THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 344 January 2006 Forthcoming COUNCIL DIARY Independently of these dis- 18 November 2005 cussions, October Council had Society highlighted the need for possi- Meetings The main business at this, the ble radical revision of the last Council meeting of Frances Society's organisation. To 2006 Kirwan's presidency, was con- progress this, a Council Retreat Friday 10 February sideration of the Framework will be held in January 2006 to London Studies Initiative on the rela- discuss matters such as the G. Segal tionship between the London Society's core values and objec- U. Tillmann Mathematical Society and the tives in the modern world, and (Mary Cartwright Institute for Mathematics and to identify and prioritise the Lecture) its Applications. Council was activities that are central to very grateful for the carefully members’ perception of the 1 Monday 15 May considered views that had been LMS. This will lead on to consid- Leicester received from many members eration of the governance and Midlands Regional during the consultation period. management best suited to Meeting Council authorised further con- delivering these outcomes. M. Bridson sideration of versions of the Reporting from the N. Hitchin H-framework and the inverted November meeting of the H. Kraft Y-framework, as a route to uni- Council for the Mathematical A. Zelevinsky fication of the two societies. Sciences, the President and the A choice between the two alter- Education Secretary expressed Friday 16 June natives will be made in March concern at the momentum London 2006. It was recognised that the building up from the Bologna Yu Manin H-framework was viable only if agreement, intended to unify (Hardy Lecture) it had a life of at most 10 years qualifications across Europe. as a route to unification, with Particularly worrying is the pres- Friday 3 July the option for either Council to sure to discontinue undergradu- Leeds halt the process at any time. ate masters degrees such as the Northern Regional The concerns expressed by MMath. Any department that is Meeting members will be considered asked to reconfigure its courses U. Haagerup very carefully over the next few as a result of the Bologna agree- N. Kalton months. Once a plan has been ment is urged to contact the prepared and approved by the CMS Bologna Group, a national Monday 11 September Councils of both societies it will committee set up to try to pro- Bath be put to the members for a tect the interests of mathemat- South West & South vote according to the rules of ics in this context (the Group Wales Regional their individual charters. For may be contacted through Brian Meeting fuller account see page 3 of this Stewart, retiring Education Newsletter. Secretary). cont’d THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No. 344 January 2006 Council received the report of the TREASURER'S REPORT basement area of De Morgan House to pro- ants' costs in resolving the issue) is also Programme Committee, which has the dual vide disabled access and to improve facilities. included in this increase role of arranging Society meetings and allo- TO THE AGM 2005 It is hoped that in future it will be possible to Total membership fell slightly to 2572. cating research grants under various In the financial year 1 September 2004 to hold more Society and other mathematical Subscription income rose from £57K to £61K, schemes. One particular change in policy was 31 August 2005, the Fixed Assets of the Society meetings there, and also to raise additional and the cost of membership services from approved: from 2007 to reduce the budget increased in value from £10.2m to £11.4m. revenue by letting the rooms for confer- £59K to £67K. for Society Regional Meetings and associated During the year, Credit Suisse was replaced ences. Work began over the summer, and There are no dramatic changes to report. workshops from £8,000 to £7,500, but more as fund manager by Morgan Stanley. The will be funded by drawing on reserves, I again acknowledge the enormous contribu- significantly to ring-fence £1,500 of the transition was complex, but went smoothly. which will be replenished over the coming tion that Susan Oakes and Peter Cooper budget to support members and research The new manager has been set the aim of years from the new revenue generated. make to the orderly conduct of our affairs, students to attend the meetings. It was producing a real return of at least 4% pa. The Because the Society holds considerable bal- and particularly the contribution of Ephrem hoped that this would have the dual benefits management of the portfolio conforms with ances in cash, there will be no need to sell Belay, who for the first time this year pre- of increasing regional participation in the the Trustee Act. investments. pared the Society's accounts in-house. meetings and helping to broaden the educa- The level of the reserve funds was It has been another good year for the N.M.J. Woodhouse tion of PhD students, as recommended by the reviewed during the year. The Building and Society's publishing activities, which gener- Treasurer International Review of UK Mathematics and Development Reserve Fund now stands at ated a surplus of £757K (against £690K last sought by the research councils. £442K (reduced from £500K at the begin- year). Again I should draw attention to THE LMS AND THE IMA The meeting ended with a vote of thanks ning of the year); the Printing and the essential role that the publications' 2 to the members of Council who were stand- Publication Reserve Fund is unchanged at surplus plays in enabling the Society to Discussions about the relationship between 3 ing down: Amanda Chetwynd (Vice £1.2M. Other reserve funds are used to hold support mathematical activity in the the LMS and the IMA have been going on for President), Brian Stewart (Education gifts and bequests to the Society (£23K, United Kingdom, and congratulate the about two years. The report of the Secretary), and Rachel Camina. Special unchanged on last year), to meet the costs of Publisher, Susan Hezlet, and all the publica- Frameworks Study Initiative was published thanks were accorded to the retiring grants that have been awarded but not yet tions staff for the energetic and forward- in April 2005, and copies have been circulat- President, Frances Kirwan, for her dedicated claimed (£94K), and to separate Compositio looking way in which they pursue the ed to members. Many written comments leadership and work over two particularly from other publishing activities (balance Society's interests. Council continues to be were received and these were considered demanding years. transferred at the end of the year). Council concerned about the implications of pro- by the LMS Council at its meeting on Kenneth Falconer has decided to refurbish and extend the posed changes in scientific publishing and 18 November, together with feedback from their potential impact on the financial regional meetings. health of the Society. After discussion, the Council voted by a The total spent on grants, subscriptions, substantial majority in favour of the follow- LMS Newsletter and prizes fell from £345K to £309K. The ing proposal. The Council authorises further decrease included a drop of £9K (4.2%) in consideration of the merits of versions of the General Editor: Dr D.R.J. Chillingworth ([email protected]) Programme Committee grants, and is other- H-framework and the inverted-Y framework, Reports Editor: Dr S.A. Huggett ([email protected]) wise explained by a fall in the net cost (but as a route to unification of the two societies. Reviews Editor: Professor M.P.F. du Sautoy ([email protected]) not expenditure) of the Research Meetings The Council of the IMA approved an identical Administrative Editor: Miss S.M. Oakes ([email protected]) Committee, the absence of a Hardy Fellow in proposal at its meeting on 16 November. Editorial office address: London Mathematical Society, De Morgan House, post during the year, and the fact that there It will require much work in order to deter- 57-58 Russell Square, London WC1B 4HS (tel: 020 7637 3686; fax: 020 7323 3655; was no major international meeting support- mine the details of the route, the timetable email: [email protected], web: www.lms.ac.uk) ed by the Society. and, most importantly, the destination. The Designed by CHP Design (tel: 020 7240 0466, email: [email protected], web:www.chpdesign.com) The costs under Administration rose by LMS Council will continue to operate as a Publication dates and deadlines: published monthly, except August. 2.1% to £557,248. It should be remembered fully independent body for the time being. Items and advertisements by first day of the month prior to publication. that the costs of running De Morgan House Members will be kept fully informed of Information in the Newsletter is free to be used elsewhere unless otherwise stated; attribution is and of supporting the grant-giving activities progress, and there will be further consulta- requested when reproducing whole articles. The LMS cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy also come under this heading. The Society's tion, as laid down in the Charter, Statutes of information in the Newsletter. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy VAT status was renegotiated during the year and By-laws, before any irrevocable decision of the London Mathematical Society. Charity registration number: 252660. and the unrecoverable VAT (and account- is made. Regarding the time-scale, Council is THE LONDON MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER No.