THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
Forthcoming COUNCIL DIARY the budget for the approval of 14 October 2005 Council in June as usual. Society Factoring largely into the Meetings Being a relative newcomer to future direction of the Society the LMS Council, I am on dan- will be the outcome of the 2006 gerous ground speaking of gen- Framework Studies Initiative Friday 10 February eralities, but it seems that at assessing the pros and cons of a London each meeting, amongst the merging of the IMA and LMS. G. Segal many and varied items for dis- Members may have taken U. Tillmann cussion, one or two have a ten- advantage of the various means (Mary Cartwright dency to recur throughout the for expressing their views on Lecture) day; their relevance to many this debate, and all written different areas make them per- comments will be circulated to 1 Monday 15 May vasive and the subject of lively Council members prior to the Leicester discussion. November meeting where fur- Midlands Regional At the October meeting such ther discussion will take place. Meeting a theme was the need for a There were, of course, many M. Bridson recognised procedure for the other topics covered at the long A. Zelevinsky Society to develop and monitor October Council meeting. The a long-term strategic policy on numerous issues of LMS business Friday 16 June the relative priority of its vari- that require Council attention London ous activities. The consensus create a packed agenda. Yu Manin was that Council would agree I can mention just a few of (Hardy Lecture) on the direction for the Society these, and perhaps the first to take over the next few years, should be the suggestion that Friday 3 July and it would be ensured that more authority be delegated to Leeds the allocation of funds was rep- the various committees to make Northern Regional resentative of these aims. As decisions following the general Meeting these priorities are likely to principles agreed by Council. In U. Haagerup change over time, and to give this way every item would not N. Kalton the Society the ability to adapt need to be approved at the to changing circumstances, the Council meetings. This issue will Friday 17 November mechanism to do this is to intro- be discussed further, but it seems London duce a pre-budget discussion at that something in this direction Annual General the March Council meeting to is necessary for a modern Society Meeting review priorities for the avail- that is active on so many fronts – able funds. This would affect it's either that or cancel even the the budget settlement by the short lunch break during which Finance and General Purposes Council members dash down- Committee, who would submit stairs for a bite to eat before THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
being herded back to the meeting room still MATHEMATICS NIGHT chewing their slice of melon. On Tuesday evening 6 December BBC4 TV Another issue touched upon, and which will celebrates mathematics and the beauty of be a subject of further discussion, is that of the numbers by showing a series of films: retrodigitization of the archive of the Bulletin, 21:05 Go Forth and Multiply Ancient Journal and Proceedings of the LMS – materi- Ethiopian number system LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY al dating back to 1865. This will be an impres- 21.10 Music of the Primes Marcus Du Sautoy sive resource and the Council will continue to 22.10 Phi's the Limit: The Golden Ratio debate on how to distribute it, either with cur- 22.15 Breaking the Code Alan Turing rent journal subscriptions or as part of the dig- 23.45 The Mathematical Art of MC Escher MARY CARTWRIGHT LECTURE ital library of Oxford University Press. 23.50 Horizon: Fermat's Last Theorem In a pleasant break from the discussions over Andrew Wiles the more contentious issues, Council decided 24.40 Music of the Primes (repeat) Friday 10 February 2006 unanimously to give £2000 to the World Federation of National Mathematics LMS SUBSCRIPTION 2005-06 Competitions to support participants from Chemistry Auditorium, Christopher Ingold Building, Eastern Europe and Africa to attend their The Society is appreciative of those members University College London, 20 Gordon Street, workshop in Cambridge next July. Most of us who have paid their 2005-06 subscriptions. 2 have seen first-hand how mathematics compe- May we remind those who have not yet paid, London WC1 3 titions stimulate and encourage students who that subscriptions were due on 1 November will grow up to be the next generation of 2005. Prompt payment ensures continuity of mathematicians and this grant will help ensure publications and avoids the need for time- 4.15 pm Graeme Segal (Oxford University) that the Cambridge meeting is attended by consuming reminders. If you have misplaced some of the most experienced competition your renewal of subscription form (enclosed 5.15 pm Tea organisers, as well as those from countries with your October Newsletter) contact the where competitions are still in their infancy. LMS office (email: [email protected]; 5.45 pm Mary Cartwright Lecture Nina C. Snaith tel: 020 7637 3686; fax: 020 7323 3655). Ulrike Tillmann (Oxford University)
LMS Newsletter A reception will be held at De Morgan House at 7.00 pm General Editor: Dr D.R.J. Chillingworth ([email protected]) with a dinner afterwards. For further details contact Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) Susan Oakes ([email protected]). Reviews Editor: Professor M.P.F. du Sautoy ([email protected]) Administrative Editor: Miss S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) There are limited funds available to contribute to the Editorial office address: London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57-58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (tel: 020 7637 3686; fax: 020 7323 3655; travel expenses of Society members or research students email: [email protected], web: www.lms.ac.uk) to attend the Society meeting. Requests for support, Designed by CHP Design (tel: 020 7240 0466, email: [email protected], web:www.chpdesign.com) including an estimate of costs, may be addressed to Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by first day of the month prior to publication. Isabelle Robinson at the Society ([email protected]). Information in the Newsletter is free to be used elsewhere unless otherwise stated; attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. Charity registration number: 252660. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
ALFRED GOLDIE tial applications of the theorem were made by Goldie and his students, whilst many Professor Alfred Goldie, who was elected a doctoral theses and publications by member of the London Mathematical researchers in other parts of the world had Society on 25 April 1949, died on 8 October their origins in his work. 2005. Born in 1920, Alfred Goldie attended With Professor Goldie’s example and Wolverhampton Grammar School before guidance, the Department of Pure being awarded a State Scholarship and an Mathematics at Leeds achieved a very con- Open Major Scholarship at St John’s siderable reputation nationally and inter- College, Cambridge, to read Mathematics. nationally for the quality and calibre of its He was awarded a First in Part II of the research. A most successful Head of Mathematical Tripos in 1941, then leaving Department from 1970 to 1972, and Cambridge for war work and receiving his Chairman of the School of Mathematics BA degree in 1942. from 1976 to 1979, Professor Goldie also In 1946 Goldie entered academic life as held a number of visiting appointments in an assistant lecturer at the University of the USA, Canada and Europe. He was a Nottingham. He took up a lectureship in strong believer in the stimulus of interna- Pure Mathematics at King’s College, tional collaboration and he and colleagues 4 Newcastle in 1948, becoming Senior in the Department, including John 5 Lecturer in 1958 and Reader in Algebra in McConnell, Christopher Robson and Toby 1960. Stafford (the first two of whom had been In 1963 Professor Goldie was appointed his research students), enjoyed fruitful to the second Chair in Pure Mathematics at interactions with a series of distinguished Leeds, with a specific brief to foster academic visitors to Leeds. Alfred Goldie research and postgraduate teaching. He was awarded the prestigious Senior Berwick had already established an international Prize of the London Mathematical Society reputation as an algebraist, particularly in in 1970, and served on the Council of the the theory of rings. His early research had Society and as its Vice-President from 1978 been concerned with a study of general to 1980. A man of vivid personality and algebraic systems, but in the early 1950s his strong opinions, he was a tireless advocate interests switched to ring theory and the of the need for proper resources to sustain new ideas that had recently been intro- the international quality of mathematics duced by the then leading authority in this and the other sciences in the UK. field, Nathan Jacobson of Yale University. Professor Goldie retired in 1986, the occa- Goldie initially collaborated with his col- sion being marked by an international sym- league F.F. Bonsall in the successful applica- posium in Leeds. In the words of the Senate tion of Jacobson’s work to the study of resolution adopted on his retirement ‘at Banach algebras, their 1954 paper this symposium the extent of his fame, and ‘Annihilator Algebras’ in the Proceedings of the affection and admiration felt for him, the LMS producing considerable interest. were movingly demonstrated by over one Goldie went on to produce seminal papers hundred participants from around the on the theory of noncommutative rings, world’. Professor Goldie remained active in leading to an invitation from Jacobson to his subject after retirement, including serv- spend the year 1960-61 at Yale. ‘Goldie’s ing as an editor of the Journal of Algebra. Theorem’ was to provide the cornerstone of He is survived by his second wife, Margaret, a whole body of future research; substan- and a son and two daughters. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
LONDON MATHEMATICAL The Senior Berwick Prize is named after SOCIETY PRIZES 2006 Professor W.E.H. Berwick, a former Vice- LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY President of the Society, and is awarded in Announcement and Call even-numbered years. The Senior Berwick for Nominations Prize for year X can only be awarded to a Cecil King Travel Scholarship A Prizes Committee has been appointed for mathematician who is a member of the 2006. The membership is: Society on 1st January of year X; it is award- The London Mathematical Society annually awards a Cecil King Travel Scholarship Professor David Abrahams ed in recognition of an outstanding piece of in Mathematics to the value of £5000, to a young mathematician of outstanding Professor Stephen Donkin mathematical research actually published by promise, to support a period of study or research abroad for a typical period of Professor Frank Kelly the Society during the eight years ending on three months. Many mathematicians have found that such a visit has benefited Professor Malcolm MacCallum 31st December of year X-1; and it may not be both their mathematics and their career; the Society urges young mathematicians Professor David Preiss awarded to any person who has previously and their supervisors seriously to consider this opportunity. Professor David Rand received the De Morgan Medal, Polya Prize, The award is competitive and based on a written proposal describing the intended Professor John Toland (Chair) Senior Whitehead Prize or Naylor Prize. programme of study or research abroad and the benefits to be gained from such Professor Richard Ward The Fröhlich Prize is awarded in even num- a visit. In 2006, Council expects to award the Polya bered years in memory of Professor Albrecht Prize, the Senior Berwick Prize, the Fröhlich Fröhlich (De Morgan Medallist 1992). The Applicants should normally be nationals of the UK or Republic of Ireland, under Prize and up to four Whitehead Prizes. Fröhlich Fund for this purpose was based on 6 the age of 25 years, either registered for or having recently completed a doctoral Members wishing to nominate candidates a generous donation from Mrs Fröhlich, 7 degree at a UK University. should use the designated form, which is reflecting Professor Fröhlich's great enthusi- available to download from the LMS website asm for, and gratitude to, the London The initial application should include: (www.lms.ac.uk) or can be obtained by con- Mathematical Society. No person shall be • a completed application form; tacting the Secretary to the Committee at the awarded a Fröhlich Prize more than once. • a short proposal (4 pages maximum) indicating the proposed programme of study Society (tel: 020 7927 0800, email: A Fröhlich Prize may not be awarded to any abroad, the benefit of such an opportunity in advancing the candidate's studies, [email protected]). Nominations should be person who has received the De Morgan and the Institution that the candidate wishes to visit; received no later than Friday 13 January 2006. Medal or the Polya Prize. The Prize shall be • a letter of support from the applicant’s Head of Department, or from his or her Brief descriptions of the criteria for each restricted to mathematicians who, on 1st Research Supervisor. Prize are given below. Council reserves the January of the year of the award, are either right not to make an award of any particular (i) normally resident in the United Kingdom Candidates selected for interview will be asked to approach the intended research Prize in the event that no candidate of suffi- of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or institution or research leader to be visited, to confirm that a visit would indeed be cient merit is recommended by the Prizes (ii) members of the Society mainly educated welcomed if an award were made. Committee. The full regulations for each in the United Kingdom. The Prize shall only prize can be obtained from the Society be awarded to a mathematician who on the At the end of the Scholarship, the student will be expected to write a short report (contact details as above). 1st January of the year of its award is under indicating the activities and benefits gained from the visit. The Polya Prize is awarded in those years, 50 years old except that this age restriction The Cecil King Travel Scholarship was established in 2001 by the Cecil King Memorial not numbered by a multiple of 3, in which the may be relaxed when it appears desirable to Fund. The award is made by the Council of the London Mathematical Society on the De Morgan Medal is not available for award. do so in order to take fair account of a bro- recommendation of the Cecil King Prize Committee, nominated by the Society's The Prize is in memory of Professor G. Polya, ken career pattern. The Prize shall be award- Education Committee. who was a Member (and later Honorary ed for original and extremely innovative Member) of the Society for about 60 years. work in any branch of mathematics. Application forms for the 2006 Scholarship are available on the Society's website The Polya Prize is awarded in recognition of The Whitehead Prizes are awarded to math- (www.lms.ac.uk/activities/cecil_king/index.html) or from Isabelle Robinson at the Society outstanding creativity in, imaginative exposi- ematicians who on 1 January 2006 are nor- ([email protected]). The closing date for applications is Friday 10 February 2006. tion of, or distinguished contribution to mally resident in the United Kingdom or mem- mathematics within the United Kingdom; it bers of the Society mainly educated in the The London Mathematical Society is a registered charity for the promotion of mathematical knowledge. may not be awarded to any person who has United Kingdom, who are not already Fellows previously received the De Morgan Medal. of the Royal Society, and who are under the THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
age of forty years (except that this age restric- Nominations are invited. These should be tion may be relaxed when it appears desirable made on a nomination form available on to do so in order to take fair account of bro- both Societies’ websites or from the Secretary ken career patterns). Grounds for the award to the David Crighton Committee may include work in and influence on mathe- ([email protected]). Nominations must be matics. This Prize may not be awarded to any- received by 31 January 2006. one who has won any of the Society’s other Prizes. Members are reminded that the scope SIR HARRY RAYMOND PITT of the Whitehead Prizes (as of the other Society Prizes to be awarded in 2006) includes Sir Harry Raymond Pitt FRS, who was elected all aspects of mathematics, and Council has a member of the London Mathematical emphasised that this includes applied mathe- Society on 16 December 1937, died on matics, mathematical physics and mathemati- 8 October 2005 at the age of 91. He was born cal aspects of computer science. on 3 June 1914 and attended King Edward’s School, Stourbridge, before winning a schol- DAVID CRIGHTON MEDAL arship to Peterhouse, Cambridge. From 1964- 79 he was Vice-Chancellor of the University The David Crighton Medal was established by of Reading, where he is still remembered 8 the Councils of the LMS and IMA in 2002 in with great affection and where the Sir Harry 9 order to pay tribute to the memory of Professor Pitt Building houses Statistics. David George Crighton FRS. The silver gilt medal As well as his research papers in the math- will be awarded to an eminent mathematician ematical journals, he published three well- for services both to mathematics and to the known books, Tauberian Theorems (1957), mathematical community, who is normally resi- Measure, Integration and Probability (1963) dent in the mathematical community represent- and Measure and Integration for Use (1986). ed by the two organisations on the 1 January of Up to the end of his life he maintained his the year of the award. The award will be con- interest in mathematics. sidered triennially by the Councils of the Sir Harry was a Bye-Fellow of Peterhouse, Institute and the Society. The medal-winner will Cambridge, 1936-39; Choate Memorial Fellow, normally be presented with the award at a joint Harvard University, 1937-38; lecturer at the meeting of the Institute of Mathematics and its University of Aberdeen, 1939-42; worked at the Applications and the London Mathematical Air Ministry and Ministry of Aircraft Production, Society, and will be invited to give a lecture. 1942-45; Professor of Mathematics, Queen’s The first Medal was awarded to Professor University, Belfast, 1945-50; Professor of Pure John Ball FRS, in 2003. Mathematics, University of Nottingham, 1950- A David Crighton Medal Committee has 1964, Visiting Professor, Yale University, 1962- been established, comprising three members 63; President of the IMA, 1984-85. from the LMS and three from the IMA. He received honorary degrees from the LMS Members: Universities of Aberdeen (1970), Nottingham Professor J.F. Toland (1970) and Reading (1978). He was knighted Professor K. Falconer in 1978, elected Fellow of the Royal Society in Professor M. du Sautoy 1957 and served on the LMS Council. IMA Members: He was predeceased by Catherine, Lady Professor P. Grindrod Pitt, but is survived by his sons Mathew, John, Professor T. Pedley Daniel and Julian. Professor J. Hogan J.D.M. Wright THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
IMA–LMS FRAMEWORKS He was Secretary of the Royal Grants awarded between June and October 2005 Astronomical Society (1956-64), elected an Scheme 1 STUDY INITIATIVE FRS in 1959. His administrative jobs included Looking at the future options for the Director Generalship of ESRO from 1967, Applicant Title Grant IMA and LMS becoming Chief Scientific Advisor in the Mathematics Department Meeting – Warwick Ministry of Defence in 1971, moving to the J. Levesley Developments in Pattern Recognition and Data Mining £2,600 As part of the debate on the possibility of the Department of Energy as chief scientist in G. Wilks, Y. Fu BAMC 2006 £3,000 two societies moving into a different rela- 1977, and then in 1980 to Swindon to be tionship at some point in the future, mathe- chairman of NERC for four years. He was D.F. Holt Magma Workshop on Group Theory £2,500 matics departments were asked to arrange Master of Churchill College, Cambridge, from and Algebraic Geometry meetings at their regions to discuss this doc- 1983 to 1990. H. Zheng Mathematical Finance and Stochastic Analysis Workshop £3,000 ument, and to offer their opinions. A meet- In 1947 he married Christine Stockman, ing to this effect has been organised at one of Hoyle's postgraduate physics students, S. Whitehouse Sheffield Homotopy Mini-Conference £3,000 Warwick on 17 February 2006 at 4.00 pm to who survives him, as do their two sons and which anyone interested is invited. Further three daughters. T. Holm Triangulated Categories in Modern Mathematics £3,500 details will be included in the Newsletter or R. Penrose D.W. Hoffmann Quadratic Forms, Linear Algebraic Groups £4,000 see www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/research/ and Related Topics colloquia.html. LMS PROGRAMME AND 10 J. Bolton Yorkshire Durham Geometry Day in Honour £1,190 11 SIR HERMANN BONDI CONFERENCE FUND of Tom Willmore The Programme and Conference Fund is J. Billingham A Meeting in Memory of Professor Andy King £2,395 Sir Hermann Bondi FRS, born (in Vienna) used to give financial support for mathe- 1 November 1919, died 10 September 2005, matical research, mainly in the UK. The A. Beckmann Computability in Europe 2006: Logical Approaches £3,890 was an outstanding figure, both as an fund is administered by the LMS to Computational Barriers applied mathematician and scientific admin- Programme Committee, which distributes V.B. Kuznetsov Sklyanin Algebras and Beyond £2,500 istrator. As Professor of Mathematics at as grants some of the funds that the Society King’s College London between 1954 and receives from its investments and publish- G.R. Robinson Sixth Century Conference in Representation Theory £2,500 1971, he built one of the leading research ing activities. This is one of the mechanisms F. Theil Mathematics of Biomolecules £2,300 groups world-wide, at the time, in the study through which the Society achieves its cen- of Einstein’s general relativity. tral purpose, namely to 'promote and N. Jacob BMC 2007 £8,000 Bondi’s own work on gravitational radia- extend mathematical knowledge'. The tion was seminal, laying the foundations of Society operates as a charity and thus J.M. Lindsay Noncommutative Analysis, Quantum Theory £200 the modern understanding of the subtleties of Programme Committee has different and Stochastic Analysis gravitational wave energy, leading to the ren- opportunities and works within a different aissance in the 1960s of theoretical activity in regulatory framework from other funding Scheme 2 general relativity. He was a distinguished cos- bodies, such as the EPSRC. In particular, we mologist, especially well known for his intro- do not meet the ‘full economic cost’ of the Applicant Visitor To Visit Grant duction, with Gold and Hoyle, of the steady- activities supported by our grants. state model of the universe, providing its Programme Committee grants are made A. Ranicki J. Levine Warwick, Durham, Edinburgh £450 sound mathematical basis, yet being well pre- under six schemes which are described on the J.R. Whiteman H.T. Banks Brunel, Reading, Cardiff £1,200 pared to abandon the model when inconsis- LMS website (www.lms.ac.uk/activities/ tencies with the microwave background prog_com/index.html). B. Zegarlinski D. Bakry Oxford, Warwick, Imperial College £950 began to be apparent. He was a superb expos- Please note that Programme Committee's T. Konstantopoulos A.I. Sakhanenko Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh, Strathclyde £900 itor and an inspiration to many, with his jovial budget is under pressure, and we are not nature and original wit, delivered with a char- always able to make awards as often or as P.H. Kropholler I. Chatterji Glasgow, Imperial College, £1,000 acteristically Austrian-tinged precise English. fully as we would like. Southampton THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
Scheme 3 Scheme 4
Applicant Institution Title Grant Applicant Institution Collaborator Institution Grant
I. McIntosh York Yorkshire Durham Geometry Days £900 K.J. Sandiford Salford D.A. Prikazchikov Russian State Technical £500 University of Railway D. Mond Warwick Singularity Theory and Applications £1,200 Transport
J.P.C. Greenlees Sheffield Transpennine Topology Triangle £1,200 P. Vámos Exeter R. Wiegand Nebraska-Lincoln, USA £500 S. Wiegand A.P. Fordy Leeds Classic and Quantum Integrability £1,200 N. Nikolov Oxford M. Kassabov Cornell, USA £500 N. Snashall Leicester BLOC (Bristol Leicester Oxford £1,200 Colloquium) J. Sivaloganathan Bath N. Marerro Puerto Rico £500 E. Montes Xue-Mei Li Loughborough East Midlands Stochastic Analysis seminar £1,200 R. Hazrat QUB N. Vavilov State University of £500 A.F. Jarvis Sheffield North of England Algebraic Number £750 St Petersburg Theory Group S. Pott Glasgow S. Petermichl University of Texas £250 S. Pott Glasgow North British Functional Analysis Seminar £900 at Austin, USA
12 M. Dzamonja East Anglia CAMELEON £900 F. Neumann Leicester D. Juan-Pineda UNAM, Morelia, £430 13 J. Brodzki Southampton K-theory and Analysis £1,200 Mexico
A. Scott Oxford OWL research group in Combinatorics £900 J.H. Merkin Leeds D.J. Needham Reading £250 and Statistical Mechanics Scheme 5 J. Bennett Birmingham The UK Harmonic Analysis and PDE's £1,200 Research Network Applicant Visitor/Institution To Visit Grant
W. Lionheart Manchester Multidimensional Inverse Problems £1,200 D.L. Salinger H. Dedania (Sardar Patel, India) Leeds £1,400
R. Sharp Manchester Ergodic Theory £1,200 J. Eggers M. Habibi (IASBS, Iran) Bristol £1,500
A. Duncan Newcastle North Eastern Geometric Group Theory £900 D. Strauss Y. Zelenyuk (Witwatersrand, Hull, Leeds £1,400 Seminar South Africa)
J.R. Whiteman Brunel University Kanpur, Delhi and £1,100 Scheme 4 Mumbai
Applicant Institution Collaborator Institution Grant A.L. Brown University College, London Sultan Qaboos, Oman £400
F.P.A. Coolen Durham T. Augustin Ludwig Maximilians, £440 Münich VISIT OF PROFESSOR R.L. DEVANEY P. Harris Brighton K. Chen Liverpool £250 Professor R.L. Devaney (Boston University) and Queen Mary, University of London, from will be visiting the UK in early 2006, support- 4 – 18 February. Professor Devaney will give L. Sbano Warwick D.R.J. Chillingworth Southampton £250 ed by an LMS Scheme 2 grant. He will be talks at these locations and at the Open R. Baker Oxford N. Kotov Kazan, Russia £500 based in Warwick from 22-28 January (local University, on various topics around the organisers Caroline Series and Adam theme of ‘complex topology meets complex R.S. Simon LSE B. Weiss Hebrew, Israel £500 Epstein), Manchester from 31 January – dynamics’. For details contact Shaun Bullett 3 February (local organiser Richard Sharp) ([email protected]). THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
RANDOM GRAPHS For further information and registration, visit www.ims.nus.edu.sg/Programs/randomgraphs. AND LARGE-SCALE For general enquiries email imssec@ REAL-WORLD NETWORKS nus.edu.sg. For enquiries on scientific aspects of the programme email Bela Bollobás The Institute for Mathematical Sciences ([email protected]). (Singapore) is organizing a programme on Random Graphs and Large-Scale Real-World COMBINATORIAL Networks from 1 May – 30 June 2006 in Singapore. The organizing committee is: OPTIMIZATION Chair SUMMER SCHOOL • Bela Bollobás (University of Memphis and University of Cambridge) An SMS-NATO Advanced Summer Institute Co-chairs Summer School on Combinatorial • Khee-Meng Koh (National University of Optimization: Methods and Applications will Singapore) take place from 19-30 June at the Université de • Oliver Riordan (University of Cambridge) Montréal, Canada. The Invited Lecturers are: • Chung-Piaw Teo (National University of • Gérard Cornuéjols (Carnegie Mellon 14 Singapore) University) 15 • Vikram Srinivasan (National University of • Sanjeeb Dash (IBM T.J. Watson Research Singapore) Center) The aim of the programme is to bring • Friedrich Eisenbrand (Max-Planck-Institut together people who have done much work für Informatik) on the rigorous mathematical theory of ran- • Lisa K. Fleischer (Carnegie Mellon dom graphs and experts (mostly physicists University) and computer scientists) on measuring real- • Michael X. Goemans (Massachusetts world graphs, modeling them and studying Institute of Technology) them experimentally. The problems concern- • Yuri Kochetov (Russian Academy of ing complex networks vary greatly in impor- Sciences) tance and difficulty, so the programme • Bernhard Korte (University of Bonn) should not only enable young researchers to • Gleb Koshevoy (Russian Academy of gain access to the methods and problems of Sciences) a large and very active field, but the research • Shmuel Onn (Technion - Israel Institute of community should also benefit from the col- Technology) lective wisdom of the participants as to the • Dieter Rautenbach (University of Bonn) direction of future research. • Najiba Sbihi (École Mohammadia) The programme will consist of tutorials, • Jens Vygen (University of Bonn) workshop and a public lecture, with ample Topics will include (but will not be restrict- opportunities for collaborative research ed to) integer and mixed integer program- among local and international participants, ming, game theory, convexity in combinator- as follows: ial optimization, facility location, VLSI design, Tutorials (8-12 May) L. Lovász, B. Bollobás, and supply chain management. Deadline for P. Balister, O. Riordan, S. Janson applications is 28 February. For further infor- Workshop (12-16 June) mation and an application form visit: Public Lecture (to be advised) J.T. Chayes, www.dms.umontreal.ca/sms or email A.L. Barabási [email protected]. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
WINTER COMBINATORICS LOGICAL APPROACHES TO mittee emphatically encourage submissions Footballs are made up of pentagons and by female authors. The proceedings are hexagons, but how many pentagons are MEETING COMPUTATIONAL BARRIERS intended to be published within Springer's there? What are buckyballs, and what have The 2006 Open University Winter Computability in Europe 2006 (CiE 2006) is LNCS series. they to do with the Montreal World Fair? Combinatorics Meeting will be held on the second of a new conference series on For more information about the confer- Wednesday 25 January in the Christodoulou Computability Theory and related topics ence please check the CiE conference series How to grow trees Meeting Room 15 (CMR 15) on the Open which started in Amsterdam in 2005. CiE www.illc.uva.nl/CiE/ and the website Wednesday 1 February University campus in Milton Keynes. All are 2006, which will take place from 30 June – www.cs.swansea.ac.uk/cie06/. The conference Tree diagrams arise in many contexts, from welcome and coffee will be available from 5 July at Swansea University, will focus on is supported by a London Mathematical family trees to chemical molecules, electrical 10.15 am. The speakers will be: (but not be limited to) logical approaches to Society grant. networks, the design of canals and the brac- • Rosemary Bailey (Queen Mary, London) computational barriers: ing of frameworks. We describe these exam- • Simon Blackburn (Royal Holloway, London) • practical and feasible barriers, eg, centred UK-JAPAN WINTER SCHOOL ples and others from the allied subject of • Diane Donovan (Queensland, Australia) around the P vs. NP problem; graph theory, and show you how you can • Martin Knor (Slovak Technical University, • computable barriers connected to models The UK-Japan Winter Schools have been cope with instant insanity. Bratislava) of computers and programming languages; held since 1999. Every year the focus is on a • Nigel Martin (Durham) • hypercomputable barriers related to physi- special topic. For the next Winter School the Problems with schoolgirls For further information visit cal systems. topic will be Dynamics and Arithmetics. The Wednesday 22 February http://puremaths.open.ac.uk/combin, or contact Invited Speakers: aim of the School is to bring together Block designs are used in agriculture in con- 16 Mike Grannell ([email protected]) or • Jan Bergstra (Amsterdam) Japanese and UK scientists, in particular also nection with the planting of wheat. But ear- 17 Terry Griggs ([email protected]). The • Luca Cardelli (Microsoft Cambridge) young researchers and students from mathe- lier they arose in the so-called ‘schoolgirls organisers gratefully acknowledge the sup- • Martin Davis (New York) matics and mathematical physics, in a relax- problem’. What are block designs, what is the port of the British Combinatorial Committee • John W Dawson (York, PA) ing and stimulating atmosphere. It will be schoolgirls problem, and what is their con- and the Leverhulme Trust. • Jan Krajicek (Prague) held from 8-12 January at Nowton Court, nection with geometry and music? • Elvira Mayordomo Camara (Zaragoza) Bury St Edmunds. MODEL THEORY • Istvan Nemeti (Budapest) For further information contact John Yea, why try her raw wet hat? • Helmut Schwichtenberg (München) Bolton, Department of Mathematical Special lecture on Tuesday 2 May at 6 pm at SUMMER SCHOOL • Andreas Weiermann (Utrecht) Sciences, University of Durham the City of London School There will be a Summer School in Model Special Sessions: ([email protected]) or David It is often said that mathematics and music Theory, at the University of Leeds, Monday • Proofs and Computation Elworthy, University of Warwick go together, but what does this mean? This 12 December – Saturday 17 December (last • Computable Analysis ([email protected]) or visit the web- illustrated lecture features a small choir and lecture on 16 December). It will consist of • Challenges in Complexity site http://euclid.ucc.ie/pages/staff/berndt/ instrumentalists who perform music ranging three short courses, each of 5-6 lectures, by • Foundations of Programming ws2006home.html. from Tallis and Bach to Bartok and Mike Prest (University of Manchester), Angus • Mathematical Models of Computers and Hindemith, and answers such questions as: Macintyre (Queen Mary, University of Hypercomputers GRESHAM LECTURES 2006 Why are pianos always out of tune? Can London) and Eric Jaligot (University of Lyon 1). • Gödel Centenary: His Legacy for music have a ‘geometry’? Why are there Geometry and other Mathematical There will also be tutorial discussion sessions Computability seven colours in the rainbow? and What is Sciences in the evenings. It is particularly intended for The programme committee invites all the meaning of the title of this talk? first and second year research students in researchers (European and non-European) in Professor Robin Wilson: Gresham Professor of model theory, but may also be useful for the area of Computability Theory to submit Geometry All the lectures are held at Gresham more advanced researchers in other areas. their papers (in PDF-format, at most 10 College, Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn, London This is an event of the EU Marie Curie pages) for presentation at CiE 2006 by Wallpaper patterns and buckyballs EC1N 2HH (near Chancery Lane tube station) Research Training Network MODNET, but all 15 December. The committee particularly Wednesday 18 January at 1 pm and 6 pm on Wednesdays, apart are welcome. For details contact Dugald invites papers that build bridges between We are all familiar with patterned wallpaper, from the Special Lecture which is on Macpherson ([email protected]), different parts of the research community. but how many regular patterns are there? Tuesday 2 May at 6 pm. Entrance is free. or see www.maths.leeds.ac.uk/Pure/logic/ Since women are under-represented in Can you tile your bathroom floor with Telephone: 020 7831 0575; website: modnet.dec.html. mathematics and computer science, the com- square, hexagonal and octagonal tiles? www.gresham.ac.uk. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
THE 46TH INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICAL Commonwealth from 3rd in 2004 to 1st snatched the Latin American championship place in 2005. Nations performing very well from Colombia (105). The jury awarded a OLYMPIAD AND HURRICANE EMILY this year include Italy (120), which unusual- special prize to a student from Moldova for The 46th International Mathematical involve weekly meetings of the most able stu- ly managed to finish ahead of France (83), a remarkable solution to an inequality Olympiad was held in Mérida, Mexico in July dents with their trainers. In the UK we do not and Denmark (69) which took the problem. 2005. This place is on the Yucatán peninsula, allow IMO preparations to interfere with nor- Scandinavian championship. Peru (104) has Here is the unofficial table of the top 30 in the area inhabited by the Mayan people. mal school life, and almost all our events take made dramatic strides this year, and almost countries (out of 91) in 2005. The actual competition consists of two place during school vacations. papers, each containing three very hard ques- When trying to measure UK performance 1 China 235 11 Bulgaria 173 21 Moldova 130 tions drawn from algebra, combinatorics, at the IMO we tend to compare ourselves 2 USA 213 12 Germany 163 22 Turkey 130 geometry and number theory. Each question with the other large social democracies of is marked out of 7, according to an agreed Western Europe since this is, broadly speak- 3 Russia 212 13 United Kingdom 159 23 Thailand 128 marking scheme. Half the competitors receive ing, a fair contest. The UK team was: Saul 4 Iran 201 14 Singapore 145 24 Italy 120 medals, and these are awarded in the ratio Glasman, Latymer School, London; Nathan 5 Korea 200 15 Vietnam 143 25 Australia 117 gold:silver:bronze = 1:2:3. This year 91 nations Kettle, Hitchin Boys School, Hertfordshire; 6 Romania 191 16 Czech Republic 139 26 Kazakhstan 112 competed. Each country may send up to six Andre Kueh, Bromsgrove School, 7 Taiwan 190 17 Hong Kong 138 27 Columbia 105 students, and most do send the maximum Worcestershire; Matthew Lee, Robert Smyth number. Like the athletic olympic games, the School, Market Harborough, Leicestershire; 8 Japan 188 18 Belarus 136 28 Poland 105 18 competition is between individuals, not coun- Martin Orr, Methodist College, Belfast, and 9 Hungary 181 19 Canada 132 29 Peru 104 19 tries, but inevitably nations compete unoffi- finally Jack Shotton, Portsmouth Grammar 10 Ukraine 181 20 Slovakia 131 30 Israel 99+ cially by comparing the sum of the marks School. The two reserves were Tom Eccles of obtained by their students. Populations of St Paul's School, London and Alex Smith (for countries, educational standards and levels of the second year running) of King Edward The rankings of selected other countries remarkable smoothness. Congratulations to preparation vary widely between nations. VIth Five Ways, Birmingham. are France 32nd, India 36th, New Zealand the Mexican organizers. Some countries have specialist IMO schools Each of the six questions is marked out 38th, Ireland 51st, Spain 58th and South I thank everyone who helped in the vast which take talented young mathematicians of 7. It is interesting to note that the UK Africa 62nd. One question on the Hebrew collective effort which goes into UK IMO out of the normal school system at a young secured perfect scores on both number theory paper was not printed correctly. This imped- training and support. The team delivered the age, and others have training regimes which questions. ed two students and a small indefinite goods, very near to the upper limits of our quantity should be added to the Israeli most optimistic forecasts. Adrian Sanders P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 ∑ Medal score, so their true position is given by a made an exceptional effort coaching the probability distribution. squad this year, and he now retires from his Saul Glasman 2 7 0 7 3 1 20 Bronze The quality of hospitality and organization role as deputy leader. Nathan Kettle 7 7 7 7 3 2 33 Silver delivered by our Mexican hosts was quite As well as thanking everyone who helped Andre Kueh 3 7 7 7 1 7 32 Silver exceptional. Throughout the IMO, hurricane train our team, I would like to thank the Emily bored across the Caribbean toward us, reserves who played a vital role. We are also Matthew Lee 1 7 0 7 7 1 23 Silver and hit the Yucatán peninsula on the very grateful for financial and other support from Martin Orr 7 7 6 7 7 1 35 Gold day that the closing ceremony was sched- the Department for Education and Skills, the Jack Shotton 2 7 0 7 0 0 16 Bronze uled. The forecast track of Emily had the eye United Kingdom Mathematics Trust, the 22 42 20 42 21 12 159 1G, 3S, 2B passing straight over us. Shelters were con- microelectronics company ARM, The Royal structed in windowless function rooms, and Society, the Bolyai Society of Hungary and events were rescheduled and relocated at the publishing house Springer Verlag. A Martin Orr became the first ever resident ing the UK an unofficial position of 13/91. very short notice. Happily for Mérida and the much more detailed report is available at of Ireland (from either side of the border) This year the UK retained its 2004 ranking IMO, Emily turned at the last moment, and www.imo-register.org.uk/reports.html. to secure an IMO gold medal. The medal of 3rd in the EU, after Hungary and only clipped us. Geoff Smith harvest of 1G, 3S, 2B is the best since 1996. Germany (passing Poland but passed by The hurricane safety measures and University of Bath Collectively the team scored 159 points giv- Germany). We improved our position in the rescheduling of the event all happened with UK IMO team leader THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
20 21 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
LMS ALGORITHMS reasonable complexity assumption) there is no efficient sampler for independent sets in gen- MEETING eral graphs; in this sense, the general case is a The October meeting of the LMS had two step too far. There is a mysterious intermediate RECORDS OF PROCEEDINGS talks concerned with algorithms. This is a par- case however. If one considers independent ticularly important area of research and much sets in bipartite graphs, one can use network AT MEETINGS of the work lies at the interface of flow to show that the optimization problem Mathematics and Computer Science. The (that of finding a maximum independent set) recent International Review of Mathematics can be solved in polynomial time. On the other ORDINARY MEETING stressed the need for the mathematical com- hand, sampling independent sets in bipartite munity in the UK to increase research in this graphs is inter-reducible with several other held on Friday 7 October 2005 at University College London. area; it was therefore particularly appropriate sampling problems which are complete for About 35 members and visitors were present for all or part that the LMS should devote one of its meet- some logically defined complexity class. One of the meeting. ings to this particular theme. We were fortu- might ask whether this is a class of sampling nate to have two of the leading researchers in problems of some intermediate complexity. The meeting began at 3.15 pm, with the General Secretary, algorithms, Mark Jerrum (Edinburgh) and Mark finished his talk with some intriguing Professor N.L. BIGGS, in the Chair. Martin Dyer (Leeds), addressing the meeting. open problems. If we consider perfect match- The first talk was by Mark Jerrum with the ings, the mixing time can be exponential; 22 Five people were elected to Ordinary Membership: title Algorithmically feasible sampling: what does there exist a polynomial-time algorithm 23 M. Herson, B.E.A. Nucinkis, S.C. Olhede, M.R. Samuels, are the limits? Mark started by describing an for sampling perfect matchings in a general T. Tanpradist; three people were elected to Associate example of an algorithmic sampling problem, graph? On the other hand, if we consider Membership: L. Husbands, B.K. Muite, O.P.A. Sisask; and that of a matching in a graph. With sequen- bipartite graphs, a strategy which uses a one person was elected a Member under a Reciprocity tial choice the resulting distribution is highly more refined weighting function (together dependent on the order in which we consider with a ‘simulated annealing’ type approach) Agreement: S. Velusamy (Amer. Math. Soc.). the edges; this is too naive an approach. gives a polynomial-time method; one can still Three people signed the book and were admitted to the Mark then turned his attention to Monte ask whether there is an algorithm for sam- Carlo methods. If we consider a Markov chain pling perfect matchings in a bipartite graph Society. Monte Carlo, then the uniform distribution is that is efficient in practice. Mark also asked The Records of the Proceedings of the Society Meetings the unique stationary distribution. One ques- about the status of sampling independent tion here is that of how we measure the con- sets in bipartite graphs; is it really intermedi- held on 10 June, 17 June and 8 July 2005 were signed as vergence time. We are interested in the ‘mix- ate in complexity between independent sets correct records. ing time’, i.e. the time it takes to converge to in general graphs and matchings in general near stationarity; we want this to be a poly- graphs. His final observation was that ‘natu- Professor R.M. THOMAS introduced a lecture given by nomial function of the input size. Mark dis- ral’ decision problems tend to be either NP- Professor Mark Jerrum on Algorithmically feasible sampling: cussed canonical paths and multi-commodity complete or in P; is there a similar dichotomy what are the limits? flows and then defined the ‘congestion con- for sampling problems? stant’; we want to choose paths such that the After tea, Martin Dyer spoke on Spin sys- After tea, Professor Thomas introduced a lecture given by congestion constant is small as this gives a tems: counting and sampling. He first intro- Professor Martin Dyer on Spin systems: counting and sampling. good mixing time. He then augmented tran- duced the idea of a spin system. We have a sitions in the Markov chain. The key to the graph and a set of ‘spins’ or ‘colours’; a con- After the meeting, a reception was held at De Morgan method is to define the canonical paths in an figuration assigns a colour to each vertex of House, followed by a dinner at the Mercato Restaurant. appropriate way; Mark showed how to do the graph. Computationally we are interested this and how to calculate the congestion. in spin systems which have a concise specifica- Matchings in a graph correspond to inde- tion (i.e. such that, given any configuration, pendent sets in line graphs. How far can we we can specify its weight in polynomial time). generalize this? One can show that (under a Most spin systems of interest are specified THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
by purely local information; examples include with applying Markov chain sampling to colourings of graphs and the Ising model from these problems using chains which modify a Physics. These are both examples of particular few spins at each step. The most successful spin systems called ‘weighted graph homo- technique for analyzing such chains is ‘cou- morphisms’. If H is a graph, then the problem pling’ and the variant ‘path coupling’. Martin of deciding whether an arbitrary graph has an carefully described what these are and how H-colouring is NP-complete unless H has either they work, surveyed some recent research a loop or a bipartite component (in which case and pointed out that there are many inter- the problem is trivially in P). Exact counting is esting related open problems in the area of #P-complete unless every component is either Statistical Physics. He finished with a couple a complete looped graph or a complete of questions. Are there any positive results unlooped bipartite graph (in which case the (like those for colouring) in the graph homo- problem is trivially in P). morphism setting? How far does the graph Given the difficulty of exact counting, we homomorphism setting extend to directed might ask how well we can approximate; the graphs (and what about hypergraphs)? appropriate notion here is that of ‘relative Both expositions were greatly enjoyed by the approximation’. Deterministic approximation is audience and provided an excellent survey of possible using an oracle from the second level an important research area with wonderful 24 of the polynomial-time hierarchy; so it may be insights into the key questions; in particular, we 25 harder than NP but not as hard as #P. On the saw how the field was of great practical impor- other hand, randomized approximation is pos- tance and how it used a large variety of fasci- sible for any problem in #P given only an oracle nating mathematical ideas. Both speakers had for an NP-complete problem. Martin intro- put a great deal of effort in preparing talks duced the notion of a fpras (‘fully polynomially which captured both the depth and the excite- randomized approximation scheme’). The exis- ment of the field in a way that was accessible to tence of a fpras for counting is equivalent to a wide mathematical audience and those pres- sampling almost uniformly at random from the ent were very appreciative of their efforts. set of witnesses in many cases. (Strictly this R.M. Thomas holds only for ‘self-reducible’ problems.) Leicester University Physicists study the ‘Gibbs distribution’ in infinite graphs with a rich symmetry group. In finite graphs, the Gibbs distribution is unique, but this may not be true in infinite graphs; we say that there is a ‘phase transition’. Suitably timed random walks on the spin configura- tions in the infinite graphs are studied. There is a relationship between the non-existence of phase transitions and the mixing time of simple Markov chains on finite subgraphs of the infinite graph. There appears to be some connection between the existence of phase transitions and the computational complexity of sampling. This apparent link between com- putational complexity and the laws of Physics is an interesting question! Despite this there has been some success © Sidney Harris THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
EUCLID AND HIS HERITAGE study of Euclid’s Elements demonstrated counterparts, tracing the mathematics in Christopher Zeeman concluded the confer- software developed at Harvard University ancient Babylonia (now Iraq) via cuneiform ence by fusing the past and the present in This conference held in Oxford University that makes a linguist/classicist’s job of deci- clay tablets. After this came Bernard Vitrac The achievement and limitations of the on the 7-8 October was organized by the phering/translating ancient manuscripts who looked at the Heiberg Edition of theory of proportion in Euclid's Elements Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI), the easier (http://archimedes.fas.harvard.edu). Euclid’s Elements: an incorrect text or false Book V and in a way characteristic of new Bodleian Library (BL), Oxford University The afternoon talks started with Robin history of the text?, asking the question ideas – combining old ideas with new con- Mathematical Institute (MI) and Octavo Harstorne giving a general talk about the ‘Why are medieval manuscripts different cepts. In this case it was the theory of (O), and was a celebration of the comple- Elements followed by Tony Lévy with a sur- from Greek manuscripts?’. One is able to ratios, now rendered in modern usage as tion of the year-long project to digitize MS vey of the 33 editions of the Elements writ- tell which edition is based on which other the algebraic manipulation of fractions but D'Orville 301. The latter is the oldest sur- ten in Hebrew. The final talk of the first by looking at the order of the theorems, conceptually very different in Book V. viving manuscript of Euclid's Elements, dat- day was by Bill Casselman, who showed a the alternative proofs, and the way defini- Christopher introduced an axiom analo- ing from 888AD when it was copied by computer-generated construction of Euclid tions are merged or inserted between gous to the Archimedean axiom that Stephen the Clerk in Constantinople for XIII.16, i.e. the construction of a icosahe- other definitions. Catherine Jami balanced excludes the existence of infinitesimals. Arethas of Patras at the cost of 14 gold dron inside a sphere. Considering how the diffusion of the Elements from the With this axiom, V.8 can be rewritten and a coins. The manuscript eventually reached complicated the construction is, it was Islamic to European countries by looking at new deductive structure for Book V arises. the Bodleian Library in 1804. Two hundred bewildering to think that an ancient sol- Euclid's Elements in Chinese and Manchu. The range of topics at this conference years later, low (high) resolution image dier might have whiled away time thinking Around 1AD the Chinese had their own was wide and varied, and the Clay files are available free (to purchase) on the about it, a hypothesis put forward to collection of ideas about mathematics writ- Mathematics Institute deserves thanks for 26 Internet. explain an ostrakon (broken piece of pot- ten in the Nine Chapters. The talk focused sponsoring the digitization of the oldest 27 After opening remarks by James Carlson tery) found on Elephantine Island. on how the Elements were first translated copy of the Elements for the benefit of (CMI) and Nigel Hitchin (MI) came the talk Richard Ovenden (BL) and Chet Grycz (O) into Chinese and then incorporated into future mathematicians and classicists. by Alexander Jones entitled From Euclid to opened the second day. Octavo is a USA- the Nine Chapters in medieval times. Sir N. Shah Arethas: he spoke about ‘the’ man Euclid, based company specializing in digitizing often interpreted as a Bourbaki-like com- manuscripts. Examples of previous manu- mittee of Greek Mathematicians. Jeremy scripts include the second and third edi- Gray followed this with Rethinking the tions of Newton's Principia, Galileo’s work Elements – two thousand years of reflection on the military compass and Copernicus' on the foundation of geometry. The paral- De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium. lel postulate – often said to be the bane of Chet offered an open invitation to the the Elements – is a multi-faceted and mys- mathematical community to suggest other terious postulate as in Euclid's time. Jeremy manuscripts which should be digitised addressed its relation to physical space, (www.octavo.com). Changing themes to clearing up a misunderstanding over Gauss, ancient philosophy, Ian Mueller floated the said to have conducted an experiment to idea of Who started the Euclid Myth? – prove that the sum of the internal angles of namely the belief that by starting with a triangle was two right angles: Jeremy self-evident truths and proceeding by rig- showed that experimental measurement orous proof, the truths arrived at are cer- could not resolve the question ‘Is physical tain, objective and eternal. Sonja Brentjes space Euclidean?’. Nigel Wilson (currently followed with a delightful talk about working on the recently surfaced Euclid’s Elements in the Islamic world, for Archimedean palimpsest The Method) without the Islamic Scholars collecting and spoke about The Elements: the transmission preserving Greek manuscripts, the of the Greek text and the problems that an Elements would not have survived as a ‘intelligent’ copyist creates by hand-copy- complete form. ing the text and diagrams. Mark Schiefsky Eleanor Robson gave a pun-entitled talk in New technologies for the Clay mathematics: Euclid’s Babylonian THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
BRITISH APPLIED MATHEMATICS COLLOQUIUM BAMC06 Keele University, 24 – 27 April 2006
The Department of Mathematics at Keele University warmly invites all those with interests in applied mathematics and its applications to participate in the 48th British Applied Mathematics Colloquium, BAMC06. The meeting will be held on the Keele campus from lunchtime on Monday 24 April to lunchtime on Thursday 27 April 2006. The programme will cover all aspects of applied mathematics research. PhD students are especially welcome to contribute and there are prizes for the best student presentations. Plenary speakers 28 • H. Gao (Max Planck Institute, Stuttgart) 29 • P. Huerre (Ecole Polytechnique, Paris) • J.P. Keener (University of Utah, USA) • R.W. Ogden (University of Glasgow, UK) • N. Peake (University of Cambridge, UK) • R. Salmon (Scripps Institute of Oceanography, USA) Venue The venue has regularly been awarded the title of ‘UK Academic Conference Venue of the Year’. All accommodation is en suite and all conference activities are within easy walking distance of residences. Registration The closing date for registration is Friday 3 March 2006. Registration after this date will be subject to a late fee of £25. The website, electronic registration and further details are at: www.keele.ac.uk/bamc06 or contact BAMC06, School of Computing and Mathematics, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG Fax: + 44 (0) 1782 584268 Email: [email protected] Organising Committee Graham Wilks, Yibin Fu (Co-chairs), Jonathan Healey (Secretary) and John Chapman (Treasurer). The support of LMS, EPSRC, IMA, SIAM, Keele University and the Stewartson Memorial Lecture fund is gratefully acknowledged. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
BOOK REVIEW He shows himself to be a thoroughly com- ments on the limitations of reproductions) tive’ – in the sixteenth century Daniele petent mathematician, who has studied which leaves the reader eager to visit the Barbaro felt that Hell was freezing over as he Piero della Francesca: A Mathematician’s Art, Euclid carefully but sometimes takes an original paintings. read De prospectiva pingendi – surely a com- J.V. Field, Yale University Press, 420 pp, £35 original route. The final section of the book looks more plete English edition is needed. ISBN 0300103425. His third treatise, De prospective pingendi, generally at the mathematics of the time, Reading this book has enhanced my Piero della Francesca (c.1412 - 1492) is the is found in various vernacular and Latin man- with exposition of the roles of Cusanus and appreciation of the paintings of Piero and creator of such serene paintings as the uscripts (including a Latin one in the British Regiomontanus, and a concluding chapter his contemporaries, and has also greatly National Gallery’s Baptism of Christ – Library), and contains practical instructions ‘From Piero della Francesca to Galileo Galilei’, expanded my knowledge of the mathemat- indeed, such is his current popularity that about perspective in painting. It includes the which looks at the changing role of mathe- ics of the period and the place of mathe- this was one of the paintings recently short- first proof of a fundamental result which matics during the Renaissance. Field’s reflec- matics of society in Piero’s time. It will sure- listed for the title of ‘the nation’s favourite Field rightly suggests should be known as tions on the connections between mathe- ly continue to be a valuable companion painting’. But most of his admirers are prob- ‘Piero’s Theorem’, that the perspective matics and the arts are fascinating and to Piero’s paintings. Anyone interested in ably not aware that he is also the author of images of orthogonals converge to a point. insightful. There is discussion as to how Piero the mathematics, or the art, of this period no fewer than three mathematical treatises: Although a slightly later writer described saw his position in society: were his mathe- is likely to take much pleasure from so this book’s provocative but appropriate this as ‘written for idiots’, it appears from matical texts intended to raise the social this volume. and multi-layered title may come as a bit of Field’s account as an important work: we are standing of the artist? If so, they were less Tony Mann a surprise. shown how original Piero was, and his meth- effective in so doing than the poems of University of Greenwich We are given a comprehensive back- ods are compared and contrasted with the Michelangelo. 30 ground to Piero’s work, locating him as a methods of Alberti. The book, many years in the making and MATHEMATICIANS 31 ‘learned craftsman’. The book begins with Alongside the mathematical discussion, very much a labour of love, is beautifully an account of the training that an artist like Field provides fruitful analysis of paintings by produced, with many illustrations in colour VISITING THE UK IN Piero would have received, including his Piero and his contemporaries, with an eye for and monochrome; not only of the paint- 2005/2006 likely mathematical education, and pro- telling detail (and some perceptive com- ings but also of the mathematical manu- ceeds to discuss the techniques used by scripts. The wonderful cover detail of the Anglia University artists of the time to create illusions of per- hand of St Sigismund resting on a globe Heinrich, S. (Leipzig University) Astrophysics, spective. Works by Masaccio and Donatello, sets the tone, both in quality of reproduc- general relativity, differential geometry, for example, are discussed in the context of tion and in appropriateness of the detail. 12 Dec 05 – 15 Feb 06 Alberti’s writings on perspective: I found the There are helpful appendices, including Brunel University discussion of perspective in Donatello’s examples of Piero’s mathematical writing, Banks, H.T. (North Carolina State University, reliefs particularly interesting. and fuller exposition of some details USA) Mathematical and computational After this general introduction, we turn (including an analysis of one error of modelling, 12 – 26 June 06 to Piero’s early life, and then to discussion of Piero’s: a faulty method for finding the Cambridge University (DPMMS) his painting and mathematics. His mathe- height of a triangle). Helpfully, the book Fukaya, T. (Keio University, Japan) Number matical texts survive in various manuscripts. provides footnotes on the page, and there theory, 26 Mar 06 – 25 Mar 08 The Trattato d’abaco is in the style of con- are exceptionally comprehensive and effec- Kuhn, N. (University of Virginia, USA) temporary abacus books, a collection of tive indices which will add to its value as a Algebraic geometry, 1 Jan – 30 Jun 06 problems and their solution, covering arith- reference work. Miermont, G. (CNRS, Paris) Probability, metic, geometry, the rule of three and so Field writes with considerable wit; and is 1 Oct – 31 Dec 05 on, and finishing with three-dimensional always entertaining. The mathematics is Tranquilli, P. (Roma 3, Italy) Categorical geometry. The Libellus de quinque cor- unfamiliar, but not difficult to follow. logic, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 05 poribus regularibus, although in Latin in the Mathematical readers will appreciate the Wachs, M. (Miami, USA) Representation only manuscript, was also presumably writ- author’s comments on some of Piero’s tricks, theory, 5 Sep – 31 Dec 05 ten in the vernacular. (It was printed in such as the clever duplication of letters on Cambridge University (DAMTP) 1509, with no mention of Piero’s name, as diagrams so that he can state two results in a Akbar, M. (Penn State University, USA) part of Pacioli’s De divina proportione.) In single statement! Even if Piero’s mathemati- General relativity and quantum gravity, this Piero investigates truncated polyhedra. cal writings are ‘detailed and hugely repeti- Aug – Dec 05 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
Garcia del Moral, M.P. (University of Madrid, Edinburgh University Song, Y.Q. (China University of Mining & Nottingham University Spain) String phenomenology and Davison, L. (Laurentian University) Number Technology) Solid mechanics, 20 Sept 05 – Grenier-Boley, N. (Université de Franche- M-theory, 1 Oct 05 – 30 Sep 07 theory, 1 – 28 Feb 06 20 Sept 07 Comté Besançon, France) Algebra, Oct 05 Hashimoto, K. (University of Tokyo, Japan) Varisco, M. (Münster University) Topology, Zhang, Y.T. (Tianjin University, China) Solid – Sep 06 Superstring theory, 1 Apr 05 – 31 Mar 06 19 Sep – 5 Nov 05 mechanics, 20 Sept – 20 Dec 05 Lequeu, E. (Georg-August-Universität Lohiya, D. (University of Delhi, India) Heriot-Watt University Kent University Göttingen, Germany) Algebra, Oct 05 – Cosmology, Apr 05 – Jul 06 Korshunov, D. (Sobolev Institute of Asadi, E. (Vrije Universitet, Amsterdam) Sep 06 Maeda, K-C. (Waseda University, Japan) Mathematics, Russia) Probability, applied Integrable systems, Sep – Dec 05 Nottingham Trent University Cosmology, Mar –Sep 06 probability, Feb – mid March 06 Lombardo, S. (Vrije Universitet, Amsterdam) MacGillivray, H. (Queensland University of Monaghan, J.J. (Monash University, Puhalskii, A. (University of Colarado, USA) Integrable systems, Sep – Dec 05 Technology, Australia) Statistical Melbourne, Australia) Geophysics and Probability, applied probability, Jan – Sanders, J.A. (Vrije Universitet, Amsterdam) education, 30 Dec 05 – 4 Feb 06 astrophysics, 19 Sep – 30 Nov 05 Dec 06 Integrable systems, Sep – Dec 05 Oxford University (Mathematical Institute) Singh, K. (J.F. Welch Tech Centre, Bangalore, Vatutin, V. (Steklov Institute of Mathematics, Verhoeven, C. (Vrije Universiteit, Brussels) Baribeau, L. (Quebec) Functional analysis, India) Fluid dynamics, Apr – Sep 06 Russia) Probability, applied probability, Integrable systems, Jun – Dec 05 1 Sep 05 – 31 Aug 06 Taberlet, N. (University of Rennes, France) Mar – Apr 06 Lancaster University Clark, A. (Texas) Algebra, Topology, 2 Aug Fluid dynamics, Oct 05 – Sep 06 Imperial College London Goldstein, S. (University of Lódz,é Poland) 05 – 31 July 06 Wettlaufer, J.S. (Yale University, USA) Aharonov, D. (Technion, Haifa, Israel) Noncommutative probability, functional Derakhshan, L.W. (Israel) Logic, 1 Oct 05 – Geophysics, 1 Aug – 24 Dec 05 Complex analysis, 8 Aug – 26 Dec 05 analysis, 1 Apr – 31 Aug 06 30 Sep 06 32 Cardiff University Daskalopoulos, P. (Columbia University) Parthasarathy, K.R. (Indian Statistical Escudero Liebana, P. (Madrid) Mathematical 33 Lamberti, P.D. (Padova University, Italy) Differential equations and geometric Institute, Delhi, India) Noncommutative biology, 1 Oct 05 – 30 Sep 07 Analysis, 1 Dec 05 – 28 Feb 06 analysis, 1 Sep 05 – 1 Jan 06 probability, quantum information theory, Guilen, I.A. (Spain) Finance, 1 Oct 05 – 1 Jul 06 Rodriguez-Aragon, J. (University of Rey Juan Dupuis, N. (Centre Universitaire, Orsay, 1 Jul – 1 Aug 06 Haibo Chen (China) Applied analysis, Carlos, Madrid, Spain) Statistics, 21 Sep – France) Theoretical condensed matter, Skalski, A.G. (University of Lódz,é Poland) 1 Jan – 31 Dec 06 21 Dec 05 1 Sep 05 – 31 Aug 06 Noncommutative probability, functional Hamanaka, M. (Japan) Relativity, 1 Oct 05 – Durham University Guo, S. (Hunan University, Rep of China) analysis, 1 Jan – 31 Aug 06 30 Sep 06 de Cooman, G. (Ghent, Belgium) Interval Bifurcation theory, 1 Jun 05 – 31 May 06 Leeds University Hinz, M. (Germany) Stochastic analysis, probability, Apr – June 06 Gutierrez, J. (University of Nowarra, Spain) Dedania, H. (India) Banach algebras, Oct 05 8 Apr – 31 Dec 05 Lukierski, S. (Wroclaw, Poland) Mathematical Matrix theory, 1 Jul – 31 Dec 05 – Jul 06 Krajicek, J. (Czech Republic) Mathematical physics, supersymmetric field theory, Haine, K. (Tampere Institute of Technology, Polyakov, M. (Moscow, Russia) Banach logic, 22 Nov – 3 Dec 05 23 Oct – 23 Dec 05 Finland) Sequential Monte Carlo methods, algebras, Nov 04 – Sep 06 Majid (Canada) Mathematical physics, 1 Jan Martins Brito, L.F. (UNESP-São Jose de Rio 25 Jan – 15 Jul 06 Su, Z. (Zhejiang University, China) – 30 Jun 06 Preto, Brazil) Real foliations, dynamical Schmidt, T. (Freiberg University) Theoretical Probability, 1 Dec 05 – 30 Nov 06 Miemietz (Germany) Representation theory, systems and singularities, condensed matter, 1 Oct 05 – 31 Apr 06 Ziegler, M. (Freiburg University) Model 1 Oct – 30 Nov 05 10 Jan – 10 Mar 06 Sohn, S.Y. (University of Korea, Japan) theory (mathematical logic), 4 Oct 05 – Ransford, T.J. (Quebec) Functional analysis, Samiou, E. (Nicosia, Cyprus) Differential Industrial statistics, 28 Dec 05 – 28 Feb 06 Mar 06 1 Sep 05 – 31 Aug 06 geometry, homogeneous spaces, Tanveer, S. (Ohio State University, USA) London Metropolitan University Sadowski, W. (Warsaw) Applied 10 Oct – 10 Nov 05 Applied mathematics, 2 Aug 05 – 31 Jul 06 Shulman, V. (Vologda Technical University, mathematics, 2005-2006 Stichel, P. (Bielefeld, Germany) Mathematical Zweimuller, R. (University of Salzburg) Russia) Functional analysis, operator Sole, J. (Spain) Mathematical biology, 1 Jun physics, supersymmetric field theory, Dynamical systems and ergodic theory, algebras, Nov – Dec 05 and Feb-Mar 06 – 1 Dec 06 30 Oct – 30 Nov 05 1 Jan 05 – 30 Sep 06 Loughborough University Oxford University (Statistics) East Anglia University Keele University Ma, Z. (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Aasbjerg, A. (Technical University of Holbrook, N. (Macquarie University, Sydney) Prusa, V. (Charles University, Czech Republic) Beijing) Stochastic analysis, 20 Mar – 21 Denmark) Informatics and mathematical Oceanography, Sept – Dec 05 Fluid mechanics, 22 Sept 05 – 25 Jun 06 Apr 06 modelling, Feb – Jul 06 Papageorgiou, D. (New Jersey Institute of Sharipova, L.L. (Institute of Mechanical Zheng, Z. (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Plymouth University Technology) Fluid mechanics, Nov 05 – Engineering Problems, Russia) Solid Beijing) Random dynamical systems, Khevedelidee, A. (Russia) Mathematical physics Feb 06 mechanics, 20 Aug – 20 Dec 05 10 Dec 05 – 9 Mar 06 and gauge theories, 1 Sept 05 – 31 Aug 06 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
Queen Mary, University of London Smolyanov, O. (Moscow State University) Dezso, M. (Renyi Institute, Budapest) Stochastic processes, functional integrals Extremal combinatorics, convexity, and applications, Feb 06 12 Sep – 5 Nov 05 University College London Eskridge, K. (University of Nebraska) Eckhoff, J. (University of Dortmund) Statistics and design of experiments, Discrete geometry, 30 Sept 05 – 1 Sep 05 – 30 Jun 06 30 Jun 06 Jezierski, J. (University of Warsaw) General Warwick University relativity, 14 Sep – 20 Nov 05 Ahn, T. (Kaist, Korea) Dynamical systems, Kazanidis, P. (University of the Philippines) 3 Oct 05 – 28 Feb 06 Design theory, association schemes, 25 Jul Bloch, F. (University of Marseille, France) 05 – 31 May 06 Economics, 1 Feb – 10 Mar 06 Santos, N. (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) General Elizondo, A. (University of Kaiserslautern, relativity, 1 Aug 05 – 30 Jul 06 Germany) Molecular dynamics, 2 Oct – Queen’s University of Belfast 12 Dec 05 Vavilov, N. (St Petersburg State University & Inahama, Y. (Osaka University, Japan) Smirnov Institute) Algebra, 10 Jan – Mathematical science, 24 Oct – 23 Nov 05 10 Feb 06 Kawabi, H. (Osaka University, Japan) 34 Sheffield University Infinite dimensional analysis, 1 Apr 06 – 35 Toda, Y. (University of Tokyo) Algebraic 31 Mar 08 geometry, 1 Sept – 30 Dec 05 Kim Dong, H. (Korean Institute) Dynamical Southampton University systems, 1 Feb 06 – 31 Jan 07 Garcia de Abajo, F.J. (Spain) Applied mathe- Larsen, C. (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, matics, 1 Feb – 31 Mar 06 USA) Calculus of variations, 18 Aug – Martin, B. (University of Canterbury, New 15 Dec 05 Zealand) Pure mathematics, 1 Jan – Marden, A. (University of Minnesota) 31 Mar 06 Kleinian groups, 8 Jun – 11 Jul 06 St Andrews University Shoda, T. (Kyushu University) Differential Baek, I.S. (Pusan University, South Korea) geometry, 13 Oct 05 – 10 Feb 06 Multifractal analysis of Cantor sets, Aug Taixes, J. (University of Barcelona) Complex 05 – Aug 06 dynamics, 1 Jan – 30 Jun 06 Chen, P.F. (Nanjing University, China) Zacher, G. (University of Padova) Algebra, Numerical solar MHD, Nov 05 – Oct 06 4 Nov – 2 Dec 05 Surrey University York University Sahadevan, R. (University of Madras, India) Govorukhin, V. (Rostov State University) Discrete integrable systems, 6 Nov – Computational fluid mechanics, 1 Feb – 24 Dec 05 25 Dec 06 Swansea, University of Wales Morgulis, A. (Rostov State University) Höber, M. (University Mainz, Germany) Mathematical fluid mechanics, 1 Feb – Pseudo-differential operators, 1 Oct – 31 May 06 15 Dec 05 Roy, S. (Tata Institute of Fundamental Pagani, C. (SISSA Trieste, Italy) Non-commu- Research, Mumbai, India) Quantum tative geometry, 15 Jan – 15 Mar 06 information theory, 25 Sep 05 – Rodriguez Raposo, A. (University of Santiago 24 Sep 06 de Compostela, Spain) Co-algebras and Trotter, P. (University of Tasmania) Hopf algebras, 15 Sep – 15 Dec 05 Semigroup theory, 3 Oct – 16 Dec 05 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES SPECTRAL THEORY AND ITS APPLICATIONS 24 – 28 July 2006 Sponsored by SPECT (European Science Foundation) in association with the Newton Institute programme entitled Spectral Theory and Partial Differential Equations (17 July to 11 August 2006)
Organisers: M. van den Berg (Bristol), B. Helffer (Orsay), A. Laptev (KTH, Stockholm) and A. Sobolev (Birmingham).
Theme of workshop: Spectral Theory is a vast area of research bringing together different parts of mathematics and physics. In mathematics it is Spectral Geometry, which links spectral properties of elliptic operators and related properties of parabolic operators to the geometry and topology of the underlying manifold. In physics methods of Spectral Theory are instrumental in the study of many 36 fundamental results in solid states physics, statistical physics, quantum mechanics 37 and large particle systems. The aim of the Workshop is to emphasize the multidisciplinary character of research in this area by bringing together experts working on different aspects of Spectral Theory, and by inciting close collaboration between different groups.
Invited speakers: M. Birman (Petersburg), E.B. Davies (King's), A. Grigoryan (Imperial), A. Kiselev (Wisconsin), F. Klopp (Paris-13), E.H. Lieb (Princeton), R. Melrose (MIT), N. Nadirashvili (Marseille), P. Sarnak (Princeton), J.P. Solovej (Copenhagen), M. Zworski (Berkeley).
Location and cost: The workshop will take place at the Newton Institute and accommodation for participants will be provided in single study bedrooms with The London Mathematical Society was established during the shared bathroom at Fitzwilliam College. Lunch and dinner will be served at energetic and confident heyday of Victorian Britain. Although Wolfson Court. The conference package, costing £490, includes accommodation, several learned societies pre-date it, the LMS can claim to have led breakfast and dinner from dinner on Sunday 23 July to breakfast on Saturday the way in a number of respects: firstly, in the rigorous reviewing 29 July, and lunch and refreshments during the days that lectures take place. standards it set from the outset, with two independent reviewers Participants who wish to attend but do not require the conference package being appointed for each paper submitted to the Proceedings; and will be charged a registration fee of £40. secondly, in its acceptance of women as full members, which was progressive for its day. Further information and application forms are available from the web at: This volume, which contains over eighty photographs, concentrates on the first 100 years www.newton.cam.ac.uk/programmes/STP/stpw01.html. Completed application of the Society’s existence and traces its evolution through its Presidents and De Morgan forms should be sent to Tracey Andrew, Programme & Conference Secretary, Medallists, each of whom was a pre-eminent mathematician of his or her day. Through Isaac Newton Institute, 20 Clarkson Road, Cambridge CB3 0EH or via email them we learn which branches of the discipline were in vogue at any particular time, ([email protected]). and come to appreciate the Society’s rich history.
Closing date for the receipt of applications is 3 March 2006. The Book of Presidents 1865-1965 is available from the London Mathematical Society. Email [email protected] to place your order. The LMS members price is £15, the full price is £19. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 343 December 2005
ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES CALENDAR OF EVENTS Genomics Conference, Italy (340) 25 Winter Combinatorics Meeting, Open NEW DIRECTIONS IN PROOF COMPLEXITY This calendar lists Society meetings and University (343) other events publicised in the Newsletter. 10 – 13 April 2006 Further information can be obtained from FEBRUARY 2006 in association with the Newton Institute programme the appropriate LMS Newsletter whose num- 1 Gresham College Geometry Lecture, entitled Logic and Algorithms (16 January to 7 July 2006) ber is given in brackets. A fuller list of meet- London (343) Organisers: S.R. Buss (California) and J. Krajicek (Prague). ings and events is given on the Society’s web- 10 LMS Meeting, Mary Cartwright Lecture, Theme of conference: Proof complexity is an area of mathematics (and mathematical site (www.lms.ac.uk/meetings/calendar.html). London (343) logic and computational complexity theory in particular) centered around the 17 Edinburgh Mathematical Society problem whether the complexity class NP is closed under complementation. With a DECEMBER 2005 Meeting, Edinburgh University (341) suitable general definition of a propositional proof system (Cook and Reckhow 1979) 9 Edinburgh Mathematical Society 22 Gresham College Geometry Lecture, this becomes a lengths-of-proofs question: Is there a propositional proof system in Meeting, Heriot-Watt University (341) London (343) which every tautology admits a proof whose length is bounded above by a polynomi- 17-19 International Symposium on Recent al in the length of the tautology? The ultimate goal of proof complexity is to show Advances in Mathematics & its MARCH 2006 that there is no such proof system; that is, to demonstrate superpolynomial lower Applications, Calcutta, India (340) 17 Edinburgh Mathematical Society bounds for all proof systems. 12-16 Einstein Constraint Equations Meeting, Dundee University (341) Conference, INI, Cambridge (334) 27-7 Apr Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Strong lower bounds are known for some particular, classical proof systems. 12-17 Model Theory Summer School, Leeds Interacting Particle Systems School, INI, 38 (In fact, also surprising upper bounds are known!) The methods used for proving 39 University (343) Cambridge (341) these lower bounds borrow from all parts of logic, from finite combinatorics, from 16 Meeting in Honour of L.E. Fraenkel, parts of complexity theory including circuit complexity, communication complexity, Bath University (342) APRIL 2006 cryptography, derandomization, from classical algebra like field theory or representa- 16-17 Sklyanin Algebras & Beyond, Leeds 3-7 Number Theory & Polynomials Workshop, tion theory, or from abstract concepts of geometry like Euler characteristic and University (342) Heilbronn Institute, Bristol University (340) Grothendieck ring. 19-21 Cryptography & Coding IMA 3-7 Jordan Structures in Analysis & The purpose of the conference is to bring together researchers in various parts of Conference, Royal Agricultural College, Geometry Conference, Taiwan (342) mathematics and computer science interested in proof complexity. Our ambition is to Cirencester (342) 10-13 BMC, Newcastle University (329) expose, through invited and contributed lectures, current developments in proof 10-13 New Directions in Proof Complexity complexity as well as new ideas and directions of research pursued most recently. JANUARY 2006 Workshop, INI, Cambridge (343) Speakers: Misha Alekhnovich (Princeton), Steve Cook (Toronto), Stefan Dantchev 1-31 Semi-definite Programming & Its 11-13 Mathematical Education of (Durham), Russell Impagliazzo (California, San Diego), Toni Pitassi (Toronto), Pavel Applications, Singapore (342) Engineers IMA Conference, Loughborough Pudlak (Prague), Nathan Segerlind (Washington), Neil Thapen (Oxford & Prague). 4-5 Meeting in Memory of Professor Andy University (342) Location and cost: The conference will take place at the Newton Institute and accom- King, Reading University (342) 24-27 BAMC06, Keele University (343) modation for participants will be provided in single study bedrooms with shared bath- 8-12 Dynamics and Arithmetics UK-Japan 28 Edinburgh Mathematical Society room at Wolfson Court. The conference package, costing £385, includes accommoda- Winter School, Bury St Edmunds (343) Meeting, Aberdeen University (341) tion, breakfast and dinner from dinner on Sunday 9 April to breakfast on Friday 14 9-10 Mathematics of Biomolecules April, and lunch and refreshments during the days that lectures take place. Participants Workshop, Warwick University (342) MAY 2006 who wish to attend but do not require the conference package will be charged a reg- 9-13 Relaxation Dynamics of Macroscopic 1-30 Jun Random Graphs and Large-Scale istration fee of £35. Self-supporting participants are very welcome to apply. Systems Conference, INI, Cambridge (338) Real-World Networks, Singapore (343) 11-14 Homotopy Theory Conference, 2 Gresham College Geometry Lecture, City Further information and application forms are available from the web at: Sheffield University (342) of London School, London (343) www.newton.cam.ac.uk/programmes/LAA/laaw04.html. Completed application 18 Gresham College Geometry Lecture, 8-19 Combinatorics, Automata & Number forms should be sent to Tracey Andrew, Programme & Conference Secretary, London (343) Theory Conference, Liège University, Isaac Newton Institute, 20 Clarkson Road, Cambridge CB3 0EH or via email 20 Edinburgh Mathematical Society Belgium (339) ([email protected]). Meeting, Edinburgh University (341) 26 Edinburgh Mathematical Society Closing date for the receipt of applications is 31 December 2005. 23-27 Models & Methods for Human Meeting, St Andrews University (341) CLAUDE AMBROSE ROGERS DE MORGAN MEDALLIST 1977
Extract from the citation: ‘In the period after automorphic bodies, and on the successive the Second World War, Rogers rapidly minima of general sets with respect to a lat- emerged in the forefront of the renaissance tice remains definitive. Since about 1958, of the geometry of numbers. His work on Professor Rogers' main research interests the lattice constants of cylinders both convex moved to the theory of Hausdorff measures, and non-convex, on the reducibility of star of analytic sets and of general convex bod- bodies and on the implications for the exis- ies, to all of which he has made important tence of infinitely many lattice points in contributions.’