THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 378 February 2009 Society NEW YEAR BALLOTING FOR Meetings HONOURS LIST A NEW UNIFIED and Events We extend congratulations to MATHEMATICAL Martin Taylor, FRS, Professor 2009 of Pure Mathematics at the SOCIETY Friday 27 February University of Manchester, on The time is at hand. As the old Mary Cartwright the award of a knighthood for television presenter used to say, Lecture, London services to Science. Professor it is ‘make your mind up time’! [page 7] Taylor served as LMS President The Councils of the LMS and of 1998–2000, and is currently the IMA have commended the 31 March – 4 April Physical Secretary and Vice- proposal for a new mathematics LMS Invited Lectures President of the Royal Soci- society to their members and Edinburgh [page 6] ety. He was awarded the LMS now it is for those members Friday 3 July Whitehead prize in 1982 and to vote on the proposal. If you London was the first Fröhlich Lecturer didn’t get a chance to attend in 2003. He proved the Fröhlich one of the meetings that the two Wednesday 15 July Conjecture relating the sym- Presidents held at various venues SW & South Wales metries of algebraic integers around the country, you can still Regional Meeting to the behaviour of certain get involved by using the NUMS Southampton analytic functions called Artin website www.newmathsoc.org.uk. Wednesday L-functions. There you will find views in fa- 16 September vour and against the proposal Midlands Regional and also have an opportunity to Meeting, Leicester hear what the Presidents had to Friday 20 November say. You can even still contribute AGM, London to the debate yourself. The worst possible result for 4–6 December © The Royal Society the two societies would not Joint Meeting with the be an overwhelming rejection Belgian Mathematical or acceptance but a poor turn- Society out. A low vote in either soci- ety would make difficulties for that Council. Please, therefore, if you do nothing else – vote. We need a decisive result. Charles Evans, Honorary Secretary IMA Charles Goldie, Sir Martin Taylor, FRS General Secretary LMS February09-NL.indd 1 29/01/2009 14:03:15 THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER SAVE THE LMS mathematicians all over the world. In our also rather exasperating, because clearly view, most of this will be lost if we ‘merge’ some people do want the ‘merger’. It should LMS members may think the merger is with the IMA. be noted, however, that those in favour of already decided, and that there is nothing It is clear in the proposal for the new soci- it did not form an overwhelming majority they can do, but that is not the case. Nor ety that it would have a significantly greater on the LMS Council: a couple more absten- should they feel that they ought to defer bureaucratic structure. This is pretty much tions or votes against would have stopped to the decision of the Council: the LMS inevitable, given the very wide range of in- the whole process. Council had no more information to go terests it would have to serve. Do we really It is very important to vote against this on than the members have and, moreover, need even more bureaucracy in our lives? proposal. It has been presented as inevita- could depend on the later membership The new society would have an explicit ble, but it is not, and LMS members can stop vote as a safety net. The LMS members hierarchy, with its Fellowship grade, com- it. We only have one chance, though. face the real choice whether they want pletely against the tradition of the LMS. Alexandre Borovik, Stephen Huggett to merge with the IMA or not. We think The reserved fund, as described in the and Burt Totaro the merger would be a terrible mistake, proposal, would not be big enough, so http://savelms.wordpress.com/ and we have set up a web page at there will be a reduction in the level of http://savelms.wordpress.com/ to encour- grant support. Nor is the fund’s purpose age a discussion. Here are the points we sharply enough defined, and so what sup- SAVE UK MATHEMATICS think most important. port there is will be spread over a wider 2 What we value most about the LMS is range of activities. I welcome the article by my Council col- that it provides what mathematicians Former LMS members would not be able leagues Sasha (Alexandre), Stephen and most need: excellent journals and access to do anything about this, being outvoted Burt, as it allows me the opportunity to to small but useful grants, with almost by 2 to 1. This outvoting would happen correct various misunderstandings. I take no bureaucracy or hierarchy. It has been first in the choice of a name for the new their points roughly in order. working this way for a long time, and society. Discussion sites. Why have they set up over the years has won a very high reputa- Many people have said “nobody I know is their own site, when the joint consulta- tion and the loyalty of a large number of in favour of this”, which is heartening but tion site www.newmathsoc.org.uk/ has a discussion group at http://groups.google. co.uk/group/newmathsoc which they and LMS Newsletter everyone else have been free to post to? General Editor: Dr D.R.J. Chillingworth ([email protected]) Having two sites hinders communication rather than helping it. Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) What the LMS provides. When Stephen Reviews Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) joined in 976 the LMS was concerned al- Administrative Editor: Miss S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) most entirely with publications and meet- Editorial office address: London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, ings. By the time Sasha joined in 1992 grants London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655; e: [email protected], w: www.lms.ac.uk) had become salient, though at nothing like Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. today’s level, but when Burt joined in 2001 the Society had acquired De Morgan House Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. and significantly expanded its activities, to include, among other things, engagement News items and notices in the Newsletter are free to be used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, with research councils, with Government, although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author for the rights to reproduce. The with education bodies and much else. Such LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed engagement is hardly an option in today’s do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. world where science is not a ‘given’, nor Charity registration number: 252660. even mathematics within science; all has to be fought for. Involvement with policy February09-NL.indd 2 29/01/2009 14:03:16 No. 378 February 2009 mathematicians all over the world. In our also rather exasperating, because clearly at national level must continue, and the view, most of this will be lost if we ‘merge’ some people do want the ‘merger’. It should expectation is that with a single unified with the IMA. be noted, however, that those in favour of voice, a national rather than a local title, It is clear in the proposal for the new soci- it did not form an overwhelming majority and no duplication of effort, the new soci- ety that it would have a significantly greater on the LMS Council: a couple more absten- ety will be able to do so more effectively. bureaucratic structure. This is pretty much tions or votes against would have stopped Bureaucracy. It is good that the three au- inevitable, given the very wide range of in- the whole process. thors recognise that the LMS has “almost terests it would have to serve. Do we really It is very important to vote against this no bureaucracy”. Given that the new so- need even more bureaucracy in our lives? proposal. It has been presented as inevita- ciety will be doing the same things as the The new society would have an explicit ble, but it is not, and LMS members can stop current ones, with the same staff and with hierarchy, with its Fellowship grade, com- it. We only have one chance, though. officers and Council drawn from the same pletely against the tradition of the LMS. Alexandre Borovik, Stephen Huggett pool, there is no likelihood of any increase The reserved fund, as described in the and Burt Totaro in bureaucracy; indeed the removal of du- proposal, would not be big enough, so http://savelms.wordpress.com/ plication and the sharing of compliance there will be a reduction in the level of duties that are exceptionally burdensome grant support. Nor is the fund’s purpose on small organisations (charity law, health sharply enough defined, and so what sup- SAVE UK MATHEMATICS & safety, employment law, etc., etc.) will al- port there is will be spread over a wider low more effort to be devoted to what the range of activities. I welcome the article by my Council col- society is for, rather than to its ‘housekeep- 3 Former LMS members would not be able leagues Sasha (Alexandre), Stephen and ing’.