OTICES OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY Strategic Planning for the Society page 17 JANUARY 1991 , VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1 Providence, Rhode Island, USA ISSN 0002-9920 ' Calendar of AMS Meetings and Conferences This calendar lists all meetings which have been approved prior to the Mathematical Society in the issue corresponding to that of the Notices date this issue of Notices was sent to the press. The summer and annual which contains the program of the meeting, insofar as is possible. Ab­ meetings are joint meetings of the Mathematical Association of America stracts should be submitted on special forms which are available in many and the American Mathematical Society. The meeting dates which fall departments of mathematics and from the headquarters office of the So­ rather far in the future are subject to change; this is particularly true of ciety. Abstracts of papers to be presented at the meetir1g must be re­ meetings to which no numbers have been assigned. Programs of the ceived at the headquarters of the Society in Providence, Rhode Island. meetings will appear in the issues indicated below. First and supple­ on or before the deadline given below for the meeting. Note that the mentary announcements of the meetings will have appeared in earlier deadline for abstracts for consideration for presentation at special ses­ issues. sions is usually three weeks earlier than that specified below. For ad­ Abstracts of papers presented at a meeting of the Society are published ditional information, consult the meeting announcements and the list of in the journal Abstracts of papers presented to the American organizers of special sessions. Abstract Program Meeting# Date Place Deadline Issue 864 tt March 15-16. 1991 South Bend, Indiana Expired March 865 * March 22-23,1991 Tampa, Florida Expired March 866 * June 13-15, 1991 Portland, Oregon March 26 May/June 867 * August 8-11, 1991 Orono. Maine May 22t July/August (94th Summer Meeting) 868 * October 12-13, 1991 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 1 October 869 * October 25-26, 1991 Fargo. North Dakota August 1 October 870 * November 9-11, 1991 Santa Barbara, California August 1 October 871 * January 8-11, 1992 Baltimore, Maryland October 2 December (98th Annual Meeting) March 13-14, 1992 Tuscaloosa, Alabama tt March 20-21, 1992 Springfield, Missouri June 29-July 1, 1992 Cambridge, England (Joint Meeting with the London Mathematical Society) January 13-16, 1993 San Antonio, Texas (99th Annual Meeting) August15-19, 1993 Vancouver, British Columbia (96th Summer Meeting) (Joint Meeting with the Canadian Mathematical Society) January 12-15, 1994 Cincinnati, Ohio (1 OOth Annual Meeting) January 10-13, 1996 Orlando, Florida ( 102nd Annual Meeting) * Please refer to page 33 for listing of Special Sessions. t Please note this deadline is earlier than previously published. tt These dates are earlier than previously published. Conferences January 14-15, 1991 : AMS Short Course on Probabilistic July 7-26, 1991: AMS Summer Research Institute on Combinatorics and Its Applications, San Francisco, Algebraic Groups and their Generalizations, University California. of Pennsylvania, University Park. Pennsylvania. June 22-August 2, 1991: Joint Summer Research Conferences in the Mathematical Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Events Cosponsored by the Society February 14-20. 1991: Section A (Mathematics) Sessions at the AAAS Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. Deadlines March Issue April Issue May/June Issue July/August Issue Classified Ads* January 31, 1991 February 28. 1991 April25, 1991 June 17. 1991 News Items January 22, 1991 February 21, 1991 April 15, 1991 June 10, 1991 Meeting Announcements** January 24, 1991 February 25, 1991 April 15, 1991 June 13,1991 * Please contact AMS Advertising Department for an Advertising Rate Card for display advertising deadlines. ** For material to appear in the Mathematical Sciences Meetings and Conferences section. -----------· 1 OTICES OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY DEPARTMENTS FEATURE COLUMNS 3 Letters to the Editor 5 Forum 8 Computers and Mathematics Jon Barwise 21 News and Announcements This month's column is devoted to an article on "logical framework 25 Funding Information for the systems," (LFs), by N. G. de Bruijn, followed by comments from the editor. Mathematical Sciences 26 1991 AMS Elections 17 Inside the AMS 29 Meetings and Conferences of Though the discipline of mathematics, the mathematical community, and the theAMS world around it have seen great changes in the past seventy years, the South Bend, IN stated mission of the Society has remained the same. In what ways should March 15-16, 29 the AMS adapt and what are its long-range goals? Allyn Jackson discusses Tampa, FL a newly-appointed Strategic Planning Task Force, which will begin work March 22-23, 31 to assess the Society's strengths and resources and formulate a three- to Invited Speakers, 33 five-year strategic plan. AAAS Annual Meeting, 37 Joint Summer Research 19 Washington Outlook Conferences in the Mathematical Lisa A. Thompson examines "The Excellence in Mathematics, Science, and Sciences, 39 Engineering Education Act," which authorizes over $150 million for new and 1991 Summer Research existing programs in science and mathematics education, including $125 Institute, 41 million for education and human resources programs at the National Science 43 Mathematical Sciences Meetings Foundation. and Conferences 53 New AMS Publications 55 New Members of the AMS 57 Miscellaneous Personal Items, 57 Deaths, 57 58 AMS Policy on Recruitment Advertising 59 Classified Advertising 91 Forms -·-··-------·-----·---·-··---·········-···-····-·----·-···-----·---- JANUARY 1991, VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1 1 From the Executive Director ... BEYOND THE REPORTS -DEPARTMENTAL ACTION The last few years have seen a plethora of reports on all aspects of the nation's AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY mathematical sciences enterprise. These reports are useful in providing a springboard for debate, in distributing important information, and outlining means for change. However, it is now time to move beyond the reports and into action. Mathemati­ cal sciences departments are the natural institutions to take actions to bring about substantial, long-term change within the community. EDITORIAL COMMITIEE Robert J. Blattner (Forum Editor) Mathematics education, renewing the profession, resources for research, the reward Michael G. Crandall structure-these issues are not new. However, they are being raised with a new ur­ Robert M. Fossum (Chairman) gency as the result of various forces influencing the mathematical sciences: computers, Lucy J. Garnett, D. J. Lewis economic conditions, changing demographics, scientific and technological needs, and Nancy K. Stanton Robert E. L. Turner (Letters Editor) the growing importance of interdisciplinary research. Mathematical sciences depart­ ments need to reassess their responsibilities to adapt to the changing climate. MANAGING EDITOR Major national initiatives are now addressing these issues. The community, as never Donovan H. Van Osdol before, is involved in a systematic approach to the revitalization of the profession. For ASSOCIATE EDITORS example, at the National Research Council, the Board on Mathematical Sciences has Ronald L. Graham, Special Articles launched a national plan for departmental renewal, centered on the recommendations Jeffrey C. Lagarias, Special Articles of the update of the David Report. Another example is the Mathematical Sciences Education Board's national plan for reform of mathematics education, which includes SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION state coalitions to facilitate local efforts and provide national coordination. How should Subscription prices for Volume 38 (1991) are mathematical sciences departments respond to efforts like these? How can linkages $121 list; $97 instiMional member; $73 individual be established? member. (The subscription price for members is in­ cluded in the annual dues.) A late charge of 10% To a great degree, the success of efforts targeted toward a national approach to the of the subscription price will be imposed upon or­ revitalization of the mathematical sciences depends upon the "fit" between these pro­ ders received from nonmembers alter January 1 grams and the college and university departments that train tomorrow's scientists, of the subscription year. Add for postage: Surface delivery outside the United States and lndia-$15; teachers, and researchers. Faculty must become involved to help insure the "fit" is a to lndia-$27; expedited delivery to destinations in good one. Crucial to this effort is departmental commitment: a few individual faculty North America-$28; elsewhere-$67. Subscrip­ members, working without departmental support and recognition, cannot fully address tions and orders for AMS publications should be the problems we are facing. Many different levels and modes of faculty involvement addressed to the American Mathematical Society, P.O. Box 1571, Annex Station, Providence, Rl are possible, but departmental support of the entire effort is the only way to insure 02901-1571. All orders must be prepaid. lasting change. Departments should initiate open discussions of self-evaluation as a way of work­ ADVERTISING ing toward specific actions. A discussion could center on some very basic questions, Notices publishes situations wanted and classified advertising, and display advertising for publishers such as: What are the department's responsibilities in education (continuing, graduate, and academic or scientific