CMS NOTES de la SMC Volume 31 No. 7 November / novembre 1999 In this issue / Dans ce numero´ FROM THE (CRM) will hold a one day symposium PRESIDENT’S DESK marking its 30th anniversary and its Editorial ..................... 2 many achievements, notably in the past decade. On the day following the meet- A Canadian “Mathematics and ing (December 14) the first CMS Job Careers” Resource? ........ 3 Fair will take place, sponsored by the CMS, CRM, the Institut des sciences ´ Book Review ................. 4 mathematiques (ISM) and two indus- trial liaison networks, NCM2 and MI- TACS, in which the CRM is a partner. Du bureau du president´ ...... 6 So a great deal of activity is compressed into an extended weekend. And Mon- Awards / Prix ................ 7 treal is, of course, a wonderful city to visit. I look forward to seeing you A Note of Thanks / Une Note de there. Remerciement ............. 9 Richard Kane Job fairs are an innovation which we are hoping to establish as a regular From the Institutes ........... 10 (voir la page 6 pour la version event at CMS meetings. There is a con- franc¸aise) sensus in the mathematical community Meetings / Reunions´ Our next CMS meeting, the 1999 Win- that such forums for graduate and se- CMS Winter 1999 Meeting ter Meeting, will be taking place during nior undergraduate students, focusing Reunion´ d’hiver 1999 de la December 11-13 in Montreal, hosted on outreach and careers, business and SMC....................... 14 by Université de Montreal.´ The ex- industry, are important. Job fairs repre- tensive scientific program comprises Schedule / Horaire .......... 16 sent another area in which the CMS and eleven sessions: Algebraic and Geo- the three Canadian Mathematical Insti- Scheduled Speakers / metric Methods in Differential Equa- tutes are collaborating. A format has Conferenciers´ prevus´ ........ 19 tions; Applied Logic; Combinatorial evolved in which the Institutes (via MI- Algebra, Group Representations and TACS) and the CMS will jointly spon- Call for Nominations / Appel de Macdonald Polynomials; Computing sor these job fairs. A job fair is being Candidatures .............. 25 and Mathematical Modelling; History planned for next summer’s McMaster of Mathematics; Mathematical Ge- meeting, with the Fields Institute as the 40th International Mathemati- netics and Genomics; Mathematical main partner. cal Olympiad (IMO) ....... 26 Physics; Orders, Lattices and Univer- The development of resources and sal Algebra; Teaching of Linear Alge- infrastructure to support mathematical Committees at Work ......... 28 bra; Graduate Students Seminar; Con- training at all levels from secondary to tributed Papers Session. As well, there graduate school is clearly one of the News from Departments ...... 29 will be two satellite events associated major current trends within the CMS. with the meeting. On the day pre- In his article appearing in the October Calendar of events / Calendrier ceding the meeting (December 10) the des ev´ enements´ ............. 38 Centre de Recherches mathematiques´ (see PRESIDENT–page 5) NOVEMBER/NOVEMBRE CMS NOTES EDITORIAL I request our readers to send us their CMS NOTES thoughts on such matters. NOTES DE LA SMC Les Notes de la SMC sont publiees´ par la Societ´ e´ mathematique´ du Canada (SMC) huit fois l’an (fevrier,´ mars, avril, mai, septembre, octobre, Lorsque vous lirez ce numéro, nous novembre et decembre).´ serons à moins de deux mois du sec- ond millénaire. C’est drôlement exci- Redacteurs´ en chef tant d’avoir l’occasion d’assister à ce Peter Fillmore; S. Swaminathan moment mémorable qu’est le passage [email protected] à un nouveau millénaire. Redacteur-g´ erant´ La grande préoccupation de l’heure, le célèbre bogue de l’an 2000, Robert W. Quackenbush S. Swaminathan à savoir si les différents logiciels de Redaction´ nos ordinateurs vont réussir à franchir ´ When this issue appears we will be just Education: Edward Barbeau less than two months away from the le pas, a accaparé l’attention de tous et [email protected] second millenium. It will, indeed, be a éclipsé le travail des savants et des Reunions´ : Monique Bouchard quite exciting to witness the transition médias à évaluer les exploits de la sci- [email protected] from one millenium to another. ence au tournant du siècle et à définir Recherche : Noriko Yui; The widespread concern, known as des directions d’avenir en ce qui a trait James D. Lewis the Y2K problem, whether the various à diverses disciplines. [email protected] software in our computers would make Une recherche du Web n’a révélé Assistante alar` edaction´ the transition smoothly has overshad- aucun article ni livre sur la con- Caroline Baskerville owed the attention of scientists and the trepartie mathématique de ce prob- media in assessing the achievements of lème. Un périodique intitulé History Note aux auteurs : indiquer la section the sciences during the waning century Today consacre son numéro de novem- choisie pour votre article et le faire par- and in delineating future directions in bre 1996 à ce sujet et présente une venir aux Notes de la SMC a` l’adresse various disciplines. série d’articles intéressants dont l’un postale ou de courriel ci-dessous : A search on the Web reveals no ar- porte sur l’astronomie et un autre, sur Societ´ e´ mathematique´ du Canada ticles nor books written on the mathe- l’énergie. Un numéro récent de Math- 577, rue King Edward matical counterpart of this problem. A ematical Intelligencer comporte un ar- C. P. 450, Succursale A journal called History Today devoted ticle humoristique sur la façon dont Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5 its November 1996 issue to a series on découvrira et fera la démonstration Tel´ ephone´ : (613) 562-5702 of interesting articles, of which one is de nouveaux théorèmes par ordinateur Tel´ ecopieur´ : (613) 565-1539 about astronomy and another one on dans cinquante ans. On fait également courriel : [email protected] energy. A recent issue of the Mathe- mention dans le numéro de juin 1998 Site Web : www.smc.math.ca matical Intelligencer has a humorous du Bulletin de l’UMI de la parution article on how theorems would be dis- prochaine du livre Mathematics Tomor- ´ Les Notes, les redacteurs et la SMC ne covered and proved by computers some row, sous la direction de V. Arnold ˆ peuvent etre tenus responsables des opin- fifty years hence. There is a report in (président), M. Atiyah, P. Lax et B. ´ ions exprimees par les auteurs. Les the Bulletin of the IMU, June 1998 is- Mazur. pour célébrer le tournant du ´ fichiers d’option de sytle utilises pour la sue, that the IMU is publishing a book, siècle. Ce livre rassemble des arti- production de ce volume sont une version Mathematics Tomorrow, edited by V. cles d’éminents mathématiciens sur la ´ modifiee des fichiers conc¸us par Water- Arnold (chair), M. Atiyah, P. Lax and fac¸on dont ils voient l’état actuel des c loo Maple Software, 1994, 1995. B. Mazur, to celebrate the turn of the mathématiques, ses principaux prob- century, with articles from prominent ISSN : 1193-9273 lèmes et ses perspectives d’avenir au mathematicians on how they see the siècle prochain. c Societ´ e´ mathematique´ du Canada present state of mathematics, its main 1999 problems and prospects for the coming J’attends avec plaisir tout commen- century. taire et toute réflexion à ces propos. 2 NOTES de la SMC NOVEMBER/NOVEMBRE A Canadian “Mathematics and Careers” Resource? Morris Orzech, Queen’s University During my tenure as chair of the CMS to clarify what is available, whether the mathematical sciences. Periodi- Education Committee, I have had con- more needs to be done, and if so, how to cally AMS and SIAM feature the pro- versations and correspondence with bring ideas and relevant work already files of individuals who have pursued about twenty people concerning advis- done or in progress to fruition. a variety of careers. You are invited ing students who ask us how to in- 101 Careers in Mathematics could to read their profiles to learn why they clude career considerations in decid- itself conceivably provide “Canadian made a particular career choice, what ing whether to study mathematics, or in content” our students could relate to they enjoy about their position, and choosing which mathematics courses their situation. Andrew Sterret tells me how their careers have developed over to take. About a year ago I posted a that in revising the book he is willing time. Many include tips on what non- message on the CMATH-Llist in which to include profiles of appropriate Cana- academic employers are looking for in I mentioned a book that we at Queen’s dians, and will gladly receive sugges- a job candidate. You are also invited often lend to students who approach us tions for individuals he should consider to submit questions to a forum made with such questions. The book, 101 contacting. He needs the profiles by up of the mathematicians currently fea- Careers in Mathematics, is edited by January 1, 2000. He can be contacted tured. Current profiles were posted Andrew Sterret, and published by the through the MAA (e.g., by e-mail to April 1999. MAA. Several people responded, ei- [email protected]). “Youcan search the archives by key ther asking for additional information To what other resources can we word, employment sector or degree and or mentioning that they were pleased to guide students who want information access the profiles, forums and applica- know about the existence this resource. about careers that use mathematics? tions of all mathematicians currently or In my CMATH-L posting I stated There is a web site associated to the previously profiled in the Mathematical that the book “....presents photographs U.S.