THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 365 December 2007 Forthcoming COUNCIL DIARY prompted a discussion on a 19 October 2007 number of questions concerned Society with membership. For example, Meetings The first Council meeting of the how can the Society encourage new academic year had a very its members to publish their best 2007 full agenda, as much had hap- mathematical research in the Thursday 6 December pened over the summer period. Society’s journals (and, converse- Spitalfields Day A large part of the meeting ly, how can we encourage those INI, Cambridge was concerned with financial who publish in our journals to [page 22] affairs, after the successful audit become members), and how can of the Society’s accounts during we recruit new members, par- 2008 the summer. Council expressed ticularly from under-represent- Monday 7 January its thanks to the Treasurer and ed areas of mathematics, such 1 JM Meeting, staff at De Morgan House for as applied mathematics? A relat- San Diego their hard work in both manag- ed issue is how to encourage [page 2] ing the Society’s finances and greater attendance at Society preparing the accounts to the meetings, and enable our pro- Friday 8 February satisfaction of the auditors. grammes of outstanding speak- Mary Cartwright Council discussed the difficulties ers to reach the widest possible Lecture, Oxford in accurately predicting our audiences. Our Regional R. Peto income, both from investments Organisers facilitate the holding V. Beral and publishing, and matching of meetings across the country, [page 3] expenditure. As a charity, the and the Society’s Programme Monday 31 March Society aims to spend its Committee proposed re-institut- Northern Regional income, but there is an inherent ing ‘LMS representatives’ in each Meeting, Manchester challenge in being financially department, to work with the prudent at the same time. Regional Organisers and also Monday 9 June Council also studied the foster the local membership. Midlands Regional Trustees’ Report, the formal Council also agreed new Meeting, Birmingham document for the Charity guidelines for the process of Commission concerning the selecting a new President of the Friday 4 July Society’s activities over the past Society, to ensure that the inter- London year, and the Annual Report on ests of the Society and its mem- Monday 15 September Activities, a more accessible bers are paramount while the SW & South Wales account, which will be mailed to confidentiality of the process is Regional Meeting, university mathematics depart- maintained. Swansea ments and freely available on Plans were agreed for a the Society’s website. Society meeting to be held dur- Friday 21 November Council examined the trends ing the Joint Mathematics AGM, London in membership numbers over Meeting in San Diego in January the past twelve years, and this 2008, taking the form of a recep- THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 365 December 2007 tion at which there will be an opportunity for LAUNCH OF JOURNAL members to enter their signatures in the Book. The Journal of Topology will also be launched OF TOPOLOGY LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY during the Joint Meeting. The London Mathematical Society will be Council was brought up-to-date with the holding a reception and meeting for mem- ongoing business of the Council for the bers during the Joint Mathematics Meeting MARY CARTWRIGHT MEETING Mathematical Sciences (CMS). Two items may in San Diego from 6–9 January 2008. The Friday 8 February 2008, 4.30 pm be of particular interest to members. First, event will be held from 6:30 pm–7:30 pm on the CMS is working with other bodies in sci- Monday 7 January to celebrate the launch of Oxford University Museum of Natural History ence and engineering on how integrated the Society’s new journal, Journal of Parks Road, Oxford OX1 masters’ degrees fit into the Bologna Process Topology, which will publish its first issue in for the harmonisation of qualifications (see January 2008. Mathematics of medicine: CMS diary in September’s Newsletter). LMS members who have not already done breast cancer treatment and prevention Second, the CMS will be responding to a con- so will have the opportunity to include their sultation on forthcoming reductions in fund- signatures in the Membership Book which Opening of Meeting ing for universities to teach students taking a dates back to 1865. second degree at an equivalent or lower level Members who wish to attend the recep- Sir Richard Peto, FRS (Oxford) to their existing qualification. tion should apply for a free ticket to Susan and 2 Finally, at the end of such a full agenda, Oakes, the Administrator of the Society 3 Council was appreciative of the hard work ([email protected]), no later than Friday Valerie Beral, FRS (Oxford) Mary Cartwright Lecture and commitment of the staff at De Morgan 7 December. The Society hopes to entertain Valerie Beral and Richard Peto will House, without whom the Society could not as many as possible of its members, but describe worldwide evidence on the operate its extensive programme of activities. numbers may be limited by the capacity of causes and treatment of breast can- Elizabeth Winstanley the room. cer. The evidence comes from large- scale collaborations, where hun- dreds of researchers from around the world meet regularly in Oxford LMS Newsletter and contribute, for central review and analysis, information on hun- General Editor: Dr D.R.J. Chillingworth ([email protected]) dreds of thousands of women with Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) breast cancer. The findings from Reviews Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) these international collaborations Administrative Editor: Miss S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) have changed clinical practice over the last two decades. Consequently, Editorial office address: London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57-58 Russell Square, large reductions in mortality from London WC1B 4HS (tel: 020 7637 3686; fax: 020 7323 3655; email: [email protected], web: www.lms.ac.uk) breast cancer are being seen. Designed by CHP Design (tel: 020 7240 0466, email: [email protected], web: www.chpdesign.com) Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. There will be tea before the meeting from 4 pm at the Museum. Items and advertisements by first day of the month prior to publication. A reception and dinner will be held after the meeting. Information in the Newsletter is free to be used elsewhere unless otherwise stated; attribution is Contact Susan Oakes ([email protected]) for further information. requested when reproducing whole articles. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy There are limited funds available to contribute in part to the expenses of the London Mathematical Society. of members of the Society or research students to attend the meeting. Contact Isabelle Robinson ([email protected]) for further information. Charity registration number: 252660. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 365 December 2007 LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY PRIZES 2008 The Whitehead Prizes are awarded to stage in their career. Grounds for the award mathematicians who, on 1 January of the may include work in and influence on mathe- In 2008, Council expects to award the Pólya Pólya Prize is awarded in recognition of out- year of the award, (i) are either normally res- matics. Members are reminded that the scope Prize, the Senior Berwick Prize, the Fröhlich standing creativity in, imaginative exposition ident in the United Kingdom or members of of the Whitehead Prizes (as of the other Prize and up to four Whitehead Prizes. of, or distinguished contribution to, mathemat- the Society mainly educated in the United Society Prizes to be awarded in 2008) includes Nominations should be made on the form ics within the United Kingdom; it may not be Kingdom, (ii) are not already Fellows of the all aspects of mathematics, and Council has available to download from the LMS website awarded to any person who has previously Royal Society, and (iii) either have fewer than emphasised that this includes applied mathe- (www.lms.ac.uk) or obtainable by contacting received the De Morgan Medal. 15 years (full time equivalent) of involvement matics, mathematical physics and mathemati- the Secretary to the Prizes Committee at the The Senior Berwick Prize is named after in mathematics at post-doctoral level, allow- cal aspects of computer science. A Whitehead Society (tel: 020 7927 0803, email: prizes@ Professor W.E.H. Berwick, a former Vice- ing for breaks in continuity, or, in the opinion Prize may not be awarded to anyone who has lms.ac.uk). Nominations should be received President of the Society, and is awarded in of the Prizes Committee, are at an equivalent won any of the Society’s other Prizes. no later than Friday 25 January 2008. even-numbered years. The Senior Berwick Prize The Prizes Committee is keen to increase for year X can only be awarded to a mathe- THE CHRISTOPHER ZEEMAN MEDAL FOR the number of nominations it receives, and matician who is a member of the Society on 1 would like to draw attention to the dispro- January of year X, and is awarded in recogni- COMMUNICATION OF MATHEMATICS portionably low numbers of women nomi- tion of an outstanding piece of mathematical nated for prizes each year. It should be noted research actually published by the Society dur- The Councils of the London Mathematical mathematicians who can promote their sub- that recent changes to the prize regulations ing the eight years ending on 31 December of Society and the Institute of Mathematics and Its ject successfully.