November 2011

LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER No. 408 November 2011

Society ANNUAL GENERAL candidate for the Education Meetings Secretary post. There are six MEETING vacancies for Members-at-Large and Events The Annual General Meeting of of Council, for which a total the Society will be held at 3.00 of ten candidates have been 2011 pm on Friday 18 November 2011 proposed (nine by Nominating Friday 18 November in the Jeffrey Hall at the Institute Committee, one by members). Annual General of Education, 20 Bedford Way, Four names have been pro- Meeting, London London WC1H 0AL. posed (all by Nominating Com- [pages 1, 3] The business shall be: mittee) for two vacancies in the 1. elections to Council and Nomi- membership of the Nominating Friday 18 November nating Committee Committee. Graduate Student 2. the report of the President on Please note that completed Meeting, London annual activity ballot papers must be returned [page 2] 3. the report of the Treasurer by Thursday 10 November 2011. 4. the adoption of the Trustees Members should have received 2012 Report for 2010/11 the following: Friday 24 February 5. appointment of Auditors • a pink (folded A4) ballot Mary Cartwright 6. presentation of certificates to paper for the elections to Lecture, London LMS prizewinners. Council [page 21] It is hoped that as many mem- • a blue A5 ballot paper for bers as possible will be able to elections to Nominating 26–30 March attend. Committee LMS Invited Lectures, Fiona Nixon • a white A5 booklet of Glasgow [page 19] Executive Secretary biographical details of 6 June candidates Northern Regional • a white return envelope Meeting, Newcastle 2011 ELECTIONS If you are missing any of these items please contact Duncan 29 June TO COUNCIL AND Turton at DMH (nominations@ Meeting and Hardy NOMINATING lms.ac.uk). Lecture, London A separate form for suggest- COMMITTEE ing names to the Nominating The ballot papers for the No- Committee for potential candi- vember elections to Council and dates for the 2012 elections was Nominating Committee were also included with the October NEWSLETTER circulated with the October Newsletter. Members will still be Newsletter. Nominating Com- able to make direct nominations ONLINE: mittee put forward names for for which details will be given in Go to www.lms.ac.uk/ each Officer post; in addition the April and May Newsletters newsletter members proposed a further next year.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY GRADUATE STUDENT MEETING Friday 18 November 2011 Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E

This meeting is intended as an introduction to the Society Meeting later in the day. All graduate students (and indeed any other mathematicians) will be very welcome.

9.30 Coffee and Registration 10.00 Gareth Jones (Manchester) An introduction to o-minimality 11.00 Coffee/Tea 11.15 Graduate student talks 12.45 Lunch 13.30 Award of prizes 13.35 Susan Hezlet (LMS Publisher) How to get your papers published 13.45 Vincenzo Mantova (Pisa/Oxford) Title TBC 14.15 Adam Harris (Oxford) Title TBC 14.45 Move to Jeffrey Hall, IoE, for LMS meeting (see below and opposite) The lectures will be held in Room Mal G16, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E and a sandwich lunch will be provided. For directions see: www.bbk.ac.uk/images/centrallondon.pdf. Students are invited to give short talks (15 minutes) aimed at a general mathematical audience. Prizes will be awarded for the best two talks. If you would like to give a talk, please email Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]). To register, please email Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) by Friday 11 November. Limited funds are available to help with students’ travel costs, if they are also attending the afternoon meeting (see below). ANNUAL DINNER The graduate event will be followed by an LMS Society Meeting starting at The 2011 Annual Dinner will be held after the 15.00, which is open to all. Angus Macintyre will give the Presidential address Annual General Meeting at 7.30 pm on Friday on The logic of the real, complex and perfect exponentials, and Alex Wilkie 18 November 2011 at The Russell Hotel, (Manchester) will speak on Polynomials, quasipolynomials and o-minimality. London WC1. The cost for members and their guests is £45 per person, which is for a three- For further details see: www.lms.ac.uk/content/society-meetings. course meal and wine. Members wishing to attend should make cheques payable to

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LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY GRADUATE STUDENT MEETING ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Friday 18 November 2011 Friday 18 November 2011 Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E Jeffrey Hall, Institute of Education 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL (Nearest tube: Russell Square) This meeting is intended as an introduction to the Society Meeting later in the day. All graduate students (and indeed any other mathematicians) will Programme: be very welcome. 3.00–3.30 Annual General Meeting 9.30 Coffee and Registration 3.30–4.30 Alex Wilkie (Manchester) 10.00 Gareth Jones (Manchester) An introduction to o-minimality Polynomials, quasipolynomials and o-minimality 11.00 Coffee/Tea 4.30–4.55 Tea 11.15 Graduate student talks 12.45 Lunch 4.55–5.00 Announcement of Election Results 13.30 Award of prizes 5.00–6.00 Angus Macintyre (LMS President) 13.35 Susan Hezlet (LMS Publisher) How to get your papers published Presidential Address: 13.45 Vincenzo Mantova (Pisa/Oxford) Title TBC The logic of the real, complex and perfect exponentials 14.15 Adam Harris (Oxford) Title TBC 14.45 Move to Jeffrey Hall, IoE, for LMS meeting (see below and opposite) The meeting will include the presentation of certificates to the 2011 LMS prize winners. The lectures will be held in Room Mal G16, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E and a sandwich lunch will be provided. For directions see: The meeting will be followed by a reception at De Morgan House. www.bbk.ac.uk/images/centrallondon.pdf. Funds are available to contribute in part to the expenses of members of the Students are invited to give short talks (15 minutes) aimed at a general Society or research students to attend the meeting. Requests for support and mathematical audience. Prizes will be awarded for the best two talks. If you any other queries about the AGM should be sent to Elizabeth Fisher would like to give a talk, please email Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]). ([email protected]). To register, please email Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) by Friday 11 November. Limited funds are available to help with students’ travel costs, if they are also attending the afternoon meeting (see below). ANNUAL DINNER The graduate event will be followed by an LMS Society Meeting starting at The 2011 Annual Dinner will be held after the ‘London Mathematical Society’ and also indi- 15.00, which is open to all. Angus Macintyre will give the Presidential address Annual General Meeting at 7.30 pm on Friday cate if they have any dietary requirements and on The logic of the real, complex and perfect exponentials, and Alex Wilkie 18 November 2011 at The Russell Hotel, send to: Leanne Marshall, London Mathemati- (Manchester) will speak on Polynomials, quasipolynomials and o-minimality. London WC1. The cost for members and their cal Society, De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell guests is £45 per person, which is for a three- Square, London WC1B 4HS. Payment should For further details see: www.lms.ac.uk/content/society-meetings. course meal and wine. Members wishing arrive by Monday 7 November. Any queries to attend should make cheques payable to should be sent to [email protected].

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

LMS PRIZES 2012 • The Fröhlich Prize for original and LMS BERWICK PRIZE AND extremely innovative work in any branch Call for Nominations SENIOR BERWICK PRIZES of mathematics The London Mathematical Society welcomes • The Whitehead Prizes for work in and Changes to Regulations nominations for the 2012 prizes to recog- influence on mathematics nise and celebrate the achievements in and The Prizes Committee is keen to increase Since the 1940s, the Society has offered contributions to all aspects of mathematics, the number of nominations it receives and, Berwick Prizes in recognition of a piece of including applied mathematics, mathematical in particular, the number of nominations for research actually published by the LMS. The physics and mathematical aspects of compu- women, which are disproportionately low prize itself was named after Professor W.E.H. ter science. each year. The prize regulations refer to the Berwick, who donated money to the LMS for In 2012 the LMS Council expects to award: concept of ‘academic age’ – rather than date the purpose. The Berwick Prize is specifically • The Pólya Prize in recognition of outstand- of birth – in order to take account more fully for younger mathematician(s), whilst the Sen- ing creativity in, imaginative exposition of, of broken career patterns. ior Berwick Prize has no restrictions on age and or distinguished contribution to, mathemat- For further information and nomination is intended for established mathematicians. ics within the United Kingdom forms, please visit the LMS website (www. Following the terms of the bequest, the • The Senior Berwick Prize in recognition of lms.ac.uk/content/nominations-lms-prizes) prize has previously been open only to mem- a piece of mathematical research of the or contact Elizabeth Fisher, Secretary to the bers of the Society and has usually been highest quality actually published by the Prizes Committee at the Society (tel: 020 7291 interpreted as being open only to a single Society during the last eight years 9973, email: [email protected]). mathematician. Whilst the terms of the prize (i.e. between 1 January 2004 and The closing date for nominations is Friday were not unusual many years ago, Prizes Com- 31 December 2011 for the 2012 award) 13 January 2012. mittee has found that changes in publishing have had the effect of substantially reducing the field of eligible nominees, particularly for www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter the prize aimed at younger researchers. In LMS Newsletter 2011, the pool was so narrow that Prizes Com- Editorial office: [email protected]; London Mathematical Society, mittee was not able to make any award. De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655) Council has been concerned to ensure that Events calendar: please send updates and corrections to [email protected] the LMS prizes are open to a strong field and, having taken advice from the Charity Com- General Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) mission, has agreed to new regulations for Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) the Berwick Prizes, effective from 2012. These Reviews Editor: Dr C.M. Roney-Dougal ([email protected]) Administrative Editor: S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) seek to retain the spirit of the original Berwick bequest, whilst recognising changing condi- Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. tions. The most significant changes are: Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the 1. There is now no requirement that the first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. Notices and winner(s) of the prize be a member of the advertisements are not accepted for events that occur in the first week of the publication month. LMS. Advertising: for rates and guidelines, see www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.html 2. The prize may now be explicitly awarded to multiple winners. This reflects the trend News items and notices in the Newsletter may be freely used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, towards multi-authored papers. although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter 3. The restriction on winners of the Berwick are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author or photographer for the rights to Prizes subsequently being unable to reproduce. 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. win certain other LMS prizes has been removed. Charity registration number: 252660. Council understands the need for its prizes to be open to wide pools in order to recognise

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• The Fröhlich Prize for original and LMS BERWICK PRIZE AND research of the highest standard, and hopes extremely innovative work in any branch SENIOR BERWICK PRIZES that members will use these changes to the of mathematics fullest and nominate author(s) who have pro- • The Whitehead Prizes for work in and Changes to Regulations duced articles in LMS publications. influence on mathematics The first prize to be awarded under the The Prizes Committee is keen to increase Since the 1940s, the Society has offered new regulations will be the 2012 Senior the number of nominations it receives and, Berwick Prizes in recognition of a piece of Berwick Prize. Full regulations and nomina- in particular, the number of nominations for research actually published by the LMS. The tion forms are on the Society website, www. women, which are disproportionately low prize itself was named after Professor W.E.H. lms.ac.uk/content/lms-prizes. each year. The prize regulations refer to the Berwick, who donated money to the LMS for concept of ‘academic age’ – rather than date the purpose. The Berwick Prize is specifically SET AWARDS 2011 of birth – in order to take account more fully for younger mathematician(s), whilst the Sen- of broken career patterns. ior Berwick Prize has no restrictions on age and The winners of the 2011 Science, Engineering For further information and nomination is intended for established mathematicians. & Technology Student of the Year Awards were forms, please visit the LMS website (www. Following the terms of the bequest, the announced at a ceremony in The Millennium lms.ac.uk/content/nominations-lms-prizes) prize has previously been open only to mem- Hotel, London, on 23 September. Record num- or contact Elizabeth Fisher, Secretary to the bers of the Society and has usually been bers of entries were received from every major Prizes Committee at the Society (tel: 020 7291 interpreted as being open only to a single university in the United Kingdom and Ireland 9973, email: [email protected]). mathematician. Whilst the terms of the prize and judges paid tribute to the exceptional qual- The closing date for nominations is Friday were not unusual many years ago, Prizes Com- ity of this year’s work. In all 45 students were 13 January 2012. mittee has found that changes in publishing shortlisted in fifteen different categories. have had the effect of substantially reducing The Leadership Forum award for the best the field of eligible nominees, particularly for mathematics student of the year was given www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter the prize aimed at younger researchers. In to Claire McIlroy of Leeds University for her LMS Newsletter 2011, the pool was so narrow that Prizes Com- project on Break up of polymeric fluids. Claire’s Editorial office: [email protected]; London Mathematical Society, mittee was not able to make any award. project demonstrated an interesting integra- De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655) Council has been concerned to ensure that tion of mathematics and polymer science. The Events calendar: please send updates and corrections to [email protected] the LMS prizes are open to a strong field and, LMS and IMA provided judges for the award, having taken advice from the Charity Com- commenting that Claire is an engaging speak- General Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) mission, has agreed to new regulations for er, and in her project she has integrated ideas Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) the Berwick Prizes, effective from 2012. These in physics, chemistry and engineering into a Reviews Editor: Dr C.M. Roney-Dougal ([email protected]) Administrative Editor: S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) seek to retain the spirit of the original Berwick sophisticated model of complex behaviour of bequest, whilst recognising changing condi- polymers. Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. tions. The most significant changes are: Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the 1. There is now no requirement that the LMS CONFERENCE first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. Notices and winner(s) of the prize be a member of the advertisements are not accepted for events that occur in the first week of the publication month. LMS. fACILITIES Advertising: for rates and guidelines, see www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.html 2. The prize may now be explicitly awarded De Morgan House offers 40% discount on to multiple winners. This reflects the trend room hire to all Mathematical charities and News items and notices in the Newsletter may be freely used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, towards multi-authored papers. 20% to all not-for-profit organisations. Sup- although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter 3. The restriction on winners of the Berwick port the LMS by booking the next London are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author or photographer for the rights to Prizes subsequently being unable to event at De Morgan House. reproduce. 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. win certain other LMS prizes has been Call us now on 020 7927 0800 or email removed. [email protected] to Charity registration number: 252660. Council understands the need for its prizes check availability, receive a quote or arrange to be open to wide pools in order to recognise a viewing of the venue.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

OPEN HOUSE layout of the rooms and welcomed the in- SUCCESS FOR LMS formation about the LMS particularly that on display in the Verblunsky Room and, of The LMS opened its doors to the public on course, the superb collection of photographs Saturday 17 September 2011 as part of the of the past Presidents. But they are also a very London Open House weekend. It is the first knowledgeable group and a further pleasure time the LMS has participated and the event was to learn from them on a surprisingly wide was a huge success, with over 300 people vis- range of topics pertinent to the tour. iting De Morgan House. The visitors enjoyed The age range of visitors encompassed stu- a tour of the building and a presentation on dents and pensioners; there were London- mathematics through the years. ers and out-of-towners and quite a number The first surprise of the day was arriving at of foreign tourists and the feedback we got De Morgan House to find that a number of from them was overwhelmingly positive. It Open House visitors had arrived an hour in was an extremely enjoyable day for me and it advance of the doors opening and that the seems for your visitors too. queue was growing fast. Annie Edge As an Open House volunteer I had offered Open House Volunteer to help at the LMS as a guide, and ten days earlier had had a very friendly welcome, a BSHM UNDERGRADUATE tour of the building and a clear briefing on the plans for the day. So with this background ESSAY PRIZE and with notes in hand, I set off with the first The British Society for the History of Mathe- group of visitors at 11.00 am and with a con- matics (BSHM) is pleased to invite submis- stant flow of new arrivals didn’t stop until the sions for its 2011–12 undergraduate essay doors shut at 4.00 pm. prize. The essay, which may be on any topic Open House visitors are enthusiastic and within the history of mathematics, should be curious to learn about both the buildings and between 2,000 and 2,500 words. The prize the Society. They enjoyed moving through is open to any person who is enrolled as an the two houses to appreciate the scale and undergraduate in a UK or Irish university during the academic year 2011–12. The value of the prize will be © LMS © £100, plus one year free membership of the BSHM. Essays in submission for the prize should be sent via email attachment to Dr Mark McCartney ([email protected]). Applicants should also give details of their place and year of study and the title of the degree programme on which they are enrolled. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 1 May 2012. A poster is available at www.bshm. ac.uk. Please print and display this if you are in a position to advertise this The door = door of the House = int(House) prize to undergraduates.

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layout of the rooms and welcomed the information about the LMS particularly that on display in the Verblunsky Room and, of course, the superb collection of photographs of the past Presidents. But they are also a very knowledgeable group and a further pleasure was to learn from them on a surprisingly wide range of topics pertinent to the tour. The age range of visitors encompassed students and pensioners; there were London- ers and out-of-towners and quite a number of foreign tourists and the feedback we got from them was overwhelmingly positive. It was an extremely enjoyable day for me and it seems for your visitors too. Annie Edge Open House Volunteer

BSHM UNDERGRADUATE ESSAY PRIZE The British Society for the History of Mathe- matics (BSHM) is pleased to invite submissions for its 2011–12 undergraduate essay prize. The essay, which may be on any topic within the history of mathematics, should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words. The prize is open to any person who is enrolled as an undergraduate in a UK or Irish university during the academic year 2011–12. The value of the prize will be £100, plus one year free membership of the BSHM. Essays in submission for the prize should be sent via email attachment to Dr Mark McCartney ([email protected]). Applicants should also give details of their place and year of study and the title of the degree programme on which they are enrolled. The deadline for receipt of submissions is 1 May 2012. A poster is available at www.bshm. ac.uk. Please print and display this if you are in a position to advertise this prize to undergraduates.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

SOCIETY CONFERENCE GRANTS Conference Dates, Place Applicant Grant Gauge Theory and Complex Geometry 4–8 Jul 2011, R. Bielawski £5,000 The Society is pleased to report that in 2010–11 awards totalling £134,948 were made in the Leeds support of mathematics conferences. Funds are granted to the organisers of conferences to Tropical Geometry and Integrable Systems 3–8 Jul 2011, M. England £1,000 be held in the United Kingdom, and may be used to cover the expenses of principal speakers, Islay and to provide support for research students and for participants from Scheme 5 or former Quantum Cohomology, Symplectic 9–11 Jul 2011, K. McGerty £3,660 Soviet Union countries. For Postgraduate Research Conferences funds are granted to support Resolutions and Representation Theory Oxford participants. Applicants wishing to apply for funding for a conference will find further details Toric Methods in Homotopy Theory and 18–20 Jul 2011, T. Huetteman £5,820 on the Society’s website at www.lms.ac.uk/content/research-grants. Related Subjects Queen’s Conference grants awarded during 2010–11 University Belfast Twistors in Geometry and Physics 21–22 Jul 2011, L. Mason £4,000 Conference Dates, Place Applicant Grant Oxford Combinatorics One-Day Meeting 16 Mar 2011, A. Scott £1,800 Stochastic Analysis: A UK–China Workshop 25–29 Jul 2011, H. Zhao £5,000 Oxford Loughborough Analysis Workshop 16–18 Mar 2011, B. Zegarlinski £1,125 14th Galway Topology Colloquium 15–17 Aug 2011, A. Wickstead £6,000 Imperial College Queen’s The Symmetric Group: Representations and 29 Mar 2011, M. Wildon £590 University Belfast Combinatorics RHUL The Mathematics of Turbulent Diffusion: A 30–31 Aug 2011, N. Mole £4,000 British Applied Mathematics Colloquium 11–13 Apr 2011, D. Leppinen £4,050 Celebration of the Career of Philip Chatwin Sheffield 2011 Birmingham International Conference on Algebra and 29 Aug – 2 Sep C. Cristea £2,550 Numerical and Computational Aspects of 14–15 Apr 2011, A. Strohmaier £1,500 Coalgebra in Computer Science (CALCO) 2011, Winchester Spectral Geometry Loughborough 26th British Topology Meeting 1–3 Sep 2011, J. Howie, £5,000 ICFT11: 15th UK Meeting on Integrable 15–16 Apr 2011, A. Fring £2,220 Edinburgh A. Ranicki Models, Conformal Field Theory and Related City University British Logic Colloquium 1–3 Sep 2011, A. Smaill 4,255 Topics £ Edinburgh The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture 2–4 May 2011, T. Dokchitser £500 (additional grant) Cambridge One Day Function Meeting 5 Sep 2011, I. Short £1,397 London Two linked one-day colloquia in 18–19 May 2011, G. Brightwell £1,500 Combinatorics QMUL, LSE Domains X 5–7 Sep 2011, J. Blanck £3,805 Swansea Complex Analysis and Geometry Meeting 24 May 2011, D. Nicks £990 Open University Partial Differential Equations and Spectral 5–8 Sep 2011, Y. Safarov £6,000 Theory King’s College Spectral Theory & PDEs 24 May 2011, I. Wood £600 Kent London Mathematical and Theoretical Ecology 2011: 19–21 Sep 2011, E. Codling 5,000 Wales Mathematics Colloquium 23–25 May 2011, E.J. Beggs £1,716 £ Gregynog Hall, Linking Mathematical Models with Essex Tregyon Ecological Processes Variational Multiscale Methods (VMS 2011) 26–27 May 2011, G. Barrenechea £3,200 Geometry Day 11 Nov 2011, G. Tinaglia £600 Strathclyde King’s College UKMHD 2011 16–17 Jun 2011, L. Silvers £1,000 London City University Representation Theory and Number Theory 23 Nov 2011, A. Ghosh £1,800 Symbolic Computation Analysis 2011 17 Jun 2011, M. Rosenkranz £370 UEA, London (SCA’11) Kent Campus First British Conference on Mathematics of 22–24 Jun 2011, P. Date £2,650 Free Boundary Problems in Fluid Mechanics 8–11 Jan 2012, D.S. Riley, £5,600 Filtering and Its Applications Brunel Nottingham J.R. King

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

Conference Dates, Place Applicant Grant The Fourth Sheffield Homotopy Mini 20–22 Jan 2012, P. Cheung £5,000 Conference: Homotopy and Geometry of Sheffield Loop Spaces BAMC 2012 27–29 Mar 2012, J-M. £5,000 UCL Vanden-Broeck BMC 2012 16–19 Apr 2012, P. Fleischmann, £12,000 Kent R. J. Shank Algebra, Combinatorics, Dynamics and 27–30 Aug 2012, N. Iyudu £5,200 Applications Queen’s University Belfast

Postgraduate Research Conference grants awarded during 2010–11

Professor Kiriko Kato (Osaka Prefecture University) will be visiting the UK from 23 November to 7 December 2011. Her research area is homological algebra. During her visit she will give talks at: • Leeds University, School of Mathematics, Algebra Seminar on 27 November at 4 pm, Recollement of homotopy categories and Cohen-Macaulay modules; local contact: Robert Marsh ([email protected]) • Edinburgh University, School of Mathe- matics, Algebra Seminar on 28 November at 4 pm, Symmetric Auslander and Bass categories; local contact: Michael Wemyss ([email protected]) • Newcastle University, School of Mathematics Algebra Seminar on 1 December at 2.30 pm, Polygon of recollements; local contact: Raf Bocklandt ([email protected]) For further information contact Peter

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Conference Dates, Place Applicant Grant The Fourth Sheffield Homotopy Mini 20–22 Jan 2012, P. Cheung £5,000 LMS © Conference: Homotopy and Geometry of Sheffield Loop Spaces BAMC 2012 27–29 Mar 2012, J-M. £5,000 UCL Vanden-Broeck BMC 2012 16–19 Apr 2012, P. Fleischmann, £12,000 Kent R. J. Shank Algebra, Combinatorics, Dynamics and 27–30 Aug 2012, N. Iyudu £5,200 Applications Queen’s University Belfast

Postgraduate Research Conference grants awarded during 2010–11

Conference Dates, Place Applicant/Organiser Grant British Postgraduate Model Theory 19–21 Jan 2011, Applicant: A. Pillay £2,300 Conference Leeds Organiser: C. Kestner Young Functional Analysts’ Workshop 6–8 Apr 2011, Applicant: S. Eveson £3,150 York Organiser: T. Potts 11 Young Researchers in Mathematics 14–16 Apr 2011, Applicant: S. Siksek £4,000 2011 Warwick Organiser: D. Holmes 13th Postgraduate Theory Conference 23–25 Jun 2011, Applicant: R. Kessar £4,000 Participants at the 2011 LMS Editorial Advisory Board meeting Aberdeen Organiser: J. Taylor VISIT OF K. KATO J�rgensen ([email protected]). The visit is supported by an LMS Scheme 2 Professor Kiriko Kato (Osaka Prefecture grant. University) will be visiting the UK from 23 November to 7 December 2011. Her research EDITORIAL ADVISERS’ area is homological algebra. During her visit she will give talks at: MEETING • Leeds University, School of Mathematics, A biennial meeting of the Editorial Advisory Algebra Seminar on 27 November at 4 pm, Board for the LMS Bulletin, Journal and Pro- Recollement of homotopy categories and ceedings took place at De Morgan House on Cohen-Macaulay modules; local contact: Friday 9 September 2011. The meeting was Robert Marsh ([email protected]) well attended and some participants had • Edinburgh University, School of Mathe- travelled a great distance. matics, Algebra Seminar on 28 November A large part of the meeting was spent dis- at 4 pm, Symmetric Auslander and Bass cussing the new online submission and paper categories; local contact: Michael Wemyss management system, EditFlow, which is in use ([email protected]) for all LMS journals. The system is still under- • Newcastle University, School of Mathematics going fine-tuning, but there are early signs Algebra Seminar on 1 December that the new system will speed up the editorial at 2.30 pm, Polygon of recollements; process, as it allows everyone involved to see local contact: Raf Bocklandt at any time what is happening to papers. ([email protected]) Ola Törnkvist For further information contact Peter Managing Editor, LMS

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

MATHEMATICS POLICY ROUND-UP ACME responds to HE White Paper consultation October 2011 1994 Group of universities report on research A copy of the full response is available at A report by the 1994 Group of universities, http://tinyurl.com/667azeq. RESEARCH Mapping Research Excellence: exploring the Mathematics community expresses funding links between research excellence and re- SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES concerns to the Prime Minister search funding policy, compares the UK’s A group of senior mathematicians has writ- research output with that of the US, Australia, Consultation on GCSE Reform ten to David Cameron to protest about cuts Germany, China and Japan. The full report is The consultation covers the changes in research funding for the mathematical available at http://tinyurl.com/63c4m9f. being made to current GCSE specifications sciences. They claim the EPSRC did not ade- in England and asks specific questions quately consult the mathematics community New EPSRC policy on access to research outputs on how these changes will be implement- before making its decisions. The letter can EPSRC has introduced a new policy on ed. The closing date for submissions is be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/6y8wzus. access to research outputs. More information Friday 4 November 2011. More informa- is available at http://tinyurl.com/6gdmg6o. tion is available at http://tinyurl.com/ Joint letter to EPSRC 6xl66oo. The Council for the Mathematical Sciences Public funding for UK science and (CMS) has joined a group of STEM organi- engineering A* grades at A-level 12 sations – including the Institute of Physics, The Campaign for Science and Engineering The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, Royal Society of Chemistry, Institution of (CaSE) has produced a paper entitled Pub- has proposed that A* grades at A-level Engineering and Technology, Royal Acad- lic Funding of UK Science and Engineering: could be awarded to a fixed percentage emy of Engineering and the Royal Society Putting Government Rhetoric to the Test that of candidates each year. Gove, speaking at – that has sent a letter to EPSRC with a call analyses recent changes in the amount and a recent Ofqual conference, said he want- to pause its ‘shaping capability’ strategy. organisation of public spending on science ed to ‘open up the debate’ about chang- The letter can be viewed at http://tinyurl. and engineering and tests whether actual ing the A-level system. A transcript of the com/63yopsw. spending plans live up to government rheto- full speech is available at http://tinyurl. ric. The full paper is available at http://tinyurl. com/6hlld7q. Concerns over EPSRC continue com/6c6bo5n. At the same conference, Professor Rob- Professor Michael Singer of the University ert Coe of Durham University said “data of Edinburgh has written to David Willetts, showed grade inflation was continuing. HIGHER EDUCATION MP “to express [his] grave concerns about In A-level mathematics, the level of ability recent developments at the EPSRC”. This LMS responds to HE White Paper consultation worth a D or an E twenty years ago would follows the recent correspondence from The LMS has responded to the consultation now secure an A or a B”. other distinguished mathematicians to the on the government’s Higher Education White Prime Minister. The letter is available on the Paper, Students at the Heart of the System, Enquiry into examinations LMS website at http://tinyurl.com/6k7e9sj. which closed on 20 September. The response The Education Select Committee has an- can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/5shpm8e. nounced an inquiry into the administra- Select Committee evidence tion of examinations for 15–19 year olds The Science and Technology Select Commit- UUK warns that HE proposals may not deliver in England. The inquiry will consider the tee took evidence on the 2010 Comprehen- Universities UK has said that the government’s benefits and drawbacks of having sev- sive Spending Review. Those called to give white paper on higher education in England eral awarding bodies for qualifications evidence included EPRSC Chief Executive may not deliver all of the government’s aims and the extent to which the current Professor David Delpy and Minister of State and that the proposals, as they now stand, system delivers the best and fairest for Universities and Science David Willetts. could lead to unintended consequences for educational outcomes for young peo- A transcript of the evidence is available at students and universities. The response is ple. For more information visit http:// http://tinyurl.com/43fv87n. available at http://tinyurl.com/6x95rss. tinyurl.com/62u2vaq.

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MATHEMATICS POLICY ROUND-UP ACME responds to HE White Paper New plans for A-levels consultation Under plans being drawn up by UCAS, 1994 Group of universities report on research A copy of the full response is available at from 2016 A-level exams would take place A report by the 1994 Group of universities, http://tinyurl.com/667azeq. immediately after Easter and students Mapping Research Excellence: exploring the would apply to university after receiving links between research excellence and re- their grades in July. For further details SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES search funding policy, compares the UK’s visit http://tinyurl.com/3svw742. research output with that of the US, Australia, Consultation on GCSE Reform Germany, China and Japan. The full report is The consultation covers the changes Transition from A-level available at http://tinyurl.com/63c4m9f. being made to current GCSE specifications A report, Mind the Gap: Mathematics and in England and asks specific questions the transition from A-levels to physics and New EPSRC policy on access to research outputs on how these changes will be implement- engineering degrees, published by the EPSRC has introduced a new policy on ed. The closing date for submissions is Institute of Physics (IOP), suggests that access to research outputs. More information Friday 4 November 2011. More informa- exams and specifications have weakened is available at http://tinyurl.com/6gdmg6o. tion is available at http://tinyurl.com/ the crucial relationship between mathe- 6xl66oo. matics and the physical sciences. The Public funding for UK science and full report is available at http://tinyurl. engineering A* grades at A-level com/6h2fhux. The Campaign for Science and Engineering The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, 13 (CaSE) has produced a paper entitled Pub- has proposed that A* grades at A-level More students study core subjects lic Funding of UK Science and Engineering: could be awarded to a fixed percentage According to Department for Education Putting Government Rhetoric to the Test that of candidates each year. Gove, speaking at figures the new English Baccalaureate analyses recent changes in the amount and a recent Ofqual conference, said he want- is having an immediate impact – hugely organisation of public spending on science ed to ‘open up the debate’ about chang- increasing the proportion of students and engineering and tests whether actual ing the A-level system. A transcript of the taking the core academic subjects most spending plans live up to government rheto- full speech is available at http://tinyurl. valued by universities and employers. ric. The full paper is available at http://tinyurl. com/6hlld7q. The English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) was com/6c6bo5n. At the same conference, Professor Rob- introduced by the Department for Edu- ert Coe of Durham University said “data cation as an additional measure in the showed grade inflation was continuing. performance tables published in January HIGHER EDUCATION In A-level mathematics, the level of ability 2011. Students who achieve a GCSE grade LMS responds to HE White Paper consultation worth a D or an E twenty years ago would C or better in English, mathematics, a The LMS has responded to the consultation now secure an A or a B”. language, history or geography, and two on the government’s Higher Education White sciences achieve the EBacc. Paper, Students at the Heart of the System, Enquiry into examinations • 33 per cent of students taking GCSEs which closed on 20 September. The response The Education Select Committee has an- next year will be doing a combination can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/5shpm8e. nounced an inquiry into the administra- of subjects that could lead to an tion of examinations for 15–19 year olds EBacc. UUK warns that HE proposals may not deliver in England. The inquiry will consider the • 47 per cent of students taking GCSEs Universities UK has said that the government’s benefits and drawbacks of having sev- in 2013 will be doing a combination of white paper on higher education in England eral awarding bodies for qualifications subjects that could lead to an EBacc. may not deliver all of the government’s aims and the extent to which the current This compares with 22 per cent of GCSE- and that the proposals, as they now stand, system delivers the best and fairest stage students entered for the Ebacc in could lead to unintended consequences for educational outcomes for young peo- 2010 students and universities. The response is ple. For more information visit http:// Dr John Johnston available at http://tinyurl.com/6x95rss. tinyurl.com/62u2vaq. Mathematics Promotion Unit

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

NEWS FROM IMU

60th anniversary of IMU after rebirth in 1951 On 10 September 2011 the International Mathematical Union (IMU) celebrated its 60th anniversary after it was reborn in 1951. In his book Mathematics without borders: A history of the International Mathematical Union, Olli Lehto recalls that Börge Jessen (1907–1993), the Danish Secretary of the Interim Commit- tee of the IMU 1950–1952, declared on 10 September 1951 the official founding of the Union with its first domicile in Copenhagen. For further information see www.mathunion. org/general/history.

Facebook Social Network IMU is now alive and active on Facebook un- 14 der the name ‘IMU Secretariat (Mathunion)’ as well as under ‘International Mathematical Union’. If you want to know the latest IMU updates (and have a Facebook page or pro- file), become friends of the IMU on Facebook. You just have to search for www.facebook. com/mathunion, and then click the button LIKE at the institutional webpage (see http:// tinyurl.com/5rlho2n).

CDC launches the IMU Mathematics Library Assistance Scheme for Developing Countries IMU’s Commission for Developing Countries (CDC) has launched a new support scheme where the shipment of textbooks to universities in less economically developed countries is supported. CDC offers limited financial support for shipment costs for individual scien- tists or institutions wishing to donate books in the mathematical sciences to libraries in developing countries. Libraries in universities/research institutions in developing countries can apply for receiving donated books. For more information see http://imuweb. mathunion.org/cdc/further-cdc-activities/ library-assistance-scheme or contact the CDC Administrator in the IMU Secretariat in Berlin ([email protected]).

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NEWS FROM IMU The Simons Foundation announces the Africa Mathematics Project 60th anniversary of IMU after rebirth in 1951 The programme is designed to enhance the On 10 September 2011 the International mathematical capacity and productivity of Mathematical Union (IMU) celebrated its 60th recipient research groups. The project will anniversary after it was reborn in 1951. In his focus on mathematicians and their graduate book Mathematics without borders: A history students at institutions of higher learning of the International Mathematical Union, Olli in sub-Saharan Africa. The Foundation will Lehto recalls that Börge Jessen (1907–1993), make competitive awards that, taken togeth- the Danish Secretary of the Interim Commit- er, will total approximately US$400,000 per tee of the IMU 1950–1952, declared on 10 year for each of the next 10 years. For more September 1951 the official founding of the information see https://simonsfoundation. Union with its first domicile in Copenhagen. org/mps-africa-mathematics-project For further information see www.mathunion. org/general/history. John Ball elected to the Executive Board of ICSU Facebook Social Network The General Assembly has elected the officers IMU is now alive and active on Facebook un- for the next three-year period and John Ball, der the name ‘IMU Secretariat (Mathunion)’ former President of IMU, was elected to the 15 as well as under ‘International Mathematical Executive Board of the International Council Union’. If you want to know the latest IMU of Scientific Unions (ICSU) for a three-year updates (and have a Facebook page or pro- period starting January 2012. file), become friends of the IMU on Facebook. You just have to search for www.facebook. Death of Albrecht Dold com/mathunion, and then click the button Albrecht Dold, known for fundamental con- LIKE at the institutional webpage (see http:// tributions to algebraic topology, who was tinyurl.com/5rlho2n). born in Germany on 5 August 1928, died on 26 September 2011. He held positions in CDC launches the IMU Mathematics Library Heidelberg, Zürich, Princeton and Columbia Assistance Scheme for Developing Countries and was Vice-President of the IMU 1995–98. IMU’s Commission for Developing Countries (CDC) has launched a new support scheme Subscribing to IMU-Net where the shipment of textbooks to universi- There are two ways of subscribing to ties in less economically developed countries IMU-Net: is supported. CDC offers limited financial sup- 1. Click on www.mathunion.org/IMU-Net port for shipment costs for individual scien- with a web browser and go to the tists or institutions wishing to donate books ‘Subscribe’ button to subscribe to IMU-Net in the mathematical sciences to libraries in online. developing countries. Libraries in universi- 2. Send an email to ties/research institutions in developing coun- [email protected] tries can apply for receiving donated books. with the subject-line: For more information see http://imuweb. Subject: subscribe mathunion.org/cdc/further-cdc-activities/ library-assistance-scheme or contact the CDC The above items are taken from the 49th issue of Administrator in the IMU Secretariat in Berlin the IMU electronic newsletter IMU Net (see www. ([email protected]). mathunion.org/IMU-Net).

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

MAKING EVERYTHING Now that Poincaré’s conjecture has been explain the mathematics behind the Poincaré proved for the 3-sphere it gives us a means conjecture, both to those working on the AND NOTHING for exploring the possible shapes of our uni- production, and in an accompanying work- Otley Science Festival, 17 November 2011 verse. This idea of ‘possible shapes’ resonates shop to the audience of the show. As well and London, December 2011 (date TBA) across disciplines: as artists we are continually as discussing the historical story of the proof exploring and rendering our own topologies – the conjecture could well be the statement Everything and Nothing is a mixed-media and landscapes. Stimulated by the theatre piece based on the recently-solved concepts encapsulated by the Poin- Poincaré conjecture and is a collaboration caré conjecture, Everything and between myself – a composer and writer Nothing explores what the fourth

– and sculptor Kate Allen, funded by EPSRC’s dimension could be, what a manifold Chesher Roswitha © Partnerships for Public Engagement scheme, is, what the three-sphere might look through Sheffield, Reading and Oxford Uni- like and how one might navigate versities. With the impetus of public engage- the universe. The diverse sources ment as our objective, the work has come of Jorge Luis Borges’s Library of about through our own engagement as art- Babel and Amelia Earhart’s story ists with the mathematics of the Poincaré of circumnavigation have become conjecture. In this we have been guided by powerful partners for developing 16 expert mathematicians Marcus du Sautoy and the concept of a shape or surface we Katie Steckles, while Henri Poincaré’s own are on but cannot see. Three charac- writings around mathematics in The Value ters (one a surreal virtual Librarian), of Science have provided invaluable endorse- each attempting to navigate the ment of our instinct to explore this very universe from a different mathe- abstract mathematics through tactile, visual matical perspective, encounter one and sonic means. another in the library, through the airwaves and along the dateline, with Investigating the possible shapes of the Universe outcomes that are – Everyman Explorer (Chris Brannick) at times absurd, at others po-

© Roswitha Chesher Roswitha © etic and sublime. Everything and with the most false proof attempts ever – I Nothing is a tangible encounter communicate the ideas behind the conjecture with the Poincaré conjecture in simple terms. at the horizon of our capacity Some quite serious maths terminology to imagine space, that in itself is used in the statement of the conjecture, facilitates a theatre in which and my task is to find a way to explain such mathematics, sound, image and concepts in a way that is intuitive and under- text can be equal partners. standable. I have had a lot of fun playing with Dorothy Ker plasticine to explain homeomorphism, large inflatables and maps and charts to- demon As a mathematician who has strate the idea of a manifold, animating loops become increasingly involved in moving around on surfaces to illustrate the outreach activities as I completed fundamental group, and making tiny model my PhD, I jumped at the chance ants to convey the idea of determining prop- of a PDRA post in maths outreach erties of a surface from local information, as for Everything and Nothing. My seen from an ant’s perspective. Circumnavigating the globe – Amelia Aleph (Lucy Stevens) responsibility on the project is to I find the performance itself very -beauti

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Now that Poincaré’s conjecture has been explain the mathematics behind the Poincaré ful, and it incorporates ideas from Jorge Luis proved for the 3-sphere it gives us a means conjecture, both to those working on the Borges, the Argentine author whose short sto- for exploring the possible shapes of our uni- production, and in an accompanying work- ries touched on concepts like infinity and the verse. This idea of ‘possible shapes’ resonates shop to the audience of the show. As well universe, as well as combinatorics, scale and across disciplines: as artists we are continually as discussing the historical story of the proof perspective. These ideas are woven around exploring and rendering our own topologies – the conjecture could well be the statement the story of a mathematician who is excited about the recent proof, and the lost aviator Amelia Earhart, who presents a non-mathematician’s viewpoint and whose charts and navigational tools echo the mathematical charts of topological manifolds. It has been very instructive working with a team of non-mathematicians – it is wonderful being advised on ways to present things and to take advantage of my skills and enthu- siasm in order to communicate effectively. On top of this, I have the 17 opportunity to ask someone without a mathematics background ‘does this make sense?’; sometimes their insights and perspectives give me a new angle on something I thought I knew well. It forces me to be creative in finding ways to explain and dem- Investigating the possible shapes of the Universe onstrate things, as well as justifying – Everyman Explorer (Chris Brannick) the usefulness of the (very pure) at times absurd, at others po- mathematics involved, which is not always etic and sublime. Everything and with the most false proof attempts ever – I easy. Nothing is a tangible encounter communicate the ideas behind the conjecture The motivation for much of pure mathe- with the Poincaré conjecture in simple terms. matics is often unclear until years later, and at the horizon of our capacity Some quite serious maths terminology my hope is that in this project I have man- to imagine space, that in itself is used in the statement of the conjecture, aged to convey the importance and beauty facilitates a theatre in which and my task is to find a way to explain such of mathematical proof, and of such results as mathematics, sound, image and concepts in a way that is intuitive and under- the Poincaré conjecture. text can be equal partners. standable. I have had a lot of fun playing with Katie Steckles Dorothy Ker plasticine to explain homeomorphism, large inflatables and maps and charts to- demon Following on from premieres this summer at the As a mathematician who has strate the idea of a manifold, animating loops Green Man and British Science Festivals, the next become increasingly involved in moving around on surfaces to illustrate the performance of Everything and Nothing will be outreach activities as I completed fundamental group, and making tiny model at the Otley Science Festival on 17 November. A London performance is planned for early December my PhD, I jumped at the chance ants to convey the idea of determining prop- and will be advertised through the LMS. Further of a PDRA post in maths outreach erties of a surface from local information, as information is available from the website www. for Everything and Nothing. My seen from an ant’s perspective. everythingandnothingproject.com. Follow the twit- responsibility on the project is to I find the performance itself very -beauti ter feed: @everythgnothing.

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

SARAH SHEPHERD Sarah’s research with Helen Byrne and In addition to lectures there will also be Nick Monk, ‘Stem cell differentiation in musical contributions (musical director: Kobi It is with enormous regret that we report response to cell signalling mechanisms’, was Kremnizer). To register, email tillmann@ the death of Sarah Shepherd, aged 26, on developing mathematical models to look at maths.ox.ac.uk. Further details are avail- 14 September 2011. the role of delta-notch signalling in neuro- able at http://tinyurl.com/3uouwa4. To Following a 4-year mathematics degree genesis. She wrote about her research area find accommodation, see http://tinyurl. at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, Sarah began in the final issue of iSquared, calling this com/62lrqod. research for a PhD in mathematical medi- “a rapidly expanding area that carries great To reserve a space at the conference din- cine at the University of Nottingham. She promise for the future of biology.” ner, which will be held at Merton College, once told me that before her degree she Sarah was interested in the place of women would visit her local library and, in the ab- in mathematics and devoted a special issue sence of a mathematics magazine aimed of iSquared to this topic, writing of the gen- at sixth-formers, would look through back der imbalance in our subject and saying she copies of New Scientist for articles about hoped the issue would “prove inspirational mathematics. When she began her PhD, for young women looking to start their own realising the ‘mathematics magazine’ she mathematical careers.” The door = door of the House = int(House) had been longing for still didn’t exist, she Sarah was an active and well-respected decided to set it up. Sarah published twelve member of the mathematics community 18 issues of iSquared Magazine between who made a substantial contribution to autumn 2007 and summer 2010. the promotion of mathematics. She will be iSquared contained feature articles, his- remembered for her passion and commit- torical biographies, interviews, news, book ment to mathematics and her achievement reviews and puzzles. Dozens of people in communicating this to others through wrote articles for iSquared and Sarah com- iSquared Magazine. missioned, wrote, edited, designed and Peter Rowlett did everything else that gets a magazine into the hands of readers. The philosophy Sarah’s family have asked for donations in Sarah’s behind iSquared was to show mathematics memory to the Rethink charity via www.rethink. not as a static, abstract body of knowledge org/get_involved/donate_now/donate_in_memory/ but as an active, vibrant subject applied sarahs_fund.html. to the real world. The magazine realised Sarah’s passion for communicating this DAN QUILLEN to those who are unaware of the nature of mathematics. In her first editorial she MEMORIAL MEETING wrote, Second Announcement Many people are unaware that maths is more than just abstract concepts, inacces- There will be a memorial meeting for Dan sible to all but those with a university edu- Quillen at Magdalen College, Oxford, on the cation in the subject. In fact, mathematics afternoon of Saturday 19 November 2011. can be appreciated by everyone. The past He died on 30 April this year and was the few decades have seen maths being Waynflete Professor at the Mathematical used in numerous innovative real-world Institute from 1984 to 2006 and associated situations; notably in the areas of biol- with Magdalen College. The speakers are: ogy and medicine, where new insights are • Sir Michael Atiyah emerging from the use of mathematical • Michael Hopkins modelling. • Graeme Segal

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Sarah’s research with Helen Byrne and In addition to lectures there will also be send a cheque of £35 made out to the Nick Monk, ‘Stem cell differentiation in musical contributions (musical director: Kobi ‘Mathematical Institute’ to U. Tillmann, response to cell signalling mechanisms’, was Kremnizer). To register, email tillmann@ Mathematical Institute, 24–29 St Giles’, developing mathematical models to look at maths.ox.ac.uk. Further details are avail- Oxford OX1 3LB by 4 November 2011. the role of delta-notch signalling in neuro- able at http://tinyurl.com/3uouwa4. To The organizers are Martin Bridson, Frances genesis. She wrote about her research area find accommodation, see http://tinyurl. Kirwan, Glenys Luke, Graeme Segal and in the final issue of iSquared, calling this com/62lrqod. Ulrike Tillmann. “a rapidly expanding area that carries great To reserve a space at the conference din- An obituary was published in the June is- promise for the future of biology.” ner, which will be held at Merton College, sue of the LMS Newsletter (No. 404). Sarah was interested in the place of women in mathematics and devoted a special issue of iSquared to this topic, writing of the gen- der imbalance in our subject and saying she LMS INVITED LECTURER 2012 hoped the issue would “prove inspirational for young women looking to start their own mathematical careers.” Sarah was an active and well-respected Professor Alexei Borodin (MIT) member of the mathematics community who made a substantial contribution to Determinantal point processes and 19 the promotion of mathematics. She will be remembered for her passion and commit- representation theory ment to mathematics and her achievement in communicating this to others through iSquared Magazine. 26–30 March 2012 Peter Rowlett University of Glasgow

Sarah’s family have asked for donations in Sarah’s memory to the Rethink charity via www.rethink. Alexei Borodin will give a ten-lecture minicourse, at a level suitable for org/get_involved/donate_now/donate_in_memory/ graduate students, on Determinantal point processes and representation sarahs_fund.html. theory. The lectures will explore the interactions between probability theory and algebra, which is a new fast-developing area. DAN QUILLEN MEMORIAL MEETING There will also be supplementary lectures by: Second Announcement • Neil O’Connell (Warwick) • Patrik Ferrari (Bonn) There will be a memorial meeting for Dan Quillen at Magdalen College, Oxford, on the Local B&B accommodation will be available. afternoon of Saturday 19 November 2011. He died on 30 April this year and was the Limited financial support is available with preference given to UK Waynflete Professor at the Mathematical research students. Please contact the organisers for further details Institute from 1984 to 2006 and associated ([email protected]). with Magdalen College. The speakers are: • Sir Michael Atiyah For further details on the 2012 Invited Lectures please visit • Michael Hopkins www.maths.gla.ac.uk/~mf/LMSLectures2012/index.htm. • Graeme Segal

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NEWSLETTER www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter [email protected]

INTEGRABLE DAY The meeting is part of a collaborative workshop series on Classical and Quantum Inte- A half-day workshop on Integrable Systems grability involving Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Poisson Geometry will be held at Lough- and Loughborough Universities. The meet- borough University on 25 November 2011. ing is supported by an LMS Scheme 3 grant. The speakers are: Funds may be available to support the attend- • Pantelis Damianou (Cyprus) ance of research students. Enquiries should Transverse Poisson structures and ADE be addressed to the organiser Sasha Veselov singularities ([email protected] or 01509 222866), • Andy Hone (Kent) or visit the website at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/ Algebraic entropy and tropicalization of departments/ma/events/IDays/index.html. birational maps • Marta Mazzocco (Loughborough) PROFINITE COMPLETIONS Poisson structure on block triangular bilinear forms OF GROUPS • Theodore Voronov (Manchester) A one-day meeting on Profinite Completions Poisson brackets and supergeometry of Groups will be held on Monday 12 Decem- ber 2011 at Imperial College London. 20 Every residually finite group embeds as a dense subgroup into its profinite completion, and the profinite completion construction is an important tool in studying infinite groups. There are many interesting open questions about the relationship between abstract groups, their profinite completions and profinite groups in general. The natural problem `Which profinite groups are completions of finitely generated groups?’ seems impossibly hard. Prospective speakers are: • Dan Segal (University of Oxford) • Menny Aka (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) • Henry Wilton (University College London) The meeting is part of the South England Profinite Groups Meetings which are supported by an LMS Scheme 3 grant. Limited funds are available to reimburse travel expenses of UK-based students and young mathematicians. For more details “That, in itself, is a breakthrough.” see www.ma.rhul.ac.uk/profinite_ groups/meetings.html or contact N. © ScienceCartoonsPlus.com Nikolov ([email protected]).

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The meeting is part of a collaborative workshop series on Classical and Quantum Inte- grability involving Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY and Loughborough Universities. The meeting is supported by an LMS Scheme 3 grant. Funds may be available to support the attend- MARY CARTWRIGHT LECTURE ance of research students. Enquiries should be addressed to the organiser Sasha Veselov AND SOCIETY MEETING ([email protected] or 01509 222866), or visit the website at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/ Friday 24 February 2012 departments/ma/events/IDays/index.html. Black Suite, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP PROFINITE COMPLETIONS OF GROUPS Programme: A one-day meeting on Profinite Completions of Groups will be held on Monday 12 Decem- 3.30 Opening of the meeting ber 2011 at Imperial College London. Every residually finite group embeds Tom Lenagan (Edinburgh) 21 as a dense subgroup into its profinite completion, and the profinite com- Totally nonnegative matrices pletion construction is an important tool in studying infinite groups. There 4.30 Tea are many interesting open questions about the relationship between ab- 5.00 Mary Cartwright Lecture stract groups, their profinite comple- Agata Smoktunowicz (Edinburgh) tions and profinite groups in general. The natural problem `Which profinite Old and new questions in

groups are completions of finitely noncommutative algebra Post Evening Wales South the of Courtesy generated groups?’ seems impossibly hard. Prospective speakers are: Mary Cartwright giving a lecture • Dan Segal (University of Oxford) at Swansea University • Menny Aka (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) A reception will be held after the meeting at BMA House followed by a • Henry Wilton (University College dinner at the Number Twelve Restaurant, Ambassador Hotel, at a cost of London) The meeting is part of the South £32 per person, inclusive of wine. If you would like to attend the dinner, England Profinite Groups Meetings please contact Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) by 17 February. which are supported by an LMS Scheme 3 grant. Limited funds are There are limited funds available to contribute in part to the expenses of available to reimburse travel expenses of UK-based students and young members of the Society or research students to attend the meeting. mathematicians. For more details Contact Duncan Turton/Elizabeth Fisher ([email protected]) for see www.ma.rhul.ac.uk/profinite_ further information. groups/meetings.html or contact N. Nikolov ([email protected]).

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ISAAC NEWTON INSTITUTE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES PATTERN FORMATION: THE INSPIRATION OF ALAN TURING (A satellite meeting at St John’s College, Oxford) 14–16 March 2012 in association with the Newton Institute programme Semantics and Syntax: A Legacy of Alan Turing (9 January – 6 July 2012) To celebrate the centenary of Alan Turing’s birth and his seminal work in the mathematical modelling of biological pattern formation, this workshop will aim to show how mathematical modelling of pattern formation has led to (i) significant advances in the understanding of certain aspects of biology and chemistry; (ii) new mathematical and computational challenges. It will bring together researchers ranging from those who do experiments to demonstrate pattern formation, to those who develop mathematical and computational techniques to analyse proposed models, the common theme being the emergence of pattern and form. The format will consist of a number of keynote lectures, given by experts in the field, and a series of shorter contributed talks. Further information and application forms are available from the website at www.newton.ac.uk/programmes/SAS/sasw08.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 1 December 2011. The organisers are Bernold Fiedler (Freie Universität Berlin), Benedick Löwe (Amsterdam) and Philip Maini (Oxford). 23 FORMAL AND COMPUTATIONAL CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROOFS 10–13 April 2012, Cambridge in association with the Newton Institute programme Semantics and Syntax: A Legacy of Alan Turing (9 January – 6 July 2012) Proofs arise in many forms in cryptography and security: • As mathematical proofs of security in a complexity-theoretic model of a protocol or scheme; such proofs are typical of the area known as ‘reductionist proofs of security’. • As mathematical proofs of security in a logical, or symbolic, model of a protocol or scheme; such proofs are typified by work in the ‘formal methods’/ ‘symbolic’ tradition, a.k.a. the Dolev–Yao model. • As objects in their own right which are used in a protocol; for example as in zero-knowledge interactive proofs or probabilistically checkable proofs. This workshop is timely, given recent work in establishing that some Dolev–Yao style proofs can have the same computational guarantees as provided by reductionist proofs of security. Such meta-proofs show that Dolev-Yao proofs are computationally sound. In addition recent years have shown the devel- opment of automated theorem provers, traditionally the reserve of formal methods style proofs, into the arena of provable security. In addition, we have seen the actual deployment of protocols based on zero-knowledge proofs via protocols such as U-Prove (from Microsoft) and Idemix (from IBM). Finally, the last ten years have seen the application of ideas from complexity theory, such as the PCP theorem, to cryptographic protocols, and it is to be hoped that such protocols may soon become practical. The aim of the workshop is to bring together people working on all such topics, with a view for cross- disciplinary work, to obtain new insights on old problems, and to capitalise on the recent advances alluded to above. Further information and application forms are available from the website at www.newton.ac.uk/programmes/SAS/sasw02.html. Closing date for the receipt of applications is 30 November 2011. The organisers are Nigel Smart (Bristol) and Shafi Goldwasser (MIT).

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any way they could in defence of mathematical research in RECORDS OF PROCEEDINGS the UK. AT LMS MEETINGS It was left to the first speaker, Profes- sor Coates, to move REGIONAL ORDINARY MEETING on to more uplifting topics. His lecture L- held on Saturday 8 October 2011 at the University of Exeter. About 35 members and functions and arith- visitors were present for all or part of the meeting. metic from a p-adic perspective surveyed The meeting began at 9.30 am, with the President, Professor A.J. MACINTYRE FRS, in a number of exciting the Chair. recent developments in Iwasawa theory. A Seventeen people were elected to Ordinary Membership: D.K. Burgarth, P. Cascini, major theme in Iwa- J. Castillo-Rodriguez, J. Derrick, P.E. Dorey, A. Fronda, T.S. Gee, D.T. Gurr, J.Z. Kolendowicz, sawa theory in recent E.J.N. Lockhart, S. Mikulas, M.T. Morrow. R.E. Paget, S.J. Sierra, A. Wiese, S. Zharkov, years has been the V. Zharkova; one was elected to Reciprocity Membership: M.P. Chaudhary. 26 study of arithmetical No members signed the book or were admitted to the Society. modules (such as class groups of number fields) in the limit over Professor J. RITTER introduced a lecture given by Professor John Coates on towers of number fields whose Galois groups L-functions and arithmetic from a p-adic perspective. are non-commutative p-adic Lie groups. After tea, Professor Ritter introduced a lecture given by Professor David Burns Professor Coates explained the algebraic entitled On the derivatives of p-adic L-functions. After lunch, Professor V. SNAITH introduced a lecture given by Professor Jürgen Ritter entitled On equivariant Iwasawa theory. The Programme Secretary Dr S.A. HUGGETT expressed the thanks of the Society to the local organisers for putting on such an interesting meeting.

SOUTH-WEST REGIONAL MEETING 2011 Report The 2011 South-West Regional Meeting of The formal business of the meeting, includ- the LMS was held on Saturday 8 October ing the approval of reports of several previ- 2011 at the University of Exeter. The meet- ous meetings, was conducted by Professor ing took place on the second day of a two- Angus Macintyre (LMS President). Professor day workshop on Iwasawa Theory, and Macintyre took the opportunity to share the speakers were Professor John Coates with the assembled members his concerns (Cambridge), Professor David Burns (King’s over the very worrying recent developments College London) and Professor Jürgen Ritter in EPSRC’s policy on mathematics funding, (University of Augsburg). and to encourage those present to act in David Burns

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any way they could in defence of mathematical research in RECORDS OF PROCEEDINGS the UK. AT LMS MEETINGS It was left to the first speaker, Profes- sor Coates, to move

REGIONAL ORDINARY MEETING on to more uplifting London) College (Imperial Pál Ambrus topics. His lecture L- held on Saturday 8 October 2011 at the University of Exeter. About 35 members and functions and arith- visitors were present for all or part of the meeting. metic from a p-adic perspective surveyed The meeting began at 9.30 am, with the President, Professor A.J. MACINTYRE FRS, in a number of exciting the Chair. recent developments in Iwasawa theory. A Seventeen people were elected to Ordinary Membership: D.K. Burgarth, P. Cascini, major theme in Iwa- J. Castillo-Rodriguez, J. Derrick, P.E. Dorey, A. Fronda, T.S. Gee, D.T. Gurr, J.Z. Kolendowicz, sawa theory in recent E.J.N. Lockhart, S. Mikulas, M.T. Morrow. R.E. Paget, S.J. Sierra, A. Wiese, S. Zharkov, years has been the V. Zharkova; one was elected to Reciprocity Membership: M.P. Chaudhary. study of arithmetical John Coates 27 No members signed the book or were admitted to the Society. modules (such as class groups of number fields) in the limit over framework that is used to study these ob- Professor J. RITTER introduced a lecture given by Professor John Coates on towers of number fields whose Galois groups jects, and described several striking applica- L-functions and arithmetic from a p-adic perspective. are non-commutative p-adic Lie groups. tions to well-known arithmetical problems. After tea, Professor Ritter introduced a lecture given by Professor David Burns Professor Coates explained the algebraic Professor Burns’ talk On the derivatives of p-adic L-func- entitled On the derivatives of p-adic L-functions. tions described new After lunch, Professor V. SNAITH introduced a lecture given by Professor Jürgen progress on an old Ritter entitled On equivariant Iwasawa theory. problem in algebraic number theory, The Programme Secretary Dr S.A. HUGGETT expressed the thanks of the Society to Brumer’s conjec- the local organisers for putting on such an interesting meeting. ture, which asserts that the ideal class

Ambrus Pál (Imperial College London) College (Imperial Pál Ambrus groups of certain number fields are SOUTH-WEST REGIONAL MEETING 2011 annihilated by ele- ments of a group Report algebra concocted The formal business of the meeting, includ- from the values of ing the approval of reports of several previ- Artin L-functions. ous meetings, was conducted by Professor A major problem Angus Macintyre (LMS President). Professor in this theory is the Macintyre took the opportunity to share existence of certain with the assembled members his concerns ‘trivial zeros’ of over the very worrying recent developments p-adic L-functions, in EPSRC’s policy on mathematics funding, and Professor Burns and to encourage those present to act in David Burns described how this

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difficulty can be circumvented by under- FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE 2011 of Schrödinger and explaining waves from standing the derivatives of these L- radio waves to tsunamis and solitons, with Report functions. contributions from Alan Champneys (Bristol) After lunch, Professor Ritter addressed The British Association for the Advance- and Nick Mitchell (Bath). Katie Chicot ran a the audience on Equivariant Iwasawa theory ment of Science (now using the name British multi-media competition X and Y Factor for explaining a theorem due to him and Alfred Science Association) has been holding Fes- schools, with an awards ceremony in the Weiss giving an equivariant refinement tivals of Science since 1831. The objective National Media Museum. of the classical Iwasawa main conjecture. has always been to bring science, including This year’s Maths Presidential Lecture was This refinement incorporates the action of some of the latest developments, to the by Caroline Series on New Patterns – New an auxilliary finite group, which may be attention of the media and the interested Perspectives in which she emphasized, non-commutative, and allows problems in public; nowadays the Festival also provides through the history of non-euclidean ge- non-commutative Iwasawa theory to be entertaining and inspiring science for fami- ometry, the long-term nature of the impact reduced to compatibilities between ob- lies and schools. of ‘pure mathematics’ on the advance of jects in commutative Iwasawa theory over Mathematical Sciences, in common with science. This lecture was followed by a wine different base fields (so-called ‘Moebius– other disciplines, has its own ‘Section’, a reception sponsored by the LMS. Wall congruences’). committee which each year proposes events Bradford College hosted an event on the Altogether, the meeting and the accom- for the Festival. Ideas for events come from Sight and Sounds of Primes, panying workshop were a highly interesting the wider community, through Section mem- and during the Family Week- 28 experience. I particularly enjoyed the broad bers, and from the various societies with end at the start of the Festival range of topics covered, touching on p-adic, an interest in promoting mathematics (the there was busking in the city, automorphic, and function field aspects of IMA, LMS, RSS for example). The Mathemati- organized by Debra Hurcomb the subject as well as some more classical cal Sciences Section also hosts events with a and Sara Santos. The Festival topics. flavour of computing, including the very Fringe included a perform- David Loeffler popular Maths and Computing Magic Show, ance of the Festival of the University of Warwick the creation of Peter McOwan and Matt Spoken Nerd by Matt Parker, (Stand-Up Mathematician) Steve Mould and Helen Arney Parker from QMUL. mixing stand-up comedy with This year in Bradford, entertaining instruction in from 10 to 15 Septem- mathematics, physics and ber, the RSS organized biology. an event Vital Statistics, The atmosphere at this describing the practical year’s Festival was excellent, application of statisti- with large numbers of local

Ambrus Pál (Imperial College London) College (Imperial Pál Ambrus cal analysis in sport and people and schoolchildren tak- with contributions from ing part in a huge range of ac- Nathan Leamon of the tivities covering the whole of science. Most England & Wales Cricket visitors were housed in The Green student Board and Georgie residences which claim to have the high- Hart from Atass Sports est ever rating for sustainability and eco- Ltd as well as academ- friendly living. The mathematics events ics John Haigh (Sussex) attracted good and responsive audiences. and Bill Gerrard (Leeds). The next Festival is from 4 to 9 September Chris Budd introduced 2012 in Aberdeen. Maths Makes Waves, Peter Giblin marking the fiftieth an- Recorder (i.e. Chair) Jürgen Ritter niversary of the death Mathematical Sciences Section

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FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE 2011 of Schrödinger and explaining waves from REVIEW radio waves to tsunamis and solitons, with Report contributions from Alan Champneys (Bristol) The Psychology of Learning Mathematics: The British Association for the Advance- and Nick Mitchell (Bath). Katie Chicot ran a The Cognitive, Affective and Contextual ment of Science (now using the name British multi-media competition X and Y Factor for Domains of Mathematics Education by Paul Science Association) has been holding Fes- schools, with an awards ceremony in the Ernest, Lambert Academic Publishing, 2011, tivals of Science since 1831. The objective National Media Museum. 164 pp, ISBN-13: 978-3-8443-1306-2. has always been to bring science, including This year’s Maths Presidential Lecture was Being interested in the study of how some of the latest developments, to the by Caroline Series on New Patterns – New mathematics students think mathemati- attention of the media and the interested Perspectives in which she emphasized, cally, I hoped this book might help me un- public; nowadays the Festival also provides through the history of non-euclidean ge- derstand these thought processes better. entertaining and inspiring science for fami- ometry, the long-term nature of the impact I was not disappointed. The Psychology of lies and schools. of ‘pure mathematics’ on the advance of Learning Mathematics is a study of current Mathematical Sciences, in common with science. This lecture was followed by a wine research into how mathematics is learned other disciplines, has its own ‘Section’, a reception sponsored by the LMS. and taught. The first half of the book committee which each year proposes events Bradford College hosted an event on the deals with the ways in which children learn for the Festival. Ideas for events come from Sight and Sounds of Primes, mathematics and demon- the wider community, through Section mem- and during the Family Week- strates how teachers can bers, and from the various societies with end at the start of the Festival raise attainment by im- 29 an interest in promoting mathematics (the there was busking in the city, proving their own under- IMA, LMS, RSS for example). The Mathemati- organized by Debra Hurcomb standing of the learning cal Sciences Section also hosts events with a and Sara Santos. The Festival process. There is a middle flavour of computing, including the very Fringe included a perform- chapter on the theories popular Maths and Computing Magic Show, ance of the Festival of the of constructivism which the creation of Peter McOwan and Matt Spoken Nerd by Matt Parker, leads nicely into the re- (Stand-Up Mathematician) Steve Mould and Helen Arney maining section dealing Parker from QMUL. mixing stand-up comedy with with problem solving This year in Bradford, entertaining instruction in set partly in the context from 10 to 15 Septem- mathematics, physics and of teaching mathemat- ber, the RSS organized biology. ics in Higher Education. an event Vital Statistics, The atmosphere at this It was this final section describing the practical year’s Festival was excellent, that I found the most application of statisti- with large numbers of local helpful but the book as cal analysis in sport and people and schoolchildren tak- a whole has helped me with contributions from ing part in a huge range of ac- increase my understand- Nathan Leamon of the tivities covering the whole of science. Most ing of how mathematics is learned and, England & Wales Cricket visitors were housed in The Green student I hope, has brought fresh inspiration into Board and Georgie residences which claim to have the high- my teaching this year. Hart from Atass Sports est ever rating for sustainability and eco- The sub-title of the book is important. Ltd as well as academ- friendly living. The mathematics events This is not just a study of how mathematics ics John Haigh (Sussex) attracted good and responsive audiences. is learned cognitively but includes the af- and Bill Gerrard (Leeds). The next Festival is from 4 to 9 September fective domain; the influence of peoples’ Chris Budd introduced 2012 in Aberdeen. feelings, attitudes and learning context on Maths Makes Waves, Peter Giblin their mathematical learning. The book pro- marking the fiftieth an- Recorder (i.e. Chair) vides a comparison between the attitudes niversary of the death Mathematical Sciences Section of 11- and 15-year-olds to mathematics

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and shows how enjoyment and ability to CALENDAR OF EVENTS 12-16 Inverse Problems in Science and see the use of the subject diminishes as Engineering INI Workshop, Cambridge (401) learners get older. There is some discussion This calendar lists Society meetings and other 13 David and Goliath, Gresham College concerning the differences between the mathematical events. Further information Lecture, Museum of London (407) genders and the relationship between at- may be obtained from the appropriate 16-17 LMS Prospects in Mathematics Meeting, titude and achievement. LMS Newsletter whose number is given in Bristol As someone who likes to do mathematics brackets. A fuller list of meetings and events with some sort of writing implement in my is given on the Society’s website (www.lms. JANUARY 2012 hand. I found the example of the mental ac.uk/newsletter/calendar.html). 4-6 British Postgraduate Model Theory maths skills of street vendors in Brazil quite Please send updates and corrections to Conference, Oxford absorbing. Researchers found that these [email protected]. 4-8 String Theory, Geometry, and children can perform some quite complex Mathematical Physics UK–Japan Winter mental arithmetic in the market place but NOVEMBER 2011 School, Oxford (407) do not perform nearly as well on similar 3 Supporting Postgraduates Who Teach 8-11 Free Boundary Problems in Fluid questions on paper. The author goes on to Workshop, Manchester (405) Mechanics Meeting, Nottingham (406) examine the differences between written 7-11 Learning and Plasticity Workshop, 17 Citius, Altius, Fortius, Gresham College algorithms and mental methods, under- CIRM, Marseille (406) Lecture, Museum of London (407) standably concluding that both are im- 8-10 Short Course on Model Order Reduction, 31-2 Feb Cryptographic Theory INI portant and necessary in the learning of Santiago de Compostela, Spain 30 Workshop, Cambridge (404) mathematics. 11 Geometry Day, King’s College London The last few chapters concern problem (406) solving, a skill that we frequently tell our 12-13 MathsJam Weekend, Wychwood Park FEBRUARY 2012 students is their main asset when it comes (405) 13-17 Symmetries of Discrete Objects to future employment. Ernest makes the 15 How Fast Can Usain Bolt Run? Gresham Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand point that students can only acquire a fi- College Lecture, Museum of London (407) (406) nite number of examples (despite their 17 Everything and Nothing, Otley Science 21 Let’s Twist Again, Gresham College insatiable hunger for more) and it is from Festival (408) Lecture, Museum of London (407) these that they have to be able to form 18 LMS Graduate Student Meeting, 24 LMS Meeting and Mary Cartwright patters of heuristics that provide the ba- London (408) Lecture (408) sis for transferring to real world problems. 18 LMS AGM, London (408) This section of the book has helped me to 19 Dan Quillen Memorial Meeting, Oxford MARCH 2012 realise why my students find this hard and (408) 14 Combinatorics Meeting, Oxford has encouraged me to find new ways to 23 Representation Theory and Number 14-16 Pattern Formation: The Inspiration of persuade my students to think rather than Theory Meeting, London (406) Alan Turing INI Satellite Meeting, Oxford (408) solve problems routinely. There is much 25 Integrable Day Workshop, Loughborough 15-17 The Big Bang Science and Engineering reference to work by Pólya, Burton and University (408) Fair, NEC Birmingham (407) Mason in the context of general problem- 29-3 Dec SAMS–AMS Joint International 21 Zeeman Medal 2011 Award Ceremony, solving strategies and ideas as to how this Congress, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (406) The Royal Society, London (406) can be implemented in Higher Education. 30 BCS-FACS Evening Seminar, London (408) 21-22 Young Functional Analysts’ Workshop, This is a fascinating look at how mathe- Oxford matics is learned and cannot fail to influ- DECEMBER 2011 26-30 LMS Invited Lectures, Alexei Borodin, ence the teaching of any reader involved 5-9 Mathematical Models of Cognitive Glasgow (408) in the teaching or learning of mathematics Architectures Workshop, CIRM, Marseille (406) 27 On the Waterfront, Gresham College at any level. 12 Profinite Completions of Groups Meeting, Lecture, Museum of London (407) Noel-Ann Bradshaw Imperial College London (408) 27-29 BAMC, London University of Greenwich

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS 12-16 Inverse Problems in Science and APRIL 2012 Engineering INI Workshop, Cambridge (401) 2-3 Biological Flow Conference, Cambridge This calendar lists Society meetings and other 13 David and Goliath, Gresham College 2-4 Young Researchers in Mathematics mathematical events. Further information Lecture, Museum of London (407) Conference, Bristol may be obtained from the appropriate 16-17 LMS Prospects in Mathematics Meeting, 10-13 Formal and Computational LMS Newsletter whose number is given in Bristol brackets. A fuller list of meetings and events Cryptographic Proofs INI Workshop, Cambridge (408) is given on the Society’s website (www.lms. JANUARY 2012 ac.uk/newsletter/calendar.html). 16-19 BMC 2012, Canterbury Please send updates and corrections to 4-6 British Postgraduate Model Theory 17-19 Frontiers of Nevanlinna Theory 3: [email protected]. Conference, Oxford Applications of Nevanlinna Theory to 4-8 String Theory, Geometry, and Differential and Functional Equations, NOVEMBER 2011 Mathematical Physics UK–Japan Winter University College London (401) School, Oxford (407) 24 Final Score, Gresham College Lecture, 3 Supporting Postgraduates Who Teach 8-11 Free Boundary Problems in Fluid Museum of London (407) Workshop, Manchester (405) Mechanics Meeting, Nottingham (406) 7-11 Learning and Plasticity Workshop, 17 Citius, Altius, Fortius, Gresham College CIRM, Marseille (406) MAY 2012 Lecture, Museum of London (407) 8-10 Short Course on Model Order Reduction, 19 Poincare Meeting, London 31-2 Feb Cryptographic Theory INI Santiago de Compostela, Spain 28-1 Jun Boundary Value Problems for Workshop, Cambridge (404) 31 11 Geometry Day, King’s College London Linear Elliptic and Integrable PDEs: (406) Theory and Computation ICMS Workshop, 12-13 MathsJam Weekend, Wychwood Park FEBRUARY 2012 Edinburgh (405) (405) 13-17 Symmetries of Discrete Objects 28-1 Jun Infinite Ergodic Theory Workshop, Surrey 15 How Fast Can Usain Bolt Run? Gresham Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand College Lecture, Museum of London (407) (406) 17 Everything and Nothing, Otley Science 21 Let’s Twist Again, Gresham College JUNE 2012 Festival (408) Lecture, Museum of London (407) 2-3 Numerical Linear Algebra, Control 18 LMS Graduate Student Meeting, 24 LMS Meeting and Mary Cartwright Theory and Data Assimilation Conference, London (408) Lecture (408) Reading 18 LMS AGM, London (408) 5-8 Higher Order Problems in Geometric 19 Dan Quillen Memorial Meeting, Oxford MARCH 2012 Analysis, Bath (408) 6 LMS Northern Regional Meeting, Combinatorics Meeting, Oxford 23 Representation Theory and Number 14 Northumbria University, Newcastle Theory Meeting, London (406) 14-16 Pattern Formation: The Inspiration of 11-12 Numerical Analysis of Stochastic Partial Alan Turing INI Satellite Meeting, Oxford (408) 25 Integrable Day Workshop, Loughborough Differential Equations, Warwick University (408) 15-17 The Big Bang Science and Engineering 12-15 The Incomputable Workshop, Fair, NEC Birmingham (407) 29-3 Dec SAMS–AMS Joint International Chicheley Hall, North Buckinghamshire (407) Congress, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (406) 21 Zeeman Medal 2011 Award Ceremony, 12-15 Chaotic Modeling and Simulation The Royal Society, London (406) 30 BCS-FACS Evening Seminar, London (408) International Conference, Athens, Greece 21-22 Young Functional Analysts’ Workshop, 18-20 Frontiers of Nevanlinna Theory 4: Oxford Nevanlinna Theory and Number Theory, DECEMBER 2011 26-30 LMS Invited Lectures, Alexei Borodin, University College London (401) 5-9 Mathematical Models of Cognitive Glasgow (408) 18-23 Turing Centenary Conference, Architectures Workshop, CIRM, Marseille (406) 27 On the Waterfront, Gresham College Cambridge (407) 12 Profinite Completions of Groups Meeting, Lecture, Museum of London (407) 29 LMS Meeting and Hardy Lecture, Imperial College London (408) 27-29 BAMC, London London

November-NL.indd 31 10/26/2011 3:20:56 PM J.M. WILSON LMS member 1865–1873 Mayall Photo, London & Brighton

Rev James Maurice Wilson, MA Fellow, St John’s College, Cambridge Mathematics Master, Rugby School, Rugby Mathematical Association President 1921

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