steve Humble on his able on the Nuffield Foundation website at cused on reading and also assessed math- work in helping a wider understanding of www.nuffieldfoundation.org/#3. ematics and science performance. The full mathematics, a speaker on the Bloodhound results are available on the OECD website at project and a speaker on school mathematics New Concordat to engage the public with www.oecd.org. issues. research Further information, including the fees, HEFCE has signed a Concordat which aims to World Maths Day can be found on the conference website at create stronger ties between the public and World Maths Day takes place on Tuesday 1 www.ima.org.uk/Conferences/maths_2011. research carried out across all disciplines in March 2011. Students play at home and at html.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

PETER J. HILTON Professor Peter Hilton, who was elected a mem- ber of the London Mathematical Society on 27 November 1947, died on 6 November 2010, aged 87. Peter was born in London and educated at Oxford University. During World War II, at age 18, he was recruited from Oxford, because of his mathematical ability and knowledge of German, to work at Bletchley Park, the secret British facility dedicated to breaking German codes. This project was led by Alan Turing, the celebrated mathematician and founder of computer science, with whom the young Peter Hilton worked closely. Initially, Peter worked on breaking the Enigma code, and, later, on the more refined Fish code. Once the British 10 Official Secrets Act was lifted in the 1980s, his lectures about the years at Bletchley Park were highly popular at venues all over the world. After the War Peter obtained his doctorate from Oxford. He then went on to hold aca- demic positions at Cambridge and Manchester Universities, and a Chair at the University of Birmingham. In 1962 he moved to the United States where he was Professor of Mathemat- ics, first at Cornell, then at the University of Washington and the Battelle Institute. He held the Louis D. Beaumont Chair at Case Western Reserve University for a number of years, ending in 1982 when he became Distinguished Profes- sor at Binghamton University, retiring in 1995. Peter Hilton was one of the most influential mathematicians of his generation. He made major contributions to algebraic topology and homological algebra. His influence on these subjects has been profound. In his later years he was also a significant figure in Mathematics Education, especially in Europe. He published hundreds of research articles and many books on mathematics and mathematics education, and he lectured at conferences into his mid- eighties. His latest book was reviewed in the December Newsletter. He is survived by his wife Margaret, two sons,

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PETER J. HILTON two grandsons and one great granddaughter. Krzysztof Pawa³owski Professor Peter Hilton, who was elected a mem- Adam Mickiewicz University ber of the London Mathematical Society on 27 A version of this obituary originally appeared in the November 1947, died on 6 November 2010, Group Action Forum Newsletter. aged 87. Peter was born in London and educated at GAVIN BROWN Oxford University. During World War II, at age 18, he was recruited from Oxford, because of Professor Gavin Brown, who was a member his mathematical ability and knowledge of of the London Mathematical Society from German, to work at Bletchley Park, the secret 15 May 1969 to 31 October 1997, died on 25 British facility dedicated to breaking German December 2010, aged 68. codes. This project was led by Alan Turing, Tom Körner writes: Gavin Brown had a double the celebrated mathematician and founder of career in mathematics and in academic administ- computer science, with whom the young Peter ration and reached high distinction in both roles. Hilton worked closely. Initially, Peter worked He came from Lundin Ling, a small village on on breaking the Enigma code, and, later, on the East coast of Scotland, and never lost his the more refined Fish code. Once the British Scottish accent, his Scottish charm or his Scot- Official Secrets Act was lifted in the 1980s, his tish toughness. His father was a brick layer, but 11 lectures about the years at Bletchley Park were scholarships enabled him to study and shine highly popular at venues all over the world. first at school and then at St Andrews. His early After the War Peter obtained his doctorate research at Newcastle was in functional analy- from Oxford. He then went on to hold aca- sis, but he was rapidly led to measure algebras demic positions at Cambridge and Manchester and thence to harmonic analysis, much of his Universities, and a Chair at the University of work being done in collaboration. Some of Birmingham. In 1962 he moved to the United his most beautiful results lie on the boundary States where he was Professor of Mathemat- between number theory and Fourier analysis. ics, first at Cornell, then at the University of He moved from a lectureship at Liverpool Washington and the Battelle Institute. He held to a professorship at the University of New the Louis D. Beaumont Chair at Case Western South Wales. He gradually became involved in Reserve University for a number of years, ending administration taking on the position of Dean in 1982 when he became Distinguished Profes- of the Faculty of Science at UNSW, then Vice sor at Binghamton University, retiring in 1995. Chancellor of the University of Adelaide and Peter Hilton was one of the most influential finally Vice Chancellor of the University of Syd- mathematicians of his generation. He made ney (the senior university of Australia). After major contributions to algebraic topology and retirement he was appointed the Inaugural homological algebra. His influence on these Director of the Royal Institution of Australia. subjects has been profound. In his later years He steered his universities safely through he was also a significant figure in Mathematics very stormy seas aided by his good humour Education, especially in Europe. He published and good sense. It is a sign of how well or- hundreds of research articles and many books ganised he was that he continued to produce on mathematics and mathematics education, interesting research throughout his career and he lectured at conferences into his mid- (including over 30 papers whilst at Sydney). eighties. His latest book was reviewed in the Mathematics has lost a distinguished practi- December Newsletter. tioner and a great advocate. He is survived by his wife Margaret, two sons, He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

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ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP ON INVERSE PROBLEMS 25–29 July 2011 in association with the Newton Institute programme entitled Inverse Problems (25 July – 21 December 2011)

Organisers: M. Brown (Cardiff), M. Lassas (chair) (Helsinki) and R. Potthast (Reading). Theme of conference: Inverse problems research concentrates on the mathematical theory and practical interpretation of indirect measurements. Its applications can be directly implemented in interpreting the data obtained from various kinds of measurements in science and engineering. As an example of this, inverse problems appear in medical imaging, exploration geophysics and image processing. By using the methods of inverse problems it is possible to advance a vast number of applied areas. The aim of the introductory workshop of the Inverse Problems research programme is to provide an overview on several topics that will be studied. It is intended for postgraduate students, post-docs and researchers interested in inverse problems and their related areas. Further information and application forms are available from the website at: www.newton.ac.uk/ 13 programmes/INV/invw01.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 1 April 2011.

INVERSE PROBLEMS IN ANALYSIS AND GEOMETRY 1–5 August 2011 in association with the Newton Institute programme entitled Inverse Problems (25 July – 21 December 2011)

Organisers: M. Brown (Cardiff), H. Isozaki (Tsukuba), L. Päivärinta (Helsinki), G. Uhlmann (Washington). Theme of conference: In the study of Inverse Problems one seeks a cause for an observed effect. Usually, by making measurements outside an object, one wants to obtain information from the object’s interior. To do this one often probes the object with waves. The connection to mathematical analysis lies in the fact that the waves typically obey some partial differential equations and the con- nection to geometry is through the interpretation of anisotropic material parameters as metrics in Riemannian or other geometry. Typical application areas that can be considered under one mathematical umbrella are medical imaging, remote sensing, geophysical prospecting, quantum scattering, astronomy, and process monitoring and control. In all these areas new mathematical methods have been developed in the past two decades. The focus of this workshop is on presenting the most recent developments in the field of inverse problems. We shall assemble a number of leading researchers in analysis and geometry making it possible to discuss the present and future trends of these fields with links to modern inverse problems. Further information and application forms are available from the website at: www.newton.ac.uk/ programmes/INV/invw02.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 30 April 2011.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

COMBINATORICS AT OXFORD

A One-Day Meeting in Combinatorics will be • Stephan Thomasse (Montpellier) held in Oxford on Wednesday 16 March 2011. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. The meeting will take place in the Mathemat- Some funds may be available to contribute to ical Institute, with talks starting at 11 am and the expenses of research students who wish coffee available beforehand from 10.30 am. to attend the meeting. Further details can This year’s speakers are: be obtained from Alex Scott (scott@maths. • Maria Chudnovsky (Columbia) ox.ac.uk) or from the website at http://tinyurl. • Leslie Goldberg (Liverpool) com/32yrf2d. The meeting is supported by • Francisco Santos (Cantabria) an LMS Conference grant and by the British • Paul Seymour (Princeton) Combinatorial Committee.

ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

14 ANALYTIC AND GEOMETRIC METHODS IN MEDICAL IMAGING 22–26 August 2011 in association with the Newton Institute programme entitled Inverse Problems (25 July – 21 December 2011)

Organisers: M. Brown (Cardiff), T. Fokas (Cambridge), E. Haber (UBC), Y. Kurylev (UCL), W. Lionheart (Manchester), A. Nachman (chair) (Toronto).). NONLINEAR WAVES AND SOLITONS IN LATTICES Theme of conference: The introduction of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) in 1972 revolutionised Medical Imaging, replacing classical qualitative imaging by a quantitative format. Mathematics has A workshop on Nonlinear Waves and Solitons since played a crucial role in several aspects of this vast discipline. While inversion of the Radon Transform in Lattices will take place from 4 to 5 April 2011 was the basic starting point for CT, various other current and emerging imaging modalities (such as at the ICMS in Edinburgh. At this workshop the MRI, PET, Ultrasound, Elastography, Impedance Imaging, Photoacoustic Imaging, Thermography) speakers will present recent work and outline each require the solution of different mathematical Inverse Problems to produce images from the current problems in the field of nonlinear waves corresponding physical measurements. Once images have been obtained, their immensely important and solitons on lattices. As well as mathemati- current and future clinical use gives rise to a number of Image Analysis problems: segmentation, cal analysis, the speakers cover a wide range noise removal, deblurring, registration. Furthermore, in an exciting emerging area, determination of tissue parameters by medical imaging methods is used in Patient Specific Modelling of biological of disciplines including both pure and applied processes, promising to reach a whole new level of diagnostic and therapeutic planning techniques. approaches to science and engineering. It will thus provide an excellent introduction to the All three areas of Medical Imaging identified above (Inverse Problems, Image Analysis and Patient subject area for younger researchers. In addition, Specific Modelling) have seen significant mathematical developments, involving deep new analytical time will be made available for discussions and and geometric tools. The aim of the workshop is to establish connections between recent analytic to allow the formation of new collaborations. and geometric work in Inverse Problems and analytic and geometric methods being developed by The meeting will mark the retirement of Chris researchers in Image Processing and Patient Specific Modelling. Eilbeck. The speakers are: Further information and application forms are available from the website at: www.newton.ac.uk/ • Juan Achilla (Madrid, Spain) programmes/INV/invw03.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 6 May 2011. • Alan Champneys (Bristol, UK) • Leonor Cruzeiro (Faro, Portugal)

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COMBINATORICS AT OXFORD ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES • Stephan Thomasse (Montpellier) Anyone interested is welcome to attend. Some funds may be available to contribute to DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS IN HEALTHCARE the expenses of research students who wish 15–19 August 2011 to attend the meeting. Further details can in association with the Newton Institute programme entitled be obtained from Alex Scott (scott@maths. Design and Analysis of Experiments ox.ac.uk) or from the website at http://tinyurl. (18 July – 21 December 2011) com/32yrf2d. The meeting is supported by Organisers: S. Biedermann (Southampton), V. Dragalin (Quintiles, USA), S. Eldridge (QMUL), an LMS Conference grant and by the British H. Grossman (QMUL), M. Krams (Johnson & Johnson), P. Müller (University of Texas MD Anderson Combinatorial Committee. Cancer Center). Theme of conference: The purpose of this workshop is to gather together people working in various aspects of design experiments in health-care, in the widest understanding of that word, from drug development in pre-clinical and clinical trials, treatment individualisation, studies on primary care, and gathering of evidence for public policy, to choice experiments in health economics. Participants and speakers include experts from industry and academia. Several talks will specifically focus on challenges and problems arising with the practical implementation of proposed strategies. Presentations describing both the current attempts to use DoE to overcome the recognised inefficiencies of the traditional drug development as well as the new challenges in implementing the DoE in clinical trials 15 will be a basis for exchange of information among the researchers from the pharmaceutical companies, regulatory authorities, and from academia. Further information and application forms are available from the website at: www.newton.ac.uk/ programmes/DAE/daew03.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 30 April 2011.

NONLINEAR WAVES AND SOLITONS IN LATTICES

A workshop on Nonlinear Waves and Solitons • Dirk Hennig (Portsmouth, UK) in Lattices will take place from 4 to 5 April 2011 • Guillaume James (Toulouse, France) at the ICMS in Edinburgh. At this workshop the • Magnus Johansson (Linköping, Sweden) speakers will present recent work and outline • Nikos Karachalios (Samos, Greece) current problems in the field of nonlinear waves • Faustino Palmero (Sevilla, Spain) and solitons on lattices. As well as mathemati- • Mike Russell (Edinburgh, UK) cal analysis, the speakers cover a wide range Limited financial assistance is available for of disciplines including both pure and applied PhD students and participants from African approaches to science and engineering. It will and former Soviet Union countries. Apply thus provide an excellent introduction to the to one of the organizers: Jonathan Wattis subject area for younger researchers. In addition, ([email protected]) or Gabriel time will be made available for discussions and Lord ([email protected]). For further in- to allow the formation of new collaborations. formation visit the website at www.icms.org. The meeting will mark the retirement of Chris uk/workshops/wattis. Eilbeck. The speakers are: The workshop is supported by an LMS Con- • Juan Achilla (Madrid, Spain) ference grant, the Edinburgh Mathemati- • Alan Champneys (Bristol, UK) cal Society and the International Centre for • Leonor Cruzeiro (Faro, Portugal) Mathematical Sciences.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

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Feb11-NL.indd 17 25/01/2011 11:11:33 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

• Jack Cowan (University of Chicago) ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES • Bard Ermentrout (University of Pittsburgh) • Yixin Guo (Drexel University) • Kenneth Harris (Imperial College London) EXPERIMENTS FOR PROCESSES WITH TIME OR SPACE DYNAMICS • Axel Hutt (INRIA, France) • Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge) 18–22 July 2011 • Arjen van Ooyen (VU University in association with the Newton Institute programme entitled Amsterdam) Design and Analysis of Experiments • Alex Roxin (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona) (18 July – 21 December 2011) • Eric Shea-Brown (University of Washington) • Louis Tao (Center for Bioinformatics, Organisers: D. Ueinski (Zielona Góra), A. Curtis (Edinburgh). Peking University) • Paul Tiesinga (Radboud University Theme of conference: Applications of DOE in engineering often deal with large scale and highly complex systems where time and/or space are inevitable components. They may involve models in Nijmegen) the form of ordinary differential, differential algebraic or partial differential equations. To some • John White (University of Utah) extent, optimal experimental design theory carries over to many dynamic problems in which the • Si Wu (Shanghai Institute for Biological underlying design space can be a class of input sequences (time-domain analysis), a range of Sciences) frequencies (frequency domain), a range of sampling intervals (sampling strategies), or a set of The registration fee for the conference is 18 spatial sensor locations. However, the framework commonly adopted by statisticians has to be £90. altered here to take account of factors continuously changing in time and/or space (e.g. temperature, A one-day training workshop for PhD stu- pressure). Synergy of different methodologies opens up new perspectives for dealing with the dents and post-docs entitled An introduction complex settings to which the classical optimum experimental design methodology is not fit. to Mathematical Neuroscience will take place The workshop meets the urgent need of cross-fertilization between the engineering areas and prior to the meeting (on 10 April). Some fi- DOE experts. Specific domains which constitute its main topics are: input profile design in control nancial assistance is available to graduate engineering, design subject to correlated observations, design for geographical surveys, design of students who attend both the training work- observation networks, ill-posed inverse problems, and decentralised approaches to optimum experi- shop and the conference. mental design. We plan invited and contributed talks from international speakers, a poster session, Further details of this meeting and how to as well as a lot of time for informal discussion. register may be found at www.icms.org.uk/ workshops/neuro2011. Enquiries should be Further information and application forms are available from the website at: www.newton.ac.uk/ programmes/DAE/daew01.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 8 April 2011. addressed to Audrey Brown (audrey.brown@ icms.org.uk).

MATHEMATICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2011 MEGA 2011:

A conference on Mathematical Neuroscience applied to date. Importantly, it will draw at- EFFECTIVE METHODS IN will take place from 11 to 13 April 2011 at tention to, and help develop, those pieces of ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY the ICMS, Edinburgh. This three-day confer- mathematical theory which are likely to be ence will provide an overview of the current relevant to future studies of the brain. The The MEGA 2011: Effective Methods in Alge- state of research in mathematical approach- meeting will consist of invited speakers and braic Geometry conference will take place es to neuroscience, bringing together both registered participants though will be limited from 30 May to 3 June 2011 at the Uni- physical and life scientists. Drawing together to 100 people. The schedule will allow for a versity of Stockholm, Sweden. The confer- the field in this way will allow for a criti- number of poster presentations. The invited ence is open to scientists world-wide from cal discussion of the relevant experimental speakers are: both academia and industry. Attendance is facts and of various mathematical methods • Ernest Barretto (George Mason University) by registration only. Invited speakers will and techniques that have been successfully • Romain Brette (ÉNS, Paris) include:

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• Jack Cowan (University of Chicago) • Johannes Buchmann (Technische Universität • Bard Ermentrout (University of Pittsburgh) Darmstadt, Germany) • Yixin Guo (Drexel University) • Guy Casale (Université Rennes 1, France) • Kenneth Harris (Imperial College London) • Anne Frühbis-Krüger (University of • Axel Hutt (INRIA, France) Kaiserslautern, Germany) • Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge) • Anton Leykin (Georgia Tech, USA) • Arjen van Ooyen (VU University • Monique Laurent (Centrum Wiskunde & Amsterdam) Informatica, The Netherlands) • Alex Roxin (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona) • Diane Maclagan (University of Warwick, UK) • Eric Shea-Brown (University of Washington) • Pablo Parrilo (MIT, USA) • Louis Tao (Center for Bioinformatics, • Kristian Ranestad (University of Oslo, Norway) Peking University) • Duco van Straten (University of Mainz, • Paul Tiesinga (Radboud University Germany) Nijmegen) Details of the conference programme and • John White (University of Utah) how to submit papers are available at www. • Si Wu (Shanghai Institute for Biological esf.org/conferences/11372. For further in- Sciences) formation contact Alessandra Piccolotto The registration fee for the conference is ([email protected]). Closing date for paper £90. submissions is 8 February 2011. Closing date 19 A one-day training workshop for PhD stu- for applications is 16 March 2011. dents and post-docs entitled An introduction The conference is chaired by Sandra di to Mathematical Neuroscience will take place Rocco (KTH, Stockholm) and Mikael Passare prior to the meeting (on 10 April). Some fi- (Stockholm University). The conference is nancial assistance is available to graduate organised by the European Science Founda- students who attend both the training work- tion (ESF), in partnership with the European shop and the conference. Mathematical Society (EMS) and the ERCOM Further details of this meeting and how to Institute Mittag-Leffler (IML). register may be found at www.icms.org.uk/ workshops/neuro2011. Enquiries should be addressed to Audrey Brown (audrey.brown@ APPLIED TOPOLOGY DAY icms.org.uk). The Mathematical Institute in Oxford will host a one-day meeting on Monday 28 Feb- MATHEMATICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2011 MEGA 2011: ruary 2011 on topology and its applications. The speakers are: applied to date. Importantly, it will draw at- EFFECTIVE METHODS IN • Dorothy Buck (Imperial College, London) tention to, and help develop, those pieces of ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY The classification of rational sub tangle mathematical theory which are likely to be adjacencies, with applications to complex relevant to future studies of the brain. The The MEGA 2011: Effective Methods in Alge- nucleoprotein assemblies meeting will consist of invited speakers and braic Geometry conference will take place • Michael Farber (Durham) registered participants though will be limited from 30 May to 3 June 2011 at the Uni- Stochastic algebraic topology to 100 people. The schedule will allow for a versity of Stockholm, Sweden. The confer- • Jacek Brodzki (Southampton) number of poster presentations. The invited ence is open to scientists world-wide from Geometry and topology of data sets speakers are: both academia and industry. Attendance is For further information see http://people. • Ernest Barretto (George Mason University) by registration only. Invited speakers will maths.ox.ac.uk/tillmann/atd or contact Ulrike • Romain Brette (ÉNS, Paris) include: Tillmann ([email protected]).

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

EQUADIFF 2011 • Mary Silber (Northwestern University, USA) • Georg Weiss (Heinrich-Heine-Universität The Equadiff is a series of biennial European Düsseldorf, Germany) conferences on theoretical aspects of differ- Deadline for early registration is 1 May ential equations held in rotation in Eastern 2011. Further information is available on and Western Europe. Recent locations in the the conference website at www.lboro.ac.uk/ Western series include Berlin (1999), Hasselt departments/ma/equadiff. (2003) and Vienna (2007), all of which attract- ed in excess of 400 participants. PARRONDO GAMES The next Western-series Equadiff will be held at Loughborough University from 1 to Professor Juan Parrondo (Madrid) will be 5 August 2011. It will be the first time that speaking at the University of Greenwich on the meeting has taken place in the United Wednesday 16 February 2011 at 1 pm on his Kingdom. The conference will be organised Parrondo Games. The talk will take place in around fifteen plenary lectures, twenty-five Lecture Theatre 080, Queen Anne Court, Old minisymposia and additional sessions for con- Royal Naval College, London SE10 9LS. For tributed papers. A number of special events further information visit the website at http:// will also be organised. The following math- mathsoc.cms.gre.ac.uk/Parrondo or contact 20 ematicians will present plenary talks at the Noel-Ann Bradshaw ([email protected]). conference: • Simon Brendle (Stanford University, USA) • Yann Brenier (Université de Nice, France) • Sue Ann Campbell (Univer- sity of Waterloo, Canada) • David Damanik (Rice University, USA) • Thierry Gallay (Université de Grenoble I, France) • Vassili Gelfreich (University of Warwick, UK) • Ray Goldstein (University of Cambridge, UK) • Sergei Kuksin (École Polytechnique, France) • Andrea Malchiodi (SISSA, Italy) • Jonathan Mattingly (Duke University, USA) • Barbara Niethammer (University of Oxford, UK) • George Papanicolaou (Stanford University, USA) “...and that is my philosophy.” • Jesús María Sanz-Serna © ScienceCartoonsPlus.com (Univ. de Valladolid, Spain)

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• Mary Silber (Northwestern University, USA) • Georg Weiss (Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany) WOMEN IN MATHEMATICS DAY 2011 Deadline for early registration is 1 May The next Women in Mathematics Day will be held on Friday 6 May 2011 at De Morgan 2011. Further information is available on House, 57–58 Russell Square, London. Sessions will include talks by women the conference website at www.lboro.ac.uk/ mathematicians in a variety of appointments and at different career stages. departments/ma/equadiff. The organisers would be very grateful if all members could encourage women PARRONDO GAMES mathematicians, particularly students (including final year undergraduates) and those at an early stage in their career, to attend this meeting. It is hoped that an Professor Juan Parrondo (Madrid) will be opportunity to see women who are active and successful in mathematics, and to speaking at the University of Greenwich on meet them informally, will be beneficial. Feedback from previous meetings has Wednesday 16 February 2011 at 1 pm on his shown that participants find this useful. While this is an occasion particularly for Parrondo Games. The talk will take place in women active in mathematics to get together, men are certainly not excluded. Lecture Theatre 080, Queen Anne Court, Old Any postgraduates, postdocs or research assistants interested in giving a talk during Royal Naval College, London SE10 9LS. For the afternoon session or presenting a poster should contact Peter Clarkson further information visit the website at http:// ([email protected]). mathsoc.cms.gre.ac.uk/Parrondo or contact Noel-Ann Bradshaw ([email protected]). To encourage high-quality posters, a £50 book token will be awarded for the poster 21 that is judged to be the Women in Mathematics Day Best Poster 2011.

Programme (tbc) 10.30–11.00 Registration and coffee 11.00–13.00 Morning Session (times tbc) Claire Gilson (Glasgow) Box and ball systems in integrable systems Joan Lasenby (Cambridge) The Mathematics of making movies Rowena Paget (Kent) Set partitions and symmetric groups 13.00–14.00 Lunch and poster session 14.15–16.00 Afternoon Session Postgraduate/Postdoc speakers Discussion groups 16.00–16.30 Tea

Limited funds are available to help with the travel costs of students attending the event. Further details are available from Elizabeth Fisher at the Society (contact details below). To register contact Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]). “...and that is my philosophy.” The day is free for students and £5 for all others – payable on the day.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

HIVE MIND

In 2007, the Complicite theatre company created an extraordinary production. A Disappearing Number, inspired by the collaboration between Indian autodidact Srinivasa Ramanujan and Cambridge math- ematician G.H. Hardy, is a play about the mesmeric beauty of numbers. In 2008 it won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, and last summer it was revived for per- formances at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Hyderabad, India. Alongside the production Complicite, in collaboration with Marcus du Sautoy, came up with a series of Maths/Drama work- shops. Designed to explode the myth that mathematics, and learning mathematics, 22 is boring, the workshops use drama peda- gogy to teach mathematical principles. This summer, the company developed the workshops even further, coming up with Hive Mind. Taking the beehive as a microcosm of a world governed by mathe- matical systems (the Maths/Drama work- shops being predicated on the idea that such is the human world), could the tech- niques developed in the workshops be used to create a beehive with up to 500 children? Complicite’s Education Coordinator, Poppy Keeling and Associate Victoria Gould, a mathematician and actress, travelled to India to try Hive Mind with 22 mathematics and arts teachers brought together from schools across the country. They had four days to share their material and help the teachers create their own, followed by a final day with the school children who would be their ‘bees’. It was an incredible week. The teachers devised exercises that represented stages in the life cycle of the hive: the journey from egg to adult bee; building the honeycomb; foraging; the waggle dance and swarming; and set the children to performing these

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HIVE MIND tasks. They also created large-scale move- ment pieces: spirals and chequer boards In 2007, the Complicite theatre company made up of children in alternately black or created an extraordinary production. yellow T-shirts. A Disappearing Number, inspired by the At times it was hard-going as many of collaboration between Indian autodidact the teachers were initially convinced that Srinivasa Ramanujan and Cambridge math- mathematics couldn’t be taught through ematician G.H. Hardy, is a play about the movement and games. However on the mesmeric beauty of numbers. In 2008 it final day, in a hall packed with children won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, laughing and shouting as they carried out and last summer it was revived for per- mathematics exercises, they all seemed formances at the International Congress of pretty persuaded. Mathematicians in Hyderabad, India. More information on the production and Alongside the production Complicite, in the Maths/Drama workshops can be found collaboration with Marcus du Sautoy, came at www.complicite.org. The Maths/Drama up with a series of Maths/Drama work- project for teachers is supported by the shops. Designed to explode the myth that London Mathematical Society. mathematics, and learning mathematics, Poppy Keeling is boring, the workshops use drama peda- Complicite Education Coordinator 23 gogy to teach mathematical principles. This summer, the company developed THE SYMMETRIC GROUP the workshops even further, coming up with Hive Mind. Taking the beehive as a The representation theory of the sym- microcosm of a world governed by mathe- metric group is an active area of research matical systems (the Maths/Drama work- that sees an appealing interplay between shops being predicated on the idea that algebra and combinatorics. There will be such is the human world), could the tech- a one-day meeting on this theme at Royal niques developed in the workshops be Holloway, University of London on the used to create a beehive with up to 500 afternoon of Tuesday 29 March 2011. The children? speakers will be: Complicite’s Education Coordinator, Poppy • Christine Bessenrodt (Hannover) Keeling and Associate Victoria Gould, a • Matthew Fayers (QMUL) mathematician and actress, travelled to • Mark Wildon (RHUL) India to try Hive Mind with 22 mathematics A large part of the talks will be acces- and arts teachers brought together from sible to a non-specialist audience. All are schools across the country. They had four most welcome to attend the meeting. It days to share their material and help the would be very helpful if you could email teachers create their own, followed by the local organiser Mark Wildon (mark. a final day with the school children who [email protected]) if you plan to come. would be their ‘bees’. For further information visit the website It was an incredible week. The teachers at www.ma.rhul.ac.uk/~uvah099/meeting. devised exercises that represented stages in html. the life cycle of the hive: the journey from Limited funds are available to reimburse egg to adult bee; building the honeycomb; travel expenses of UK-based students. The foraging; the waggle dance and swarming; meeting is supported by an LMS Confer- and set the children to performing these ence grant.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

INDIAN SUMMER

The LMS has been keen to support attend- TOPICS IN PROBABILITY ance at the International Congresses of Mathematicians (ICM) and the European LMS–EPSRC Short Course Congresses of Mathematics (ECM), espe- cially among younger mathematicians. Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 3–8 April 2011 For the ICM in Hyderabad last August we Organiser: Professor Alison Etheridge awarded just over £10,000 in 22 grants, Course outline and prerequisites and were particularly pleased to receive In the last fifty years, probability theory has emerged both as a core mathematical discipline, the two reports below. We hope that they sitting alongside geometry, algebra and analysis, and as a fundamental way of thinking about the will encourage more young mathemati- world. This five-day residential school will provide intensive courses on some of the most exciting cians to attend the next ECM, which is in developments in modern probability theory. They will be accessible to first-year PhD students in Kraków in 2012 (www.6ecm.pl). mathematics. There will be three lecture courses of 5 lectures each: Stephen Huggett • Random networks: the preferential attachment paradigm (Peter Mörters, University of Bath) Programme Secretary • Aggregation and coalescence (James Norris, University of Cambridge) • Bayesian approach to inverse problems (Andrew Stuart, University of Warwick) The International Congress of Mathemati- These will be supplemented by tutorial sessions and guest lectures. For further information see: 24 cians was a unique experience. It was by www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/academic_staff/alison_etheridge/lms-epsrc_short_course_2011. far the largest conference that I have ever Participants might like to note that the meeting Random structures and dynamics, with minicourses been to and it was encouraging to real- by Alain Sznitman, Louigi Addario-Berry and Martin Barlow and a range of invited talks from across ize that there is such a large community probability theory will take place in Oxford during the following week. of mathematicians around the world. The For further information see: Congress was an opportunity to meet other www.maths.ox.ac.uk/events/conferences/random-structures-and-dynamics young mathematicians for the first time Application and to talk about our work, and to see Applications should be made using the registration form available via the Society’s website at: friends that I have made similarly at previ- www.lms.ac.uk/content/forthcoming-short-courses#probability. ous conferences. The closing date for applications is Friday 25 February 2011. Numbers will be limited and those The highlights of the Congress for me interested are advised to make an early application. All applicants will be contacted approximately were the plenary lectures. This was the first two weeks after this deadline; we will not be able to give information about individual applications time that I have been able to hear so many before then. talks from the best mathematicians in the world working in areas without close con- Fees nections to combinatorics, the subject of • All research students registered at a UK university will be charged a registration fee of £100. my research. It was fascinating to learn They will not be charged for subsistence costs. • UK-based postdocs will be charged a registration fee of £100, plus half the subsistence costs (£212), about what other mathematicians do and £312 in total. to see the wide variety of approaches that • All others (overseas students and postdocs, those working in industry) will be charged a registration can be taken to different problems. I also fee of £250 plus the full subsistence costs (£424), £674 in total. attended panel discussions on mathematics All participants must pay their own travel costs (for EPSRC-funded students, this should be covered education and popularization of mathe- by their DTA). Fees are not payable until a place on the course is offered. matics, which were very interesting, partly In the event of over-subscription, preference will be given to UK-based research students. because I do a small amount of teaching of undergraduates. LMS–EPSRC Short Courses aim to provide training for postgraduate students in core areas of mathematics. Part of The lectures with the most obvious rel- their success is the opportunity for students to meet other students working in related areas as well as the chance to evance to my work were those in the com- meet a number of leading experts in the topic. binatorics section. Some of the current

Feb11-NL.indd 24 25/01/2011 11:11:36 www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 400 February 2011

INDIAN SUMMER leaders in the field were present and these talks were very useful for learning about The LMS has been keen to support attend- the direction in which research is currently TOPICS IN PROBABILITY ance at the International Congresses of heading and for giving me problems that Mathematicians (ICM) and the European I might think about myself. I also attended LMS–EPSRC Short Course Congresses of Mathematics (ECM), espe- lectures in sections related to combinator- cially among younger mathematicians. ics, such as probability and statistics, and Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 3–8 April 2011 For the ICM in Hyderabad last August we mathematical aspects of computer science, Organiser: Professor Alison Etheridge awarded just over £10,000 in 22 grants, given by speakers who would be unlikely to Course outline and prerequisites and were particularly pleased to receive be at most combinatorics conferences. This In the last fifty years, probability theory has emerged both as a core mathematical discipline, the two reports below. We hope that they was a valuable and rare opportunity to hear sitting alongside geometry, algebra and analysis, and as a fundamental way of thinking about the will encourage more young mathemati- about other problems that I might attempt world. This five-day residential school will provide intensive courses on some of the most exciting cians to attend the next ECM, which is in as part of my research. developments in modern probability theory. They will be accessible to first-year PhD students in Kraków in 2012 (www.6ecm.pl). Attending an ICM, especially one in India, mathematics. There will be three lecture courses of 5 lectures each: Stephen Huggett is something that would have been much • Random networks: the preferential attachment paradigm (Peter Mörters, University of Bath) Programme Secretary harder to do without the support of the • Aggregation and coalescence (James Norris, University of Cambridge) London Mathematical Society, and I am very • Bayesian approach to inverse problems (Andrew Stuart, University of Warwick) The International Congress of Mathemati- grateful for that support. These will be supplemented by tutorial sessions and guest lectures. For further information see: cians was a unique experience. It was by Bryn Garrod 25 www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/academic_staff/alison_etheridge/lms-epsrc_short_course_2011. far the largest conference that I have ever Trinity College, Cambridge Participants might like to note that the meeting Random structures and dynamics, with minicourses been to and it was encouraging to real- by Alain Sznitman, Louigi Addario-Berry and Martin Barlow and a range of invited talks from across ize that there is such a large community The ICM has been a wonderful scientific probability theory will take place in Oxford during the following week. of mathematicians around the world. The experience. For a PhD student the whole For further information see: Congress was an opportunity to meet other environment was extremely motivating, www.maths.ox.ac.uk/events/conferences/random-structures-and-dynamics young mathematicians for the first time and it gave me the chance to interact and Application and to talk about our work, and to see ask questions to top researchers in my field Applications should be made using the registration form available via the Society’s website at: friends that I have made similarly at previ- (Algebraic Geometry). I recently changed www.lms.ac.uk/content/forthcoming-short-courses#probability. ous conferences. area for PhD thesis from toric varieties The closing date for applications is Friday 25 February 2011. Numbers will be limited and those The highlights of the Congress for me to birational geometry, and the talks by interested are advised to make an early application. All applicants will be contacted approximately were the plenary lectures. This was the first Christopher Hacon and James McKernan, two weeks after this deadline; we will not be able to give information about individual applications time that I have been able to hear so many Boundedness Results in Birational Geome- before then. talks from the best mathematicians in the try and Flips and Flops, gave me a very good world working in areas without close con- insight of the latest developments in the Fees nections to combinatorics, the subject of Minimal Model Program. These two talks • All research students registered at a UK university will be charged a registration fee of £100. my research. It was fascinating to learn allowed me to understand how the tools I am They will not be charged for subsistence costs. • UK-based postdocs will be charged a registration fee of £100, plus half the subsistence costs (£212), about what other mathematicians do and learning about right now are used in state- £312 in total. to see the wide variety of approaches that of-the-art research, and how my work could • All others (overseas students and postdocs, those working in industry) will be charged a registration can be taken to different problems. I also fit in the big picture, as well as how are the fee of £250 plus the full subsistence costs (£424), £674 in total. attended panel discussions on mathematics remaining unfinished parts of the MMP. All participants must pay their own travel costs (for EPSRC-funded students, this should be covered education and popularization of mathe- Daniel Huybrechts’s talk on the non- by their DTA). Fees are not payable until a place on the course is offered. matics, which were very interesting, partly separatedness of the moduli space of hyper- In the event of over-subscription, preference will be given to UK-based research students. because I do a small amount of teaching of kähler manifolds and their sheaves intro- undergraduates. duced me to a construction I did not know LMS–EPSRC Short Courses aim to provide training for postgraduate students in core areas of mathematics. Part of The lectures with the most obvious rel- before and which may turn out to be useful their success is the opportunity for students to meet other students working in related areas as well as the chance to evance to my work were those in the com- in the future. meet a number of leading experts in the topic. binatorics section. Some of the current Richard Thomas’s talk on how to use

Feb11-NL.indd 25 25/01/2011 11:11:36 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

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Kontsevich’s homological mirror symmetry BIRATIONAL GEOMETRY Invited speakers included Valery Alexeev conjecture to obtain knot invariants from (Georgia), Fedor Bogomolov (Courant), purely algebraic constructions was really MEETING Alessio Corti (Imperial College London), interesting. I know very little about knot Report Jean-Pierre Demailly (Grenoble), Simon theory, and besides the formulation, I was Donaldson (Imperial College London), not aware of how Kontsevich’s conjecture An LMS Meeting took place on Monday Osamu Fujino (Kyoto), Ludmil Katzarkov can be useful to attack difficult problems in 6 December 2010 in Edinburgh with two (Vienna), Alexander Kuznetsov (Steklov symplectic geometry via algebraic geometry distinguished speakers (Yum-Tong Siu Institute), Kenji Matsuki (Purdue), James until I attended this talk. and Yujiro Kawamata) and was followed McKernan (MIT), Shigefumi Mori (RIMS), Claire Voisin’s plenary talk covered an by a five-day workshop on Birational Mircea Mustaþã (Ann Arbor), Viacheslav area I had studied before: Hodge theory Geometry. All these events took place Nikulin (Liverpool), Mihai Paun (Nancy), and Hodge structures. In one hour she at the International Centre for Math- Yuri Prokhorov (Moscow State), Miles Reid gave a very detailed and precise view on ematical Sciences (Edinburgh) and were (Warwick), Slava Shokurov (Johns Hopkins), the subject, surveying the latest develop- supported by the London Mathematical Alexander Tikhomirov (Yaroslavl), Burt ments in relation to Hodge’s conjecture, a Society and the International Centre for Totaro (Cambridge), Hajime Tsuji (Sophia), millennium project. It was certainly one of Mathematical Sciences. About 80 people Claire Voisin (Jussieu), Shing-Tung Yau the best talks in algebraic geometry of the attended. conference. The other plenary talk I found Birational Geometry has seen dramatic 26 particularly interesting was the one on the advances in recent years. Most notably, work of Chern, since it summarised how he the finite generatedness of the canoni- contributed to modern complex differential cal ring of any algebraic variety has been geometry from its early developments at proved by Birkar, Cascini, Hacon and the beginning of the century. McKernan using recent ideas of Shokurov In addition to the talks in my area, I was and Siu, major steps in proving the extremely benefited of being able to speak Abundance Conjecture were taken by to Dr Konstantin Shramov from the Steklov Siu and Kawamata, and Shokurov’s ACC Institute. Dr Shramov used to be a post-doc Conjectures were proved by Kollár, de in the University of Edinburgh and unfor- Fernex, Mustaþã, Ein, Hacon and McKernan. tunately he encountered several difficulties These results have attracted the atten- with the Home Office to come back to par- tion of all mathematicians to Birational ticipate in conferences. Being able to speak Geometry. to him about mathematics for a week after The area is extremely vivid, as reflected the talks was really enlightening. by the large number of well-synchronized Finally, the panel discussion organised recent and upcoming events (in Trento, by the LMS about supporting mathemat- Paris, New York, Banff, Palo Alto, Mos- ics in the developing world was also very cow, Tokyo, Salt Lake City, to name but a interesting and I could get in touch with few). It is particularly attractive for early- Dr Felix Shu, a mathematician from Cam- career researchers, as the theory is well eroon. Soon, I will be sending him mathe- developed yet highly active, with many matical material which is hard for them to open questions which are interesting yet obtain. accessible (even at postgraduate level). I would like to thank the LMS for support- The LMS meeting and subsequent work- ing my trip to the ICM. It has been a remark- shop helped to promote this exciting area able mathematical experience. of research in the UK. Many international Jesús Martínez García experts attended and numerous partici- University of Edinburgh pants from the UK were attracted.

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BIRATIONAL GEOMETRY Invited speakers included Valery Alexeev (Harvard), and Yuri Zarhin (Penn State). (Georgia), Fedor Bogomolov (Courant), Note that there were three Fields medalists MEETING Alessio Corti (Imperial College London), among the invited speakers (Donaldson, Report Jean-Pierre Demailly (Grenoble), Simon Yau and Mori). Donaldson (Imperial College London), The workshop was held in honour of An LMS Meeting took place on Monday Osamu Fujino (Kyoto), Ludmil Katzarkov Slava Shokurov’s 60th birthday. Despite 6 December 2010 in Edinburgh with two (Vienna), Alexander Kuznetsov (Steklov bad weather conditions (heavy snow distinguished speakers (Yum-Tong Siu Institute), Kenji Matsuki (Purdue), James storms) all the invited speakers arrived and Yujiro Kawamata) and was followed McKernan (MIT), Shigefumi Mori (RIMS), on time except Fabrizio Catanese, whose by a five-day workshop on Birational Mircea Mustaþã (Ann Arbor), Viacheslav flight from Germany was cancelled. The Geometry. All these events took place Nikulin (Liverpool), Mihai Paun (Nancy), workshop’s webpage is at www.maths. at the International Centre for Math- Yuri Prokhorov (Moscow State), Miles Reid ed.ac.uk/cheltsov/shokurov. ematical Sciences (Edinburgh) and were (Warwick), Slava Shokurov (Johns Hopkins), We thank the LMS for its generous supported by the London Mathematical Alexander Tikhomirov (Yaroslavl), Burt support which made this event possible. Society and the International Centre for Totaro (Cambridge), Hajime Tsuji (Sophia), Ivan Cheltsov (Edinburgh) Mathematical Sciences. About 80 people Claire Voisin (Jussieu), Shing-Tung Yau Caucher Birkar (Cambridge) attended. Birational Geometry has seen dramatic advances in recent years. Most notably, 27 the finite generatedness of the canoni- RECORDS OF PROCEEDINGS cal ring of any algebraic variety has been proved by Birkar, Cascini, Hacon and AT LMS MEETINGS McKernan using recent ideas of Shokurov and Siu, major steps in proving the ORDINARY MEETING Abundance Conjecture were taken by held on Monday 6 December 2010 at the International Centre for Mathematical Siu and Kawamata, and Shokurov’s ACC Sciences, Edinburgh. About 65 members and visitors were present for all or part of the Conjectures were proved by Kollár, de meeting. Fernex, Mustaþã, Ein, Hacon and McKernan. These results have attracted the atten- The meeting began at 3.30 pm, with the President, Professor A.J. MACINTYRE, FRS, in tion of all mathematicians to Birational the Chair. Geometry. There were no new elections to membership, and the President apologised that The area is extremely vivid, as reflected owing to the adverse weather conditions the Membership Book was not available for by the large number of well-synchronized signature. recent and upcoming events (in Trento, The President announced that the next meeting of the Society would be in Oxford Paris, New York, Banff, Palo Alto, Mos- on 25 February 2011, and that the Records of Proceedings of the recent AGM would be cow, Tokyo, Salt Lake City, to name but a brought to that meeting. few). It is particularly attractive for early- Professor Yujiro Kawamata gave a talk entitled Survey of the abundance conjecture. career researchers, as the theory is well developed yet highly active, with many Professor Yum-Tong Siu gave a talk on Recent and historical analytic techniques for open questions which are interesting yet algebro-geometric problems. accessible (even at postgraduate level). The President thanked the speakers for their excellent lectures. He also thanked Ivan The LMS meeting and subsequent work- Cheltsov for his work in organising the meeting, and in closing the meeting he wished shop helped to promote this exciting area Professor Vyacheslav Shokurov a very happy birthday. of research in the UK. Many international After the meeting, a reception was held at the ICMS, followed by dinner in a nearby experts attended and numerous partici- restaurant. pants from the UK were attracted.

Feb11-NL.indd 27 25/01/2011 11:11:37 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

REVIEWS Distributed throughout are barcodes which example chapter three has to describe, rather can be photographed by a smartphone, link- than show, Dürer’s Melancholia, a Roman 20- The Num8er My5teries by Marcus du Sautoy, ing to websites with additional information. sided die, and the Sagrada Familia cathedral Fourth Estate, 2010, 320 pp, £16.99, ISBN Luddites like me – whose only phone is in Barcelona. In fact, I could only count three 978-0-0072-7862-6. connected to the wall – are not left out: web images in the book not produced by one of Imagine riding a train, and the man op- addresses are there too. The websites contain the team. But this is a small quibble. posite you engaging you in conservation. games, things to print out and build, movies, Telling old stories with new twists (just how He does so by inviting you to ponder a few and more besides. I think that my favour- big is that pile of rice on the chessboard?), mysteries: the reality of climate change, the ite was one which automatically generated bringing new illustrations to bear on old prob- security of the internet, the stability of the artwork in the style of Coldplay’s X&Y lems (what is the history of the tetrahedral tea solar system. Then you notice something curi- album art. This was related to the discussion bag?), asking insightful questions (why can’t ous. While it seems like he is putting together on codes – and the pitfalls of using them on you blow a cubical bubble?): in all of these random ideas, all of his stories culminate in a album art covers. du Sautoy excels. The book contains some of fascinating fact about the next station. This The Christmas Lectures are aimed at chil- the clearest and most remarkable explana- sense of going on a journey with a brilliant dren, and certainly many of the games and tions I have ever read of some of the deepest and entertaining companion is the strongest puzzles are aimed at that category, not to questions in mathematics. It illustrates like no impression I got from this lovely book. mention the book’s hyperlinked nature. But other the beauty, power, fun, ubiquity, and Du Sautoy has genuine gifts: for coming up what would they make of references to “the compulsive nature of mathematics. 28 with new ways of illustrating old ideas, and head on your Guinness” (in a discussion of Phil Wilson for telling old stories in fresh ways (correcting the Poincaré Theorem) and the drug ecstasy University of Canterbury, New Zealand outmoded notions of mathematics as a pro- (in the build-up to the P vs NP problem)? The A version of this review was published in Plus maga- gression of white male protagonists). I never cover claims that the book is aimed at “ages zine (http://plus.maths.org) in October 2010. thought I would see Mersenne primes and 1–101”, which might be a tad optimistic, but the Riemann hypothesis linked with dragon is broadly true. Nets, Puzzles and Postmen: An Exploration noodles from Mr Chang’s restaurant in Taipei. If I have to find one area for improve- of Mathematical Connections by Peter M. The extent to which Du Sautoy links mathe- ment it would be in the figures. On the plus Higgins, Oxford University Press, 2009, 256 matics not only to things in the world, but to side, although all black and white, they are pp, £8.99 pbk, ISBN 978-0-19-921843-1. music, to movies, to art, is exhilarating. very varied, with little purpose-made quirky Networks are everywhere where there are The supporting structure of the book is com- works of art, photos, diagrams, sketches. But interconnections between objects – road, rail posed of five of the seven Millennium Prize it seems that the publisher did not want to and airline networks, electrical circuits, neural Problems: the Riemann hypothesis, the Poin- pay for reproductions of many images, so for networks and the world wide web. They also caré theorem, the P vs NP problem, the have their recreational side, in problems such Birch & Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, as the Königsberg bridges problem and the and the Navier–Stokes problem receive four-colour problem. In view of their impor- one chapter each. (It bothered me that tance and accessibility, it is somewhat surpris- the Hodge and Yang–Mills conjectures ing that there are few popular mathematics were omitted, until I read that the book books on the subject. grew from five Royal Institution Christ- This book under review is a largely suc- mas lectures.) Each chapter progresses cessful attempt to fill the gap. The opening via serpentine stories, puzzles, and chapter discusses networks in general, with illustrations which seem to be mere particular reference to trees, chemical iso- detours, until you realise that they mers and truthteller-and-liar problems. Here were essential for allowing the final it is a shame that there are no pictures of ‘my5tery’ to be discussed at the end. real-life networks to set the scene – the first While this sounds like a recipe for picture depicts the trees with six nodes, which disaster, it works. is hardly likely to excite the reader.

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Distributed throughout are barcodes which example chapter three has to describe, rather Later chapters deal with Games of logic, can be photographed by a smartphone, link- than show, Dürer’s Melancholia, a Roman 20- Connection problems, Colouring and ing to websites with additional information. sided die, and the Sagrada Familia cathedral planarity, Traversing a network, One-way Luddites like me – whose only phone is in Barcelona. In fact, I could only count three systems, Spanning networks, Network flows, connected to the wall – are not left out: web images in the book not produced by one of and various recreational applications – the addresses are there too. The websites contain the team. But this is a small quibble. sort of topics that appear in many introduc- games, things to print out and build, movies, Telling old stories with new twists (just how tory graph theory courses. Throughout, the and more besides. I think that my favour- big is that pile of rice on the chessboard?), writing is clear, the examples are interesting ite was one which automatically generated bringing new illustrations to bear on old prob- and well chosen, and there is also a good artwork in the style of Coldplay’s X&Y lems (what is the history of the tetrahedral tea balance between the algorithmic aspects of album art. This was related to the discussion bag?), asking insightful questions (why can’t the subject and the ‘fun’. The text is well on codes – and the pitfalls of using them on you blow a cubical bubble?): in all of these written and easy to read and the book is in- album art covers. du Sautoy excels. The book contains some of expensively priced, though the print is too The Christmas Lectures are aimed at chil- the clearest and most remarkable explana- small. dren, and certainly many of the games and tions I have ever read of some of the deepest Unfortunately, inaccuracies abound. The puzzles are aimed at that category, not to questions in mathematics. It illustrates like no author’s map of Königsberg shows two is- mention the book’s hyperlinked nature. But other the beauty, power, fun, ubiquity, and lands when there was only one. He shows what would they make of references to “the compulsive nature of mathematics. the 4-vertex graph that Euler is supposed to head on your Guinness” (in a discussion of Phil Wilson have drawn to solve the Königsberg prob- 29 the Poincaré Theorem) and the drug ecstasy University of Canterbury, New Zealand lem, but Euler drew no such graph. (It first (in the build-up to the P vs NP problem)? The A version of this review was published in Plus maga- appeared 150 years later.) In the discussion of cover claims that the book is aimed at “ages zine (http://plus.maths.org) in October 2010. the four-colour problem Alfred Bray Kempe 1–101”, which might be a tad optimistic, but appears as A.P. Kempe, Percy Heawood is is broadly true. Nets, Puzzles and Postmen: An Exploration described as an American mathematician If I have to find one area for improve- of Mathematical Connections by Peter M. (he was English), and the author claims that ment it would be in the figures. On the plus Higgins, Oxford University Press, 2009, 256 Kempe was admitted to the Royal Society on side, although all black and white, they are pp, £8.99 pbk, ISBN 978-0-19-921843-1. the strength of his paper on the four-colour very varied, with little purpose-made quirky Networks are everywhere where there are problem (it was only one of eight papers works of art, photos, diagrams, sketches. But interconnections between objects – road, rail cited – the other seven were on linkages in it seems that the publisher did not want to and airline networks, electrical circuits, neural which Kempe had done excellent work). The pay for reproductions of many images, so for networks and the world wide web. They also Appel–Haken proof was a proof and not a have their recreational side, in problems such verification, and the Robertson et al. proof as the Königsberg bridges problem and the appeared before 1994 and not in 1996. four-colour problem. In view of their impor- The book concludes with a section on tance and accessibility, it is somewhat surpris- further reading. It would also have been ing that there are few popular mathematics useful to have a proper bibliography that in- books on the subject. cludes current editions of the books he cites, This book under review is a largely suc- rather than earlier editions that are no long- cessful attempt to fill the gap. The opening er available. chapter discusses networks in general, with It is a shame that such blemishes tend particular reference to trees, chemical iso- to mar what would otherwise have been mers and truthteller-and-liar problems. Here an excellent book. It is to be hoped that a it is a shame that there are no pictures of revised and corrected edition will eventually real-life networks to set the scene – the first be available. picture depicts the trees with six nodes, which Robin Wilson is hardly likely to excite the reader. The Open University

Feb11-NL.indd 29 25/01/2011 11:11:38 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 10 An Introduction to Mathematical 22-24 First British Conference on Mathematics Neuroscience ICMS Training Workshop, of Filtering and Its Applications, Brunel This calendar lists Society meetings and other Edinburgh (400) 26 - 2 Jul New Developments in Non- mathematical events. Further information 11-13 BAMC 2011, Birmingham (398) Commutative Algebra and Applications may be obtained from the appropriate 11-13 Mathematical Neuroscience ICMS ICMS Workshop, Sabhal M�r Ostaig, Isle of LMS Newsletter whose number is given in Conference, Edinburgh (400) Skye (398) brackets. A fuller list of meetings and events 11-14 Random Structures and Dynamics 27 - 1 Jul Signal Pocessing with Adaptive is given on the Society’s website (www.lms. Workshop, Oxford (400) Sparse Structured Representation, ICMS ac.uk/newsletter/calendar.html). Workshop, Edinburgh (398) Please send updates and corrections to 11-15 Derived Categories Workshop, INI, [email protected]. Cambridge (399) 11-16 Groups, Combinatorics, Computing JULY 2011 FEBRUARY 2011 De Brún Workshop, Galway (398) 1 LMS Meeting, London 14-16 Young Researchers in Mathematics 4-8 Theories of Infinity ICMS–ESF Meeting, 14-16 Workshop on Mathematics Journals, 2011 Conference, Warwick (398) Edinburgh (398) MSRI, Berkeley, USA (399) 18-21 BMC 2011, Leicester (398) 4-8 Gauge Theory and Complex Geometry, 16 Parrondo Games Lecture, Greenwich 25-29 The Kervaire Invariant and Stable Leeds (400) Homotopy Theory ICMS Workshop, 9-11 Quantum Cohomology, Symplectic Reso- 25 LMS Mary Cartwright Lecture, Oxford Edinburgh (398) lutions and Representation Theory Meeting, 30 (400) Oxford 28 Applied Topology Day, Oxford (400) MAY 2011 11-15 Numerical Relativity Beyond Astro- physics ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh (398) 5 LMS Spitalfields Day, INI, Cambridge MARCH 2011 18-20 Toric Methods in Homotopy Theory 14-18 Representations of Surface Groups 6 Women in Mathematics Day, London (400) Conference, Belfast (398) and Higgs Bundles Workshop, Oxford (398) 17 LMS–Gresham Lecture, London (400) 18-22 Experiments for Processes with Time 16 One-Day Meeting in Combinatorics, 22-27 Progress on Difference Equations 2011, or Space Dynamics INI Workshop, Cambridge Oxford (400) Dublin (398) (400) 21-25 Compressed Sensing LMS Invited 30 - 3 Jun MEGA 2011, Stockholm, Sweden 18-22 ICIAM 2011, Vancouver, Canada (400) Lectures 2011, Cambridge (400) (400) 19 LMS Northern Regional Meeting, Leeds 24 IMA Mathematics 2011 Conference, 31 - 3 Jun CHAOS 2011, Crete, Greece (400) 19-22 Homogeneous Structures Workshop, London (400) Leeds 28 - 1 Apr Discrete Harmonic Analysis JUNE 2011 21-22 Twistors in Geometry and Physics, Workshop, INI, Cambridge (398) 6-8 Nonlinear Diffusion: Algorithms, Analysis Oxford 29 The Symmetric Group: Representations and Applications Workshop, Warwick (395) 25-29 Introductory Workshop on Inverse and Combinatorics, Royal Holloway, 6-10 Oscillatory Integrals in Harmonic Problems, INI, Cambridge (400) University of London (400) Analysis ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh (398) 7-10 14th Applied Stochastics Models and AUGUST 2011 APRIL 2011 Data Analysis International Conference, 1-5 EQUADIFF 2011, Loughborough (400) 3-8 Topics in Probability, LMS–EPSRC Short Rome, Italy 1-5 Inverse Problems in Analysis and Course, Oxford (400) 13-17 Stabilization of Dynamical Systems and Geometry INI Workshop, Cambridge (400) 4-5 Nonlinear Waves and Solitons in Processes ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh (398) 9-12 Optimum Design for Mixed Effects Non- Lattices Workshop, ICMS, Edinburgh (400) 14 LMS Midlands Regional Meeting, Linear and Generalised Linear Models INI 4-8 Computational Challenges in Partial Birmingham Workshop, Cambridge (399) Differential Equations Meeting, Swansea 20-24 Geometric Analysis ICMS Workshop, 15-19 Design of Experiments in Healthcare (392) Edinburgh (398) INI Workshop, Cambridge (400)

Feb11-NL.indd 30 25/01/2011 11:11:38 www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 400 February 2011

10 An Introduction to Mathematical 22-24 First British Conference on Mathematics 22-26 Analytic and Geometric Methods in Neuroscience ICMS Training Workshop, of Filtering and Its Applications, Brunel Medical Imaging INI Workshop, Cambridge Edinburgh (400) 26 - 2 Jul New Developments in Non- (400) 11-13 BAMC 2011, Birmingham (398) Commutative Algebra and Applications 29 - 1 Sep Algebra, Combinatorics, Dynamics 11-13 Mathematical Neuroscience ICMS ICMS Workshop, Sabhal M�r Ostaig, Isle of and Applications, Queen’s University, Conference, Edinburgh (400) Skye (398) Belfast 11-14 Random Structures and Dynamics 27 - 1 Jul Signal Pocessing with Adaptive 30 - 2 Sep Designed Experiments: Recent Workshop, Oxford (400) Sparse Structured Representation, ICMS Advances in Methods and Applications INI 11-15 Derived Categories Workshop, INI, Workshop, Edinburgh (398) Workshop, Cambridge (399) Cambridge (399) 11-16 Groups, Combinatorics, Computing JULY 2011 SEPTEMBER 2011 De Brún Workshop, Galway (398) 1 LMS Meeting, London 5-9 European Women in Mathematics 14-16 Young Researchers in Mathematics 4-8 Theories of Infinity ICMS–ESF Meeting, General Meeting, Barcelona (396) 2011 Conference, Warwick (398) Edinburgh (398) 5-9 Mathematical Imaging in Interaction 18-21 BMC 2011, Leicester (398) 4-8 Gauge Theory and Complex Geometry, with Biomedicine ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh 25-29 The Kervaire Invariant and Stable Leeds (398) Homotopy Theory ICMS Workshop, 9-11 Quantum Cohomology, Symplectic Reso- 10-16 Turning Dreams into Reality ICME, lutions and Representation Theory Meeting, Edinburgh (398) South Africa (388) 31 Oxford 12-16 Networks: Stochastic Models for MAY 2011 11-15 Numerical Relativity Beyond Astro- Populations and Epidemics ICMS Workshop, physics ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh (398) Edinburgh (398) 5 LMS Spitalfields Day, INI, Cambridge 18-20 Toric Methods in Homotopy Theory 19-23 Hyperbolic Conservation Laws and 6 Women in Mathematics Day, London (400) Conference, Belfast (398) Related Analysis with Applications ICMS 17 LMS–Gresham Lecture, London (400) 18-22 Experiments for Processes with Time Workshop, Edinburgh (398) 22-27 Progress on Difference Equations 2011, or Space Dynamics INI Workshop, Cambridge Dublin (398) (400) OCTOBER 2011 30 - 3 Jun MEGA 2011, Stockholm, Sweden 18-22 ICIAM 2011, Vancouver, Canada (400) 7-8 LMS South-West and South Wales (400) 19 LMS Northern Regional Meeting, Leeds Regional Meeting, Exeter 31 - 3 Jun CHAOS 2011, Crete, Greece (400) 19-22 Homogeneous Structures Workshop, Leeds JUNE 2011 21-22 Twistors in Geometry and Physics, NOVEMBER 2011 6-8 Nonlinear Diffusion: Algorithms, Analysis Oxford 18 LMS AGM, London and Applications Workshop, Warwick (395) 25-29 Introductory Workshop on Inverse 6-10 Oscillatory Integrals in Harmonic Problems, INI, Cambridge (400) DECEMBER 2011 Analysis ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh (398) 12-16 Inverse Problems in Science and Engi- 7-10 14th Applied Stochastics Models and AUGUST 2011 neering INI Workshop, Cambridge (400) Data Analysis International Conference, 1-5 EQUADIFF 2011, Loughborough (400) Rome, Italy 1-5 Inverse Problems in Analysis and APRIL 2012 13-17 Stabilization of Dynamical Systems and Geometry INI Workshop, Cambridge (400) 16-19 BMC 2012, Canterbury Processes ICMS Workshop, Edinburgh (398) 9-12 Optimum Design for Mixed Effects Non- 14 LMS Midlands Regional Meeting, Linear and Generalised Linear Models INI Birmingham Workshop, Cambridge (399) JULY 2012 20-24 Geometric Analysis ICMS Workshop, 15-19 Design of Experiments in Healthcare 2-7 6th European Congress of Mathematics, Edinburgh (398) INI Workshop, Cambridge (400) Kraków, Poland (397)

Feb11-NL.indd 31 25/01/2011 11:11:38 W.W. STORY LMS member 1879–1899 Jas. S. Cummins, 5 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, USA

William Edward Story AB Harvard, PhD Leipzig Professor of Mathematics at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA In 1908 elected to the National Academy of Sciences (USA)

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