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Opinion
items not in the MR Database) by that author appear in the Reference Lists and reference lists on MathSciNet. The kind of backward and forward navigation that Citations in the linked references make possible is not new in MathSciNet. Since its inception in 1940, MR has included references in Mathematical Reviews reviews. Review references that have an MR entry are iden- tified by the corresponding MR number. In MathSciNet the review reference is directly linked via the MR identi- Database fier to the full MathSciNet entry. The MR identifiers of Mathematicians have long been accustomed to studying a references in reviews have also been used in MathSciNet given area of mathematics by using the reference list in a to provide forward links: for each item, there is a list of paper of interest to go from that paper to related papers, those reviews that cite the item, “review citations”. How- and then to papers in the reference lists of those related ever, the number of review references has intentionally been papers, and so on, thereby navigating back through the an- limited (less than two per review on average), and some tecedents of a particular topic or result. The new release reviews contain no references at all. The addition of full of MathSciNet in fall 2001 contains a major enhancement reference lists vastly increases the number of links among to the underlying Mathematical Reviews (MR) Database related items on MathSciNet. that builds on this idea: in the MathSciNet entry for a paper The project of gathering and adding reference lists the inclusion of the full reference list from the original paper (together with the links, generated by a sophisticated with links from the references to reviews. The addition of matching algorithm) to the MR Database began in early linked reference lists also enables forward citations in 2001. Initially, lists from sixty-five journals are being MathSciNet: for each item, links to (MathSciNet entries for) added, for published issues from 2000 on. New issues of papers in which the given item is cited in the reference list. This kind of navigation, which has in the past been done these journals are treated on receipt at the MR office on in the library by going from a paper in one journal to a re- an ongoing basis. Later, other journals and possibly ear- lated paper in another journal, is now possible in Math- lier time periods also will be covered. Thus, the numbers SciNet: locate an item of potential interest (and use the re- of both the MR Database items with full reference lists and view to help decide whether it really is of interest); scan the corresponding forward citations will grow over time, the reference list of the item, which follows the review on making MathSciNet an increasingly powerful tool with MathSciNet, to locate a reference of particular interest; which to explore the interconnections among the literature. click on the link in the reference to reach the MathSciNet The addition of reference lists and the associated for- entry for it; once again, investigate whether the item is of ward citations represent the most significant change in the interest by reading the review; and so on. For an increas- structure and content of the MR Database in the over sixty ing number of items in MathSciNet there are not only links years since it was founded. The enhanced MathSciNet is internal to MathSciNet but also a link to the original paper; undoubtedly an indispensable adjunct to the mathemati- such links greatly enhance the kind of navigation through cal literature. MathSciNet enabled by linked references. The AMS is com- mitted to expanding the number of links from MathSciNet —Jane Kister entries to the original article or book online, so that re- Executive Editor searchers will increasingly be able to search back through Mathematical Reviews MathSciNet and thence right to the original documents of interest, all from the desktop. Citation indexing is familiar to all scientists, and Math- SciNet users have often asked whether it is possible to in- clude this feature in MathSciNet. The forward reference ci- tations that are now listed for each entry provide a start to full citation indexing by providing a (partial) list of ar- ticles and books in which the item is cited. Just as the ref- erence lists themselves can be used to trace mathematical ideas back through the literature, so the reference citations given for each MathSciNet item can be used to trace the de- velopment of mathematical ideas forward through the lit- erature. It is also possible on MathSciNet to search for a given author name in the reference lists and thus find where books and papers (including preprints and other
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Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor became known as the gyrocommuta- Riess, Press, and Kirshner [Astrophys. tive gyrogroup) enabled, for the first J. 473 (1996), 88–109] used data for time, loop theory to be applied in Type Ia supernovae to show that The Longest Waiting Time for physics. Unlike H. Karzel, readers of log(z)= Print in Modern Mathematics the Notices need not wait 20–30 years − ± Hala Pflugfelder is well familiar with for my publication. The story of the K- const (0.5025 0.0088) log(S), the history of loop theory since the loop that I introduced in 1989, now where z is the redshift and S is 1920s when it began, as evidenced (i) known as the “gyrocommutative gy- the observed flux. This result sup- from her books that significantly con- rogroup” that has sprung from the ports the Hubble Law prediction tributed to the history of loop theory soil of Einstein’s special theory of rel- log(z) = const − 0.5 log(S) , but it [Quasigroups and Loops: Theory and ativity, is told in my recent book: Be- cannot be reconciled with the Applications, edited with O. Chein and yond the Einstein Addition Law and prediction log(z) = const − log(S) of J. D. H. Smith, Heldermann Verlag, Its Gyroscopic Thomas Precession: The CC. Consequently, it is not surprising Berlin, 1990; and Quasigroups and Theory of Gyrogroups and Gyrovector that most cosmologists ignored Loops: Introduction, Heldermann Ver- Spaces (Kluwer Academic, 2001). Segal’s theory for the last years of lag, Berlin, 1990] and (ii) from the his- his life. torical notes she presented to the first —Abraham A. Ungar The test of a physical theory is international conference on loop the- North Dakota State University whether its predictions agree with ory, Prague, July 28–August 1, 1999 observation. Segal’s chronometric [Historical notes on loop theory, Com- (Received May 6, 2001) cosmology fails the test. ment. Math. Univ. Carolin. 41 (2000), no. 2, 359–370]. I was therefore de- —Edward L. Wright lighted to read in her review for Math- Segal’s Cosmology UCLA ematical Reviews [MR 2000j:20131]: I strongly disagree with the suggestion in the article by Daigneault and San- In incidence geometry, H. (Received June 13, 2001) galli [Notices, January 2001, pp. 9–16] Karzel, also in the 1960s, that the late Irving Segal’s chrono- introduced K-loops as ad- metric cosmology (CC) is a viable sci- Big Bang Cosmology ditive systems of his near- entific theory, that Segal “has refuted domains, with an emphasis Greg Kuperberg argues in his Febru- all published criticism of CC.” Read- not on identities but on ary 19, 2001, letter that Segal’s the- ers of the Notices would get a better special automorphisms. In ory is useless because it disagrees understanding of the status of CC print, the term “K-loop” ap- with Big Bang cosmology. He seems from Segal’s obituary by Baez et al. peared only in 1989 in a unaware that there is a growing dis- [June/July 1999, pp. 659–668]. paper by A. A. Ungar, who sident faction of cosmologists who My own experience, when I pub- was the first to discover find that the Big Bang theory has been lished a critique of CC [Astrophys. J. that the addition of rela- overthrown by observational evi- 313 (1987), 551–555], was that Segal’s tivistic velocities is a loop dence. The chief proponent of this “refutation” missed the point. I ex- with Thomas gyrations idea is Halton Arp, whose recent book amined for S
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Letters to the Editor
Revolutionary Dirk Struik trying to honor people who have yet In 1951, I was a junior at M.I.T. and was to receive significant honors was fortunate to be enrolled in the differ- brought up as possible grounds for turning down the recommendation, ential geometry class taught by Dirk University of Maryland University College Struik. It was around the time that he but I saved the day by pointing out www.umuc.edu/umucteach was indicted by the Commonwealth of that Fields Medalists, as compared to Massachusetts for various allegedly Nobelists, received neither fame nor subversive activities, but in class he money. Teach Online did not seem to be under any strain This suggests also a nice tactic in Working Professionals and Academics! and maintained his good humor departmental politics of downgrad- Teach online with the world’s leader in ing a suggested appointment because through it all. When we got to the por- distance education. the case is full of mention of prizes, tion of the course that was about sur- Programs designed for working adults. all of secondary interest! That would faces of revolution, he said to us, ab- Undergraduate: 21 majors and 39 certificates. be ironic. solutely deadpan, that he was going to Graduate: 16 programs and 37 certificates. call them “surfaces of rotation”, be- —Jon Alperin cause his perilous legal position vis- Adjunct faculty are especially sought for all University of Chicago à-vis the state would not allow him any computer disciplines; biotechnology, telecommunications, and technology more to utter the word “revolution”. (Received July 19, 2001) management; meteorology; electronic commerce; meteorology; and technical and —Herbert S. Wilf business writing. See www.umuc.edu for University of Pennsylvania curriculum information and for further disciplines (Received July 3, 2001) Correction Due to a typographical error, UMUC provides free online training required David George Crighton’s first name for Web-based teaching. was incorrect on the cover of the Prizes PhD or terminal degree required for all September 2001 Notices. Andy Magid makes a good case for programs (except undergraduate business and increased and improved prize giving. computer-related subjects). Would it also be better to have more Teaching and professional and experience Fields Medals, perhaps two every year required in all fields. so that the number will match what goes on with Nobels? We could greatly improve publicity by having the an- Teach Onsite nouncement of the winners and the Adjunct teaching available in the greater giving of the prizes at two separate Washington, DC area. times, with two chances for publicity, and that is twice every year. The pub- lic relations work on prizes in math- Teach Overseas (full-time) ematics, in general, is primitive by Experienced faculty sought to teach in comparison with other areas. UMUC programs for personnel on U.S. Of course, mathematics—and, in military bases in Asia and Europe. particular, very much so pure mathe- Broad teaching expertise desired. See matics—is quite different from all www.ed.umuc.edu & www.ad.umuc.edu for programs and disciplines taught. other disciplines in that evaluations 10-month renewable contracts. usually agree and secondary ratings Begin January or August 2002. like prizes are not needed. There are U.S. citizenship required. not many conflicts about methods, Benefits include transportation, military base just a concentration on results in eval- privileges, health insurance and TIAA/CREF. uations. We don’t need prize givers to About the Cover Not suitable for faculty with children. tell us who is doing great things! The cover image shows the San And, also, prizes can have negative Send resume and coverletter to: AMS801 effects, as strange as this seems (and Diego skyline, San Diego, Califor- nia. San Diego is the site of the
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