THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 384 September 2009 Society COUNCIL DIARY Budgetary considerations will also feed into the above strate- Meetings 3 July 2009 gic discussions. The economic and Events The Council meeting in July downturn continues to hit not marked the beginning of a only the Society’s investments, 2009 period of reflection. The main but also other sources of in- Tuesday 15 September business was to start thinking come, such as that from room Popular Lectures about the way forward, fol- hire, and the long-term future Birmingham [page 3] lowing the resignations of the of publications income remains President and Treasurer (as uncertain. At the same time, Wednesday reported in July’s Newsletter), our expenditure is ever-increas- 16 September and the subsequent rejection ing owing to inflation and the Midlands Regional by members of the propos- wide range of activities under- Meeting, Leicester al for a new mathematical taken by the Society. [page ] society with the IMA. Coun- Members have an important Friday 20 November cil was delighted that Sir role to play as the Society maps AGM John Ball FRS has taken on out its plans. A consultation Presidential Address the role of Interim President (whose precise form has yet London until the Council elections in to be decided) is planned, and November. views on the direction the So- 4–6 December Over the next nine months, ciety should be taking will be Joint meeting Council will be reviewing all welcome. Council is also keen to with the Belgian the activities of the Society and increase the membership of the Mathematical Society, determining its strategic prior- Society, and members’ thoughts Leuven ities for the coming years. We on how we can achieve this need to think about how the would be helpful. Society sees its future and the Council also heard about re- role it will play in promoting cent meetings of the Council and advancing mathematics. for the Mathematical Sciences How we develop our collabo- and a very successful gathering ration with the IMA and other of Presidents of Mathematical bodies is an important part of Societies under the auspices of this, and Council will also fo- the European Mathematical So- cus on wider issues of working ciety. A common theme in these for the benefit of mathemat- meetings was the need to cham- ics, including mathematical pion the cause of ‘blue skies’ re- research and mathematics ed- search, developing a vision for ucation. It is anticipated that the future of mathematics and Council will hold a Retreat at promoting this to politicians, the beginning of next year to policy makers and the public. consider this in depth. Elizabeth Winstanley THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 384 September 2009 FUTURE COLLABORATION HONORARY MEMBERS LMS PRIZES 2009 DR MARKUS OWEN, of the University of Nottingham, is awarded a Whitehead Prize BETWEEN THE SOCIETY The London Mathematical Society has elected The winners of the LMS prizes for 009 were for his contributions to the development of AND THE IMA Professor Charles Fefferman of Princeton Uni- announced at the Society Meeting on 3 July. multi-scale modelling approaches in systems versity, USA, and Professor László Lovász of The Society extends its congratulations to medicine and biology. The Council of the London Mathematical So- Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, to Honor- the winners, and its thanks to all nomina- ciety (LMS) met on 3 July 009 after the Spe- ary Membership of the Society. tors, referees and members of the Prizes cial General Meetings on April and 9 May Professor Charles Fefferman’s contributions Committee for their contributions to the APPOINTMENT OF INTERIM which led to the rejection of the motion to and ideas have had impact on the develop- Committee’s work this year. create a new unified mathematical society ment of modern analysis, differential equa- PRESIDENT AND TREASURER with the Institute of Mathematics and its Ap- tions, mathematical physics and geometry, PROFESSOR ROGER HEATH-BROWN, FRS, of Council is pleased to announce that Sir plications (IMA). with his most recent work including his sharp the University of Oxford, is awarded the John Ball, FRS, Sedleian Professor of Natural Council confirmed that it would continue (computable) solution of the Whitney exten- Pólya Prize for his many contributions Philosophy, University of Oxford, will take to develop its fruitful and positive collabora- sion problem. within analytic number theory, and his dy- on the role of President in place of Professor tion with the IMA. The Council will seek to Professor László Lovász has helped to devel- namic application of analytic methods in Brian Davies, FRS, who resigned in May strengthen those links and its cooperation op the areas of graph theory, combinatorics wide-ranging investigations of problems on the grounds of ill-health. Sir John will with other bodies in mathematical sciences, and theoretical computer science. Lovász has spanning number theory and arithmetic serve as President until the Society’s Annual as part of the Council for the Mathemati- also contributed to the mathematical com- geometry. General Meeting on 0 November 009. cal Sciences and as a member of the Science munity in other ways, for example, by serving Dr Brian Stewart, of Exeter College, Oxford, 3 Council. It will endeavour to ensure that the as President of the International Mathemati- PROFESSOR VLADIMIR MAZ’YA, FRSE, of the and the Mathematical Institute, University of views and interests of mathematics in its wid- cal Union. University of Liverpool, is awarded the Senior Oxford, will take on the role of Treasurer, est form are voiced and reflected in matters Full citations for Professor Fefferman and Whitehead Prize in recognition of his con- in place of Professor Nick Woodhouse, also of policy for mathematics, mathematics re- Professor Lovász will appear in the LMS tributions to the theory of differential serving to 0 November 009. search and mathematics education. Bulletin. equations. QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PROFESSOR PHILIP MAINI, of the University of HONOURS LIST LMS Newsletter Oxford, is awarded the Naylor Prize and Lec- tureship in Applied Mathematics in recogni- We extend congratulations to Elmer Rees, General Editor: Dr D.R.J. Chillingworth ([email protected]) tion of his contributions to, and influence on, FRSE, Visiting Professor of Mathematics at Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) the field of mathematical biology. the University of Bristol, and Emeritus Profes- Reviews Editor: Mr A.J.S. Mann ([email protected]) sor, University of Edinburgh, on the award DR MIHALIS DAFERMOS, of the University of of a CBE. Professor Rees served as LMS Vice- Administrative Editor: Miss S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) Cambridge, is awarded a Whitehead Prize for President for the period 1994–96, was the Editorial office address: London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, 57–58 Russell Square, his work on the rigorous analysis of hyper- Forder Lecturer for 1995 and a member London WC1B 4HS (t: 020 7637 3686; f: 020 7323 3655; e: [email protected], w: www.lms.ac.uk) bolic partial differential equations in general of LMS Council 1987–90 and 1996–99; he Typeset by the London Mathematical Society at De Morgan House; printed by Holbrooks Printers Ltd. relativity. chaired the LMS Research Meetings Commit- Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. Items and advertisements by the tee 1998–2002 and served on the Nominat- first day of the month prior to publication, or the closest preceding working day. DR CORNELIA DRUŢU, of the University of ing Committee 2002–06. He has served since Oxford, is awarded a Whitehead Prize for her 2005 as Director of the Heilbronn Institute for News items and notices in the Newsletter are free to be used elsewhere unless otherwise stated, work in geometric group theory. Mathematical Research, University of Bristol, although attribution is requested when reproducing whole articles. Contributions to the Newsletter and is the first holder of that post. are made under a non-exclusive licence; please contact the author for the rights to reproduce. The PROFESSOR ROBERT MARSH, of the Univer- Professor Richard Donovan Kenway, FRSE, LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed sity of Leeds, is awarded a Whitehead Prize Vice-Principal, High Performance Computing do not necessarily represent the views or policy of the London Mathematical Society. for his work on representation theory and and e-Science and Tait Professor of Mathe- Charity registration number: 252660. especially for his research on cluster catego- matical Physics, University of Edinburgh, was ries and cluster algebras. awarded an OBE for his services to Science. THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 384 September 2009 HARDY LECTURERS office accommodation and the academic sup- port normally offered to a distinguished visitor. 2010 AND 2012 Nominations must have the support of the host The 00 Hardy Lecturer will be Professor Hiraku department(s), and should be sent by the head of Nakajima of the Research Institute for Math- department to the Society’s Executive Secretary, ematical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan. He at the London Mathematical Society, De Morgan will be lecturing in Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford House, 57–58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS. and London – the programme is being finalised In order to give time for a proper consideration and will be advertised in the Newsletter in due of nominees, proposals should arrive by 31 Janu- course. ary 2010. The nominations will be considered by the Programme Committee, which will bring a Nominations are now sought for a Hardy recommendation to Council in March 00. Lecturer in 2012 The Hardy Lecturer visits the UK for a period of LMS GRANT SCHEMES about two weeks, and gives the Hardy Lecture at a Society meeting, normally held in London in Rearders are reminded of the Society’s Schemes July.