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European Matl,ematical Society .. Interview -�-,·�Sir� Michael Atiyah p. 8 SL ETTER ISSN 1027 488X CONTENTS tfi EDITORS Pro( Roy Bradley EUROPEAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Department o( Mathematics Glasgow Caledonian University GLASGOW G4 OBA, SCOTLAND Editorial Tea.m Glasgow: R. Bradley, J. Gomatam, V. Jha, G. Kennedy, M. A. Speller, J. 'Nilson Editor - Mathematics Education Prof. Vinicio Villani Dipartimento di t,.,tatematica Via Bounarroti, 2 56127 Pisa, Italy e-mail [email protected] NEWSLETTER No. 27 Editors Brief Reviews I Netuka and V Soucek Mathematical Institute March 1998 Charles University Sokolovska 83 18600 Prague, Czech Republic e-mail; [email protected],cuni.cz Editorial by the President of the Society 4 soucek@k:.arlin.mff.cuni.cz · Interview: Sir Michael Atiyah USEFUL ADDRESSES 8 President: The Jahrbuch Project . 10 Jean-Pierre Bourguignon IHES, Route de Chartres, F-94400 Meeting of the Executive Committee • 10 Bures.. sur-Yvette, France. e-mail: [email protected] Council Elections 12 Secretary Peter W. Michor EMS Agenda 15 lnstitut fiir Mathematik, Universitiit Wien, Strudlhofgasse Diderot Mathematical Forums . 16 4, A-1090 Wien, Aus:tda. e-mai1; michorGe.si.ac.at World Mathematical Year 2000 18 'TI-ea.surer A. Lahtinen Euronews . 19 Department of Mathematics, P.O.Box 4 . FIN-00014 University of Helsinki Mathematical Education 32 Finland e-mail: IahtinenOcscJi Problem Corner . 41 EMS Secretariat Reviews 48 Ms. T. Miikeliiinen University of Helsinki (address above) e-mail [email protected] tel: +358-9-1912 2883 telex: 124690 fax: +358-9-1912 3213 • ·' (\ ,:,1',;.\ i, •. ,·,: �; .... � j Newsletter editor Produced at the Department of Mathematics, Glasgow �Jonian Univ��l!'\J R. Bradley, Glasgow Caledonian . Printed by Armstrong Pressr Southampton�·Y,:ri,'.»"·:·.\'\�··,/· University (address above) .... e-maii [email protected] __ NOTICE FOR MATHEMATICAL SOCIETIES Newsletter advertising officer M. A. Speller, Glasgow Caledonian University (address above) Please note labels are prepared during the second half of the month e-mail msp@gcaLac,uk before the next issue. Would you please send your updated lists before this time. Website http://www.emis.de Many thanks. Ms T Miikeliiinen E.M.S. : Why and How Jean-Pie1Te Bourguignon President of the Buropean Mathematical Society I am happy to inaugurate this new column of the almost harmful, and we have to argue for r Ncwslr:ttcr, and t.hus to be given the opportunity of the preservation of fee thinking, precisely in order presenting the way in which the EMS is developing. to be in a good position to answer the pressing This occasion gives me the pleasure of thanking questions of tomorrow. Mathematics has a much Profes;;or Martin Speller, and the new team of the longer timeframe than other sciences. Ncwsle!.!.cr from Glasgow Caledonian University, for The need for a structure bringing together all the work done, aml for their willingness to adopt mathematicians on the European level has another a 1ww format in spite of the extra work involved. root. I strongly feel that it is only by doing things Born only 8 years ago, l,he EMS is sWl a young together that we can really learn from each other, societ.y. Thi:, i8 at the 8ame 1.ime a strength and and measure a wcaknc;;s. It means that, within the EMS, new the richness and the complexity that diversity brings iniliativc8 can be easily developed \Vithout being to human actions. Indeed Europe is diverse, obstructed by long established bad habits, and at culturally, linguistically, structurally, some of its I.he Harne tinm that the guiding principles inherited countries have a long tradition of central from a Jong t.radit.ion may be missed when important organizations, others cherish county or village d<\ciHiom, are t.o be takeu. In more concrete terms : structures. For me, this is an advantage, and is to iis being a ucw structure should help convince be preserved. Tbe key word is compatibility, not colleagues that. UH\ EMS can address questions of uniformization. co11m1on intcr<'BI, 1101 tackkd :;o far ; on the other By working together, we will not only acquire some Hide of l.lw coin, t.oo many colleagues have not even new ways of doing things, but we should be able heard of the EMS. to address certa.in questions at tile critical level. It. i:,; therefore of paramount. importance to review The basis of modern society is communication and 11ow why the Enropca11 IVIathernaticalSocic1,y should netvmrking. On this front too, the EMS is the 1�xisl, a11d how its present. structure allow;; it to meet appropriate structure foraction. It is light enough to the drnllm1ge.'i t.hat. bronghi it into being. move quickly when nece.ssary, decentralized enough to catch information where and when it is useful. It Why a European Mathematical Society ? is evident that the EMS needs a large membership Tim ccnl.rn.J rni1;sio11 of t.Jie EIVIS is to help and the active involvement of its member societies. t.Jw cnwrgcncc of ,rn idc11lit.y among European It should be made easy for them to work with 11wl,J1cwnlicimm. This parallels the steady trend the EMS. They should find there visibility for that hm, been r<\,haping t.he life of all European their endeavours of wider interest than their normal .socid.ic:,; .since the end of \,Vorld Vv'ar IL and is constituency, and support for some of their actions bringing EnropP.,UI rmt.iorn,closer. \Ve are witneHsing that naturally have a European dimension. The tlw construdiou of a European Hcene in all facets EMS has to develop its actions at a level which, of .social activity, am! this procf'.SS takes many without ambiguity, must be different from that of diffP.rc11t fonm,. The Enropcun llnion is gaining its member societies. It also relies on them to weight y<•.ar aft.er ye1:1r. and its influence is growing, relay some of its activities, typically those which not onl.v in cmmtries which already belong to it, imply collecting information in various countries or bnt also in t.hoH\1 which aspire to join it. For regions. mathem at icians. a. profos,;iomi.l socic(i · a.ppea.red as If all possible national or regional societies in Europe Uw 11wsl. 11ppropri;1.le sl.nu:lure /,o allow del,a.le 011 have now joined the EMS, a lot remains to be done Uwsc pcrspcd.ivcs. l,o pro1110l,e Mallwmalics and l,o to attract individual members, the most serious rcprnsc11I, Uw corn1m111it,.,· wilh U1e newly eslahlished problem being to overcome economic obstacles for sl.rnc/.11rns. mul also lo Jwlp our discipline meet. the colleagues from less favoured regions. However, we dw.Jlongos Urn/. ii. fac:es armrnd t.he world. recently succeeded in introducing the possibility for Nowaday;;, Society puts much tougher questions colleagues who act as referee.sfor the Zentralblatt fur to scie11tisls in general, ,llld to mat.hema l.icians Mathemalik to pay their feethrough their royalties. iu particular. \Ve must come to grips with Another front on which mathematicianH are involved these demands, without harming the long-term the world around is education. If students are developme11l of our discipline. Short-term views are to circulate easily in the European job market, 4 the various education systems have to be put in bibliographic data basis, Elib-Math, the electronic phase, again while preserving the diversity that is library which now contains 2:3 journals (and 10 more perhaps one of the main resources that Europe soon to come), 7 proceedings of conferencf's, and 1 has to offer. Mathematics is likely to play an monograph. On EMIS will soon be available the important role in these discussions as its teaching CuHent Awareness Progra.mme, which will enable is often controversial. A structure representing the any mathematician to have acces:,, free of charge, mathematical community for discussions on these to a large number of abstracts of article.:,; that questions is certainly . important since we do not have appeared in the last. year. Resume.:, from the want closed lobbies to gain control over such issues. Annales de l'lnstitut Fourier and of publications of A final important point : a the Societe Mathematique de France are aln�ady EMS does provide automatically loaded in CAP. good frameworkfor the development of Mathematics in its unity. Let us remember that this was the Very early, it was decided by tlw l·�xecut.ive motto adopted by the Scientific Committee of the Commit.tee to foi.md JEMS, the Journal of the last European Mathematics Congress in Budapest. EMS. This is just one of the direct.ions in which The speakers selected provided a vivid illustration the EMS is developing it.s publication policy. lt iH of the rightness of this choice. Pure and applied the responsibility of the EMS Publications Offieer, mathematicians have to feel equally at lwme in the formerly Stuart Robertson from Southampt.on, who EMS, and it should keep this in mind in all its was also the animator of 1.he previous Newsletter actions and developments. This is a must if one team, and now Carles Casacuberta, from Barcelona. is to properly address many questions having to do JEMS now has reached a critical stage: the Edit.or with the training -of students, relations with society in-Chief, Jiirgen Jost, one of the diredorn of t.hc and with executives from the private sector as well newly founded Max-Planck-Institut fiir Mat,hematik as from public organizations. in den Naturwissenschaften based in Leipzig, has started to work, in close connection with t.hc main How the European Mathematical Society ? editors, Luigi Ambrosio (Pavia), Gerard Beu Arons In order to fulfil its objectives the EMS has set up (EPFL, Lausanne), .John Coates (Cambridge), a number of tools a.nd is pursuing actions on several Helmut Hofer (Courant Institute) and Alexander fronts.