LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 420 December 2012 Society LMS COUNCIL DIARY for Ephrem’s work. Overall, the Meetings 12 October 2012 Society’s finances are in reason- able shape – taking inflation into A personal view and Events account, the Society effectively 2012 The meeting opened with a few broke even – but there is no room moments silence in remembrance for complacency, especially when 18-19 December of Anne Bennett. Anne had considering the current discus- LMS Prospects in provided important support to sions around academic publish- Mathematics Meeting, Council, as well as to the many ing. In addition, as Rob pointed Manchester Committees which came under out, there is the salutary fact that page 19 her wing, and we all benefited the Society’s invested assets now from the extraordinary amount are nominally worth roughly the 2013 of work she did to ensure the same as they were worth a dec- 1 Friday 1 March smooth running of Society busi- ade ago, excluding the current Mary Cartwright ness. As Fiona Nixon so elo- value of De Morgan House. At the Lecture, London quently described in her tribute May Council meeting, Rob had page 6 to Anne (which appeared in the made a compelling argument for previous Newsletter), Anne made exploring the possibility of the Monday 18 March Northern Regional a real difference both to the So- Society investing in property, and Meeting, Newcastle ciety and to the staff at DMH at today’s meeting he presented page 14 with whom she worked. Coun- the worked-up business case. cil will feel her loss very keenly. After a thoroughgoing discus- Tuesday 26 March We agreed that a fitting way to sion, we agreed to the purchase LMS Meeting at BMC, remember Anne would be to es- of residential rental property Sheffield tablish a Women in Mathematics in central London as part of the 18-19 April Prize in her name, with the de- Society’s investment portfolio. Women in tails of the prize to be worked Rob Curtis also reported on the Maths Day out by the Women in Mathemat- results of the Members Survey Cambridge ics Committee. which took place over the sum- 10-14 June The most substantial business mer. Just over 40% of members LMS Invited Lectures, matter of the day was to con- responded to the survey, with Edinburgh sider and approve the Trustees’ 83% voting in favour of expand- page 21 Report and Annual Accounts so ing the criteria for Ordinary that they can be presented at the Membership and 71% voting in Friday 5 July AGM. Rob Curtis, the Treasurer, favour of expanding the criteria LMS Meeting, London who fluently guided us through for Associate Membership. It was NEWSLETTER the papers, congratulated gratifying to see such a conclusive Ephrem Belay for the excellent outcome and one that will con- ONLINE: work he had done in preparing tribute towards expanding the Go to the accounts, noting too that reach of the Society. We agreed newsletter.lms.ac.uk the auditors were full of praise the appropriate amendments to LMS NEWSLETTER http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk [email protected] No. 420 December 2012 the criteria for membership, and these will be the item, to commission a sample article. LMS PRIZES 2013 LMS INVITED LECTURES reported at the AGM. Finally, as a member of the 2015 Celebra- With the advent of the option of electronic tions Committee, I was very happy to report Call for Nominations SERIES 2014 voting in the forthcoming Society Elections, we that plans for celebrating the 150th anniversa- The London Mathematical Society wel- Proposals for the 2014 lectures are sought from spent some time discussing the election proce- ry of the Society are progressing well. The Cel- comes nominations for the 2013 prizes to any member who, in addition to suggesting a dures. For this item we had the benefit of the ebrations Committee is working closely with recognise and celebrate the achievements topic and lecturer, would be prepared to organ- presence of the Scrutineers, Don Collins and other Committees of the Society and many in and contributions to all aspects of math- ise the meeting at their own institution or a suit- Peter Saunders, which was extremely helpful. ideas are already either under way or under ematics, including applied mathematics, able conference centre. While we felt that a move to electronic only consideration (fireworks have not yet been mathematical physics and mathematical as- The annual Invited Lectures series consists voting was a desirable aim, it was agreed that excluded!). It was pleasing to note that the pects of computer science. In 2013, the LMS of meetings at which a single speaker gives a this should not be rushed and that while it was BMC - which is going to be held in Cambridge Council expects to award: course of about ten expository lectures, examin- hoped that members would take up the option in 2015 - contacted the Committee about the • The De Morgan Medal. the Society’s ing some subject in depth, over a five day period of electronic voting, the option to vote by pa- anniversary even before the Committee had premier award; the only grounds for the (Monday to Friday) during a University vacation. per should be maintained for the time being. had a chance to contact them. award of the Medal are the The meetings are residential and open to all The Society’s website made its customary ap- June Barrow-Green candidate’s contributions to interested. pearance on the agenda. However, this time mathematics. It is intended that the texts of the lectures the main item for discussion was a proposal CONGRATULATONS • The Senior Whitehead Prize for work in, given in the series shall be published. In addi- from an outside organisation. Plus (http:// influence on or service to mathematics, tion to full expenses, the lecturer is offered an plus.maths.org/content), a free online maga- Congratulations to Professor Abolghassem or recognition of lecturing gifts in the honorarium for giving the course. A grant is also zine produced by the Millennium Mathematics Ghaffari (elected an LMS member 22 May 1957) field of mathematics. given to the host department to support attend- Project, directed by Professor John Barrow at who celebrated his 105th birthday earlier this • The Naylor Prize and Lectureship for ance at the lectures. 2 Cambridge, would like to produce content for year. work in, and influence on, and For further details, visit the 3 the website. We all thought it seemed a prom- Also this year Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw contributions to applied mathematics Society website: www.lms.ac.uk/content/ ising proposal – there is a strong desire among (elected an LMS member 25 January 1945) and and/or the applications of mathematics, invited-lecturer-proposals. Council members for the site to contain more Professor Joseph Lehner (elected an LMS mem- and lecturing gifts. Enquiries about the Invited Lectures should be actual mathematics! – and encouragement was ber on 16 February 1950) both celebrated their • The Berwick Prize in recognition of an directed to the Programme Secretary at the Soci- given to the President, who had introduced 100th. outstanding piece of mathematical re- ety ([email protected]). The deadline for the sub- search actually published by the Society mission of proposals is Friday 7 February 2013. during the eight years ending on 31 Recent previous lecturers have been: LMSLMS Newsletter Newsletter http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk http://newsletter.lms.ac.uk December 2012. 2012 A. Borodin (MIT) EditorialEditorial office: office: [email protected] [email protected];; LondonLondon Mathematical Society,Society, • The Whitehead Prizes for work in and Determinantal Point Processes and DeDe Morgan Morgan House, House, 57–58 57–58 Russell Russell Square, Square, LondonLondon WC1B 4HS 4HS (t: (t: 020 020 7637 7637 3686; 3686; f: 020 f: 020 7323 7323 3655) 3655) influence on mathematics. Representation theory Articles:Articles: please please send send articles articles to to [email protected] [email protected] For further information and 2011 E. Candes (Stanford) EventsEvents calendar: calendar: please please send send updates updates andand correctionscorrections to [email protected]@lms.ac.uk nomination forms, please visit the Compressed Sensing Advertising:Advertising: for for rates rates and and guidelines, guidelines, seesee www.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.htmlwww.lms.ac.uk/newsletter/ratecard.html LMS website (www.lms.ac.uk/content/nomi- 2010 M. Bramson (University of Minnesota) nations-lms-prizes) or contact Duncan Tur- Stability of Queuing Networks GeneralGeneral Editor: Editor: Mr Mr A.J.S. A.J.S. Mann Mann ([email protected]) ([email protected]) ReportsReports Editor: Editor: Professor Professor R.A. R.A. Wilson Wilson (r([email protected])[email protected]) ton, Secretary to the Prizes Committee at The LMS Invited Lecturer 2013 will be Fe- ReviewsReviews Editor: Editor: Dr Dr C.M. C.M. Roney-Dougal Roney-Dougal ([email protected])([email protected]) the Society (tel: 020 7927 0801, email: priz- dor Bogolomov (Courant Institute, NYU) who AdministrativeAdministrative Editor: Editor: S.M. S.M. Oakes Oakes ([email protected])([email protected]) [email protected]). will give lectures on Birational Geometry and TypesetTypeset by by the the London London Mathematical Mathematical SocietySociety at De Morgan House;House; printed printed by by Holbrooks Holbrooks Printers Printers Ltd. Ltd. The Prizes Committee is keen to increase Galois Groups. See poster on page 21 of the PublicationPublication dates dates and and deadlines: deadlines: published published monthly, except August.August. Items Items and and advertisements advertisements by by the the the number of nominations it receives and, Newsletter.