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February 2011 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 2] 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 7] 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 900, 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 963 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 997. 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 2 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 Feb11-NL.indd 2 25/01/2011 11:11:22 www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected] No. 400 February 2011 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 3 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 Feb11-NL.indd 3 25/01/2011 11:11:22 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY 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 20) 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, 4 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
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