The Polish Mathematical Society Was and Its Statute Changed)

Home , Karol Borsuk, Kazimierz Kuratowski

SOCIETIES TheThe PolishPolish MathematicalMathematical SocietySociety (PTM)(PTM) Janusz Kowalski (Warsaw)

PTM in the early years headquarters had been moved to Warsaw The Polish Mathematical Society was and its statute changed). established in 1919. The Reader can find The number of members of the Polish information regarding the circumstances Mathematical Society equaled 49 persons of its rise, as well as a description of its in 1921 and 155 persons in 1939. The activity during the first year of its exis- Society was of a scientific character, as tence, in an article by Józef Piórek in the stated in the statute, where active and European Mathematical Society passive voting powers were given exclu- Newsletter ([4]). Stefan Banach, sively to authors of mathematical publi- Franciszek Leja, Otto Nikodym, Stanis³aw cations. A new statute, resolved in Lvov Zaremba and Kazimierz ¯orawski were in 1936, established a federal organization called into being by the government, the among its founder members, and of five sections with its headquarters in Polish Mathematical Society had been the Stanis³aw Zaremba was elected as the Warsaw. The General Meeting of PTM, only central institution representing Polish President of the Society. In 1921, the which included delegates from all sec- mathematics at home and abroad. Apart Mathematical Society in Cracow tions and the President of PTM, elected from assemblies of Polish mathematicians (Towarzystwo Matematyczne w Krakowie) a president, a secretary and a treasurer - organized by this right, PTM was in con- was transformed into a national Polish all of them constituting the General tact with public institutions, voiced opin- Mathematical Society (Polskie Management - as well as a Board of ions on subjects related to science and Towarzystwo Matematyczne; PTM) with Control. The General Management also education and issued its own periodical - its headquarters in Kraków (Cracow). automatically included the presidents of “Annales de la Société Polonaise de According to its first statute, the the sections, who held titles of “vice- Mathématique“ - distributed nationally presidents of PTM“. Sections held local and internationally. meetings, where local General Management members were elected as The post war years well as those of local boards of control In the years 1919-39, the time when the and delegates to the General Meeting of famous Polish mathematical school was PTM. The aforementioned statute of 1936 established, Polish mathematics was a substantially extended the aims of PTM. great success and met with a high esteem on the international forum. During the Second World War, when Poland fell under occupation, all official activity of the Polish Mathematical Society came to a standstill; only clandestine scientific sessions were held in Cracow and in Warsaw. The second period of PTM’s activity involves the years 1945-53, when Kazimierz Kuratowski acted as President. In 1945 the Cracow section was reacti- Stanis³aw Zaremba, vated and in 1946 sections in Poznañ and PTM’s first president Warsaw started to operate again. Within the period 1946-53, six new sections Society’s aim was “a comprehensive cul- were established. The number of mem- tivation of pure and applied mathematics bers of PTM grew from 144 persons in by means of scientific sessions combined Stefan Banach, elected president in 1939 1946 to 339 in 1953. with lectures“. The first change to the During the first years of the post-war statute - still in 1921 - resulted in the Apart from those adopted before, new period, the Polish Mathematical Society following insertion: “publication of a ones were added, among others to orga- was, similarly to the situation before periodical and maintenance of contacts nize competitions, to gather collections of 1936, the only institution actively cover- with the mathematical scientific move- publications, to improve work conditions ing the whole range of issues related to ment“. for mathematicians, to maintain contacts Polish mathematics. As such, it cooperat- Members not residing in Cracow were with scientific institutions both within the ed with Polish authorities on the recon- admitted to PTM through local sections. country and abroad and to invite mathe- struction of the 3rd level education sys- Within the period 1921-1939, the follow- maticians from abroad to give lectures. tem (among others, it prepared a reform ing sections existed: one in Lwów The basic rules under this statute have regarding mathematical studies and M.Sc. (Lvov), since 1921, and three others since been in force until present times. degrees in mathematics). PTM also coop- 1923 in Warszawa (Warsaw), Poznañ and Until 1936, when a Council for Exact erated on a regular basis with the Wilno (Vilnius). Since 1937, mathemati- and Applied Science (Rada Nauk Ministry of Education as well as other cians from Cracow have constituted part Œcis³ych i Stosowanych) and its organ educational authorities, being a founding of the Cracow section (after the Society’s called the Mathematical Committee were body of the first Olympic Games for sec-

24 EMS December 2004 SOCIETIES ondary school students in the country, i.e. the sections in Toruñ, Katowice and file to a Society involved in large-scale the Mathematical Olympic Games. The Szczecin - established in the years 1952- scientific and social activity, became Society was also an initiator of research 55 - and those in Bia³ystok, Rzeszów, reflected in the development of various work and systematically convened scien- S³upsk, Czêstochowa, Kielce, Olsztyn, organizational structures, created within Opole, Nowy S¹cz and Zielona Góra - the Society’s frame to fulfill defined established in the years 1970-75. The sat- assignments. By the end of 1975, six uration of big national scientific centres committees operated under the supervi- with specialist seminars made it necessary sion of PTM’s General Management: the to do research work within a much wider Committee for Popularization of scope that might be of interest to all Mathematics and Higher Education, the mathematicians. There was also a need to Committee for Mathematics at hold a council dedicated to social and Universities, the Committee for School organizational issues. This type of activ- Handbooks, the Committee for ity was conducted by successive sections, Application of Mathematics, the as well as by the General Management Committee for Publication and the of PTM, during section meetings, coun- Committee for an Information and cils, conferences and assemblies of Polish Service Centre. Apart from these, there mathematicians. The Polish Mathematical was a Main Committee for Mathematical Society also fulfilled important tasks Olympiads, which operated together with Kazimierz Kuratowski within the scope of cooperation with the its local committees, seven editorial com- educational authorities, and introduced mittees, one editorial board and four tific sessions. Within the years 1946-49, new forms of teaching young people with competition jury boards. Analogous teams four assemblies of Polish mathematicians a talent for mathematics. It also cooper- operated under the supervision of local took place, the last one together with ated with foreign mathematical centers General Managements. Czechoslovak counterparts. At the same and initiated new publications. An aspect Roman Sikorski, who in the years time, annual competitions for the best of significant value was PTM’s help to 1953-75 impacted PTM’s activity and works within the field of mathematics newly established sections, effectuated development the most, was the Society’s were organized. Editorial activities were mainly through delegating lecturers. President between 1965 and 1977. launched by PTM as early as in 1945, At the end of the 1960s, the Polish Another important character in those when the 18th volume of “Annales de la Mathematical Society got involved in a years was Tadeusz Iwiñski, Secretary in Société Polonaise de Mathématique“ was campaign to establish a new profession the years 1960-1981. published. for mathematicians working within vari- In 1948, the National Mathematical ous branches of science, economy and Conferences and Assemblies Institute (Pañstwowy Instytut Matema- state administration. This problem was Since the very beginning of PTM’s exis- tyczny) was established. That meant that the focus subject for the 10th Assembly tence, scientific lectures and discussions PTM ceased to be the only central math- of Polish Mathematicians - organized in during local meetings, conferences and ematical institution; therefore its activity Katowice in 1970, together with the assemblies have been the basic form of started to be gradually limited to the National Mathematical Committee of the activity. In the years 1919-39, as many profit of the Institute. After the Polish Polish Academy of Sciences. This Academy of Sciences (Polska Akademia Assembly, being the largest one in Nauk) had been called into being in 1952 PTM’s history as far as the number of (the National Mathematical Institute participants is concerned (547), formulat- becoming a part of it after being renamed ed new assignments for the Polish to: Mathematical Institute of the Polish Mathematical Society and desiderata Academy of Sciences - Instytut addressed to other institutions as well as Matematyczny PAN), a third national a definite activity program. In this way, mathematical institution came into being: PTM managed to be a focal point for the National Mathematical Committee of the majority of mathematicians working the Polish Academy of Sciences (Komitet in various branches of economy. Nauk Matematycznych PAN). Statutory Members of the Polish Mathematical tasks of the Mathematical Institute cov- Society are employees of institutes of the ered many fields, previously being with- Polish Academy of Sciences as well as in the scope of activity of the Polish educational centers such as various types Mathematical Society. In bigger scientific of 3rd level education schools (including centres, numerous specialist seminars technical, pedagogic, economic, medical were established and, as a consequence, and agricultural ones), various teaching scientific sessions of PTM lost much of colleges and secondary schools. their appeal. Financial resources are derived from However, there still existed important membership fees, subsidies granted by the Roman Sikorski, scientific and social projects, which could Ministry of Scientific Research and PTM’s president 1965 – 1977 only be carried out within the frame of Information Technology and by the a national scientific society that would Ministry of National Education and Sport. as 1143 lectures were given, while in the assemble all scientific and didactic According to the provisions of the first period of 1949-75, the corresponding employees from within one field. A clear statute, PTM was supposed to “compre- number was 5998 (there are no data cov- indication of this was a spontaneous hensively cultivate pure and applied ering the period of 1945-48). During the establishment of PTM’s new sections in mathematics“, but in practice was con- period between 1976 and 2003, as many cities and towns where new scientific and fined to “scientific sessions combined as 3860 lectures were given. It is worth academic centres emerged. These were with lectures“. A change in PTM’s pro- mentioning that members of other sec- EMS December 2004 25 SOCIETIES tions and mathematicians from abroad debates of the General Meeting of PTM, over all these publications, including constituted a significant part of all lec- constitute the key elements of PTM’s PTM’s official organ “Annales de la turers. Foreign lecturers represented over assembly. Forty sessions were held before Société Polonaise de Mathematique“, which was then renamed to “Annales Polonici Mathematici“. The Polish Mathematical Society started a new phase of publishing activity in

PTM’s Assembly in Wroc³aw, 1946

40 countries from all over the world. 2004, which were dedicated to a general The Polish Mathematical Society has so overview of selected issues related to “Functions of a Complex Variable” far organized 15 assemblies of Polish contemporary mathematics, being of mathematicians (including 3 in the inter- interest to all mathematicians. The the- 1955, when the first of each of two war period), which usually take place matic content of scientific sessions held series of “PTM’s Annals“ were issued. every 5 years; in the remaining years, in the years 1999-2002 embraced an Series 1: “Mathematical Papers“ (“Prace regular PTM meetings have been held. In overview of the most significant achieve- Matematyczne“), which became 1929, PTM organized the First Congress ments in mathematics throughout the 20th “Commentationes Mathematicae“ in 1967, of Mathematicians of the Slavic century. published 43 volumes up to the year Countries. The assemblies are of scientif- 2003. Series 2: “Mathematical News“ ic character. Their programmes involve Publications (“Wiadomoœci Matematyczne“) published lectures and reports of mathematical sub- The publication of periodicals has been stance: cross-thematically during plenary the second basic form of activity of the meetings and those of a more specialized Polish Mathematical Society. In 1921, an character during meetings in sections. organ of PTM entitled “Dissertations of the Polish Mathematical Society“ was called into being, and one year later it was changed into a periodical named “Annales de la Société Polonaise de Mathematique“. 25 volumes of this periodical were issued during the period 1922-52. In the years 1948-53, PTM started publishing other periodicals: a bi- monthly for teachers entitled “Mathe- matics“ (“Matematyka“), launched by PTM in 1948 but taken over by the Ministry of Education in 1953, and a series called “Mathematical Library“ (“Biblioteka Matematyczna“), 1953. Apart Tadeusz Iwiñski, from the ones mentioned above, the fol- PTM’s secretary 1960 – 1981 lowing titles were also published: “Fundamenta Mathematicae“, “Studia These assemblies create an opportunity to Mathematicae“, “Colloquium Mathemati- Wiadomósci Matematyczne ponder on more general issues regarding cum“, “Mathematical Monographs“ and science, the system of education and “Mathematical Dissertations“ (since 39 volumes up to the year 2003. In social matters. These issues could even 1952). In the years 1948-53, PTM super- 1973, Series 3 was launched entitled be a motive to convene a meeting (e.g. vised - by the order of the Ministry of “Applied Mathematics“, which became in the years 1969, 1970 and 1972). Education - all Polish mathematical pub- “Applied Mathematics. Mathematics for Since 1962 the Polish Mathematical lications. the Society“ in 2000, with 45 volumes Society has been organizing 2- to 4-day- In 1953 the Mathematical Institute of published up to the year 2003. In 1977, long scientific sessions that, together with the Polish Academy of Sciences took Series 4 was launched, “Fundamenta 26 EMS December 2004 SOCIETIES Informaticae“, publishing 56 volumes up field of applied mathematics and practi- papers, organized by the editorial board to the year 2003. Finally, in 1982 Series cal elaborations (named after Hugo of “Delta“ monthly. This competition’s 5 was launched, “Didactics of Steinhaus and Wac³aw Pogorzelski); final- finals take place during the annual Mathematics“ (“Dydaktyka Matematyki“); Scientific Session of the Polish 25 volumes were published up to the Mathematical Society. In the period 1976- 2004, nearly one hundred schoolchildren were awarded with prizes and distinc- tions. First of all, they were from comprehensive secondary schools in big cities; however, among them there were also some pupils from secondary voca- tional schools in smaller towns.

Committees In order to carry out its statutory tasks, PTM brings into being specialized committees. In 1953 a Committee for Popularization of Mathematics and in Hugo Steinhaus 1958 a Committee for Secondary Education were called into being by the ly, for achievements for the benefit of General Management of the Polish mathematical culture (named after Samuel Mathematical Society. In the period 1959- Dickstein). PTM Prizes for young math- 61, a subcommittee for a reform of pro- ematicians have also been set up. The grammes and teaching methods worked Toruñ Section organizes the “Józef out projects and drafts regarding some Marcinkiewicz Competition“ for the best school handbooks. This programme was Delta introduced to schools with minor amend- ments and PTM cooperated with the Ministry of Education in its being carried year 2003. out. In 1968 a Committee for School Since 1971, PTM has been distributing Handbooks was called into being to orga- among its members an “Information nize debates in working teams (in the Bulletin of the Polish Mathematical period 1968-71), publish articles, deliver Society“, which includes current news relevant materials to authors, and prepare regarding scientific and organizational reviews of handbooks (including orga- issues. At first it was published several nized debates over them). The times per year, but later this frequency Committees for Secondary and Primary diminished. After a two-year break (2000- Education and for Popularization of 2001) its publication was relaunched and Mathematics worked within three spheres: continued on a more regular basis. Since scientific activity (focusing on the most 1974, further to an initiative of the Polish recent results of scientific research relat- Mathematical and Physical Societies, a ed to didactics of mathematics), analysis popular mathematical/physical monthly, of documents and cooperation in their entitled “Delta“, has been published. The Wac³aw Sierpiñski being elaborated (legal acts and instruc- thematic scope of this publication was tions concerning educational policy), and extended in 1979 by issues regarding student’s paper, the Wroc³aw Section working out methods of modernizing the astronomy. For more information about does similarly for the best student’s paper process of teaching mathematics as well “Delta“, see [4]. Two other periodicals in the field of probability theory and as preparing the mathematics teachers for are published with PTM’s cooperation: mathematical applications, and the edito- new tasks. “Mathematics“ (a periodical for teachers) rial board of “Didactics of Mathematics“ The Committees for Secondary and and “Gradient“ (a periodical for teachers, organizes the “Anna Zofia Krygowska Primary Education and for Popularization pupils and their parents). Competition“ for the best student’s paper of Mathematics, in cooperation with the in the field of didactics of mathematics. Association of Teachers of Mathematics, Competitions and prizes The Polish Mathematical Society is also organized, among others, a national sci- The Polish Mathematical Society is also involved in organizing and supervising entific seminar devoted to didactics of busy with organizing competitions and competitions for prizes named after mathematics. During this seminar, some awarding prizes. There are two competi- Kazimierz Kuratowski, Stanis³aw Mazur proposals of methodical and didactic solu- tions open for entry to all Polish mathe- and W³adys³aw Orlicz. It also takes part tions were put forward which concerned maticians, one for young mathematicians in carrying into effect the idea of lectures various levels of education in relation to under 28 years of age and three for uni- which are awarded with the “Wac³aw mathematics. Special attention was paid versity students. Special PTM prizes have Sierpiñski medal“. On the whole, 836 by the Committee to the role of mathe- been set up, named after outstanding prizes and 25 medals have been award- matics at the “matura“ examination (i.e. Polish mathematicians: Grand Prizes for ed so far. the final high school examination). This scientific achievements (named after The Polish Mathematical Society is a was exemplified by the “Open letter by Stefan Banach, Stefan Mazurkiewicz, patron of activity aimed at bringing to the Polish Mathematical Society“, accept- Stanis³aw Zaremba, Wac³aw Sierpiñski, light pupils with a talent in mathematics. ed by PTM’s General Meeting in Lublin Tadeusz Wa¿ewski, and Zygmunt This activity takes the form of a com- in 1992 (published in numerous dailies Janiszewski); for achievements in the petition for schoolchildren’s mathematical and weeklies). EMS December 2004 27 SOCIETIES In 1962 the Polish Mathematical Conferences of Application of degree competitions, 20718 in 2nd degree Society called into being a Committee for Mathematics, where mathematical models competitions and 3846 in 3rd degree University Education which worked in applicable to specified practical issues competitions. The total number of laure- two teams: one dedicated to non-univer- were acquired and presented. 32 such ates amounted to 817, and of those sitary schools and one dedicated to uni- conferences took place until the year awarded with a distinction title, to 444. versities and pedagogic schools. These 2003. Since 1959, a 6-8 person delegation has teams embraced among other activities: a In 1972, an Information and Service been chosen to participate in internation- reform of the course and the programmes Centre was set up. Up until the end of al mathematical Olympiads. Three of of studies (1964-67), educating mathe- the 1980s, it was responsible for solving such Olympiads were organized in Poland maticians at technical schools (1962-65), problems submitted by various scientific in 1963, 1972 and 1986. Since 1977, the inter-school exchange of students and and economic institutions, acting as advi- candidates for a doctor’s degree, methods sor and conducting training for groups of of educating future mathematicians, employees in their workplace. During assessment of experimental programs, PTM’s scientific sessions, assemblies and modernization of teaching methods, and conferences, problems from applied math- education by the media. In the following ematics have been the subject of a much years, smaller specialised committees more detailed scrutiny now than in the emerged from this Committee. past. In 1993, the Committee of Mathematics at Universities, Pedagogical Academies Popularization and Teaching Colleges, together with its The Polish Mathematical Society under- counterparts in the Polish Physical, takes various types of actions to com- Chemical and Biological Societies, hand- memorate Polish mathematicians. Many ed to the Ministry of Education a streets in Cracow, Warsaw and Wroc³aw “Memorial regarding education within the have been named, on PTM’s initiative, scope of non-major basic subjects at ter- after outstanding mathematicians: tiary-level schools“. The Committee ana- Stanis³aw Go³¹b, Bronis³aw Knaster, lyzed the phenomenon of intensified Miros³aw Krzy¿añski, Kazimierz diversification of programmes related to Kuratowski, Franciszek Leja, Edward Stefan Straszewicz, organiser of teaching mathematical subjects in mathe- Marczewski, Zdzis³aw Opial, Witold Mathematical Olympic Games matical faculties at individual universities. Pogorzelski, Marian Rejewski, Wac³aw On the initiative of the Committee of Sierpiñski, Stefan Straszewicz, Jacek there has also been a 6-person delegation Mathematics at Technical Universities, Szarski, Tadeusz Wa¿ewski and Stanis³aw chosen to participate in the Polish- tests were conducted in 1995 to verify Zaremba. Austrian mathematical competitions, orga- the level of mathematical knowledge of Further to PTM’s application, on 23rd nized each year alternately in Poland and 1st year students at several technical ter- November 1982 the Polish Post-Office in Austria. Since 1992, a 5-person dele- tiary schools. The results, which turned issued four stamps in a “Polish mathe- gation has been chosen to participate in out to be somewhat alarming, were maticians“ series with portraits of Stefan mathematical competitions of the Baltic passed on to educational authorities and Banach, Zygmunt Janiszewski, Wac³aw States, organized by Poland in 1998. made public. Following this, the Sierpiñski and Stanis³aw Zaremba. On the Several mathematicians have been Committee insisted that an entry exami- initiative of PTM’s Cracow Section, a working on the organization of the nation in mathematics be compulsory at monument dedicated to Stefan Banach Olympic Games. The first Chairman of all technical tertiary schools until a com- was erected, to be unveiled with due cer- the Main Committee was Stefan pulsory “matura“ examination in mathe- emony on 30th August 1999 during the Straszewicz, one of the creators of the matics was introduced. XV Assembly of Polish Mathematicians. Mathematical Olympic Games, who held The Committee for Mathematics in The Polish Mathematical Society carries this position for 20 years (1949-1969). Economic Studies was busy with prob- on its activities in the school environ- The Toruñ, Wroc³aw and Nowy S¹cz lems related to “the New Matura“ exam- ment. It organizes lectures for teachers sections, popularized among pupils and ination in mathematics and a “programme and schoolchildren, as well as the gener- students, as well as among adults, the base“ for mathematics in economic stud- al public. 3637 such lectures were given idea of participation in three internation- ies. in the years 1952-2003. Since 1954, PTM al mathematical competitions: Since 1987, the Committee for the has been managing inter-school mathe- “Kangaroo“, “International French History of Mathematics, under the aus- matical circles and competitions for tal- Championship in Mathematical and pices of PTM’s General Management and ented pupils. 1100 such forms of work Logical Games“ and “Mathématiques sans in cooperation with mathematical insti- have been recorded so far. Frontières“. tutes of schools of higher education, has Occasionally, other forms of popular- been organizing annual Schools of ization of mathematical knowledge are International Cooperation History of Mathematics. 18 such schools used: scientific camps for young people, The Polish Mathematical Society has were organized until the year 2004. distance learning studies (delivery of been actively cooperating with the math- During the PTM’s assembly in 1970, a source materials and assignments to stu- ematical community abroad. Since the Committee for Application of dents and sending back corrected assign- first years of PTM’s existence, lectures Mathematics was established in response ments), and guidance units for schools’ have been organized to be given by for- to the fact that many “non-academic“ mathematical circles. eign mathematicians at various occasions (working in various branches of econo- The Mathematical Olympic Games or at a special invitation to give a lec- my) mathematicians had joined the Polish have been operating under the auspices ture in Poland. These lectures are given Mathematical Society. This obliged the of the Polish Mathematical Society. 55 during scientific sessions in PTM’s local Committee to organize (in cooperation Olympiads were held in the years 1949- sections, during PTM’s conferences or with other institutions) annual 2004: 81972 pupils took part in 1st assemblies. Nearly 2000 such lectures 28 EMS December 2004 SOCIETIES were held in the years 1949-2003. The Polish Mathematical Honorary Members Society made agreements for an exchange with the following In recognition for contributions to the development of math- societies: Czechoslovak (1962), Bulgarian (1968), Hungarian ematics, its being taught, applied and popularized, as well as (1973) and Greek (1980). Within this framework, in the years in acknowledgement of devoted participation in PTM’s activ- 1976-1990, 390 persons profited from the exchange program on ities, the Polish Mathematical Society confers the dignity of both sides, spending both in Poland and in the other above Honorary Member of PTM. The following mathematicians mentioned countries a total of 2641 so-called “exchange days“. have been given this dignity so far: Pawe³ S. Aleksandrow, In the case of Greece, such cooperation took place in the years Donald W. Bushaw, Karol Borsuk, Zygmunt Butlewski, 1980-1982. Zbigniew Ciesielski, Mieczys³aw Czy¿ykowski, Samuel Stanis³aw Zaremba, the President of the Mathematical Society Eilenberg, Pàl Erdõs, Eugeniusz Fidelis, Stanis³aw Go³¹b, with its seat in Cracow, represented Polish mathematics during Tadeusz W. Iwiñski, Wiktor Jankowski, Leon Jeœmanowicz, the International Mathematical Congress, held in 1920 in Bronis³aw Knaster, Andriej N. Ko³mogorow, Jan Kozicki, Strasbourg. The International Mathematical Union (IMU) was Anna Krygowska, W³odzimierz Krysicki, Kazimierz established there by representatives from 11 countries: Belgium, Kuratowski, Andrzej Lasota, Jean Leray, Franciszek Leja, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Stanis³aw £ojasiewicz, Edward Marczewski, Stanis³aw Mazur, United States of America, Great Britain and Italy. Among the Jan Mikusiñski, Julian Musielak, Jerzy Sp³awa-Neyman, members of the Executive Committee of the International Witold Nowacki, W³adys³aw Orlicz, Franciszek Otto, Mathematical Union were Kazimierz Kuratowski (1959-1962), a Aleksander Pe³czyñski, Helena Rasiowa, Marian Rejewski, patron of one of PTM’s prizes, and Czes³aw Olech (1979-1982, Edward S¹siada, Wac³aw Sierpiñski, Hugo Steinhaus, Roman 1983-1986). In the years 1963-66, K. Kuratowski acted as Vice- Sikorski, Stefan Straszewicz, W³adys³aw Œlebodziñski, Andrzej President of the Union. Turowicz, Eustachy Tarnawski, Kazimierz Urbanik, Antoni The Polish Mathematical Society sent its own delegations to Wakulicz, Tadeusz Wa¿ewski, Lech W³odarski, Zygmunt 4 international congresses organized by the International Zahorski, Antoni Zygmund. Mathematical Union (Stockholm in 1962, Moscow in 1966, Nice in 1970 and Helsinki in 1978), as well as to 16 scientific conferences in the years 1950-75. In 1983, Poland was the organizer of the International Mathematical Congress in Warsaw. Due to the Martial Law imposed in 1981, the Congress, initially planned to take place in 1982, could only take place as late as 1983. The Organizing Committee was presided by Czes³aw Olech, who was also elected President of the Congress. The Polish Mathematical Society has also been cooperating with the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) on the basis of a reci- PTM’s presidents procity agreement. (1946 – 1977) The Polish Mathematical Society is also one of the founder members of the European Mathematical Society (EMS), called Presidents into being in December 1990 during a meeting held in the The function of President of the Polish Mathematical Society Polish Academy of Sciences conference centre in M¹dralin near was performed by: Stanis³aw Zaremba (1919-21, 1936-37), Warsaw. EMS was established thanks to the initiative of about Wiktor Staniewicz (1921-23), Samuel Dickstein (1923-26), 30 mathematical societies representing nearly all European coun- Zdzis³aw Krygowski (1926-28), Wac³aw Sierpiñski (1928-30), tries. Kazimierz Bartel (1930-32), Stefan Mazurkiewicz (1932-36, During the founding meeting, the Polish Mathematical Society 1937-39), Stefan Banach (1939-45), Karol Borsuk (1946), was represented by Bogdan Bojarski (then director of the Kazimierz Kuratowski (1946-53), Stefan Straszewicz (1953- Mathematical Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences) and 57), Edward Marczewski (1957-59), Tadeusz Wa¿ewski (1959- Andrzej Pelczar, PTM’s President in the years 1987-1991. One 61), W³adys³aw Œlebodziñski (1961-63), Franciszek Leja of EMS’s first Vice-Presidents, elected for the term ending in (1963-65), Roman Sikorski (1965-77), W³adys³aw Orlicz 1992, was Czes³aw Olech. During the term 1992-96, Andrzej (1977-79), Jacek Szarski (1979-81), Zbigniew Ciesielski (1981- Pelczar acted as a member of the Executive Committee of EMS 83), Wies³aw ¯elazko (1983-85), Stanis³aw Balcerzyk (1985- and later, in the years 1997-2000, as EMS’s Vice-President. 87), Andrzej Pelczar (1987-91), Julian Musielak (1991-93), Another organ of EMS’s authority is the Society’s Council, Kazimierz Goebel (1993-99), Boles³aw Szafirski (1999-2003), where the Polish Mathematical Society holds a two-person rep- Zbigniew Palka (2003- ). resentation. During the term 1999-2002, its representatives were Julian Musielak and Andrzej Pelczar. Kazimierz Goebel and skich [More than 50 years of activities of Polish Zbigniew Palka have been elected for the term 2002-2006. Mathematicians], Pañstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe [Polish Scientific Publishers], Warszawa 1975. This elaboration has been written on the basis of an article by [4] J. Piórek, From the minutes of the Mathematical Society Tadeusz Iwiñski [2] in Cracow, Newsletter of the European Mathematical Society 32 (1999). References [1] K.Ciesielski, Z.Pogoda, Interview with Marek Kordos, Janusz Kowalski [[email protected]] graduated in math- Newsletter of the European Mathematical Society 41 (2001). ematics at Warsaw University in 1969. He currently works at [2] T.Iwiñski, Polskie Towarzystwo Matematyczne [The Polish the £azarski Law and Trade University in Warsaw. For many Mathematical Society] in: S³ownik polskich towarzystw years he taught at secondary schools in Warsaw. Since 1988 naukowych [Dictionary of Polish scientific societies], he has been the Vice-Secretary of the Polish Mathematical Warszawa 1975. Society. He is also a member of the Polish Mathematical [3] T.Iwiñski, Ponad pó³ wieku dzia³alnoœci matematyków pol- Society Commission of Teaching and Popularization. EMS December 2004 29