CMS de la NOTESSMC REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF MATHEMATICS COMMITTEE IN THIS ISSUE DANS CE NUMÉRO Editorial .............................. 2 The creation of this infrastruc- tinue to flourish as you will see Éditorial .............................. 3 ture has led to a tremendous from the annual reports from increase in the quality and our committees. Our regular Book Review: Modular impact of the Canadian math- meetings attract a large number Calbi-Yau Threefolds .......... 6 ematical sciences. In turn, of participants and increasingly Book Review: Mathematics this has led to a new sense of are held jointly with our sister by Experiment: Plausible community, a broader view of organizations. We have a very Reasoning in the 21st our beloved disciplines and new active publications programme, Century and Experimentation H.E.A. (Eddy) Campbell cooperative ventures involving excellent high school math- in Mathematics: Memorial University, St. John’s, NL the research institutes and many ematics competitions, both at Computational Paths to of our sister organizations both the national and international Discovery ............................. 7 Mathematics in Canada inside and outside the country. level, a vibrant Math Camps Brief Book Reviews ............ 9 is Stronger Again It is a very exciting time to be a program (there were 14 in 2005 was an excellent year for mathematician in Canada! 2005 with at least one camp Education Notes ............... 10 mathematics in Canada. The in every province), electronic CMS WINTER 2006 national centre for excellence, Leaders of our communities services for the community, MEETING / RÉUNION the Mathematics of Information continue to work together to and the Endowment Grants D’HIVER 2006 de la SMC .. Technology and Complex Sys- further the cause of the math- Competition. In my home ....................................... 14 tems (MITACS) was renewed ematical sciences. We have province of Newfoundland and Call for Nominations/Appel for another 7 year period. formed a Liaison Committee Labrador, my colleagues in the de mises en candidatures: MITACS has a wide ranging with representatives from across Department of Mathematics Prize lectureships/prix de mandate across the whole com- the community to represent our & Statistics are involved, in conférence ........................ 16 munity of mathematical sciences common interests at NSERC. collaboration with local high to connect us to industry and A document seeking to build a school teachers, in a “Math- Rapport du Président et du provide new opportunities for common vision for the future ematics League”. Students in comité pour l’avancement researchers and graduate stu- of the mathematical sciences in grades 10, 11 and 12 gather des mathématiques .......... 17 dents. This renewal was a very Canada is in draft form. Much on Saturday mornings in teams 2005 Annual Reports to important event for Canadian has been done but there is much to work on carefully selected members / Rapports annuels mathematics. The mathemati- work remaining. It is critically problems. Notably, many 2005................................... 19 cal landscape in Canada has important for our communities young women are involved. changed dramatically over the to remain politically engaged Call Proposal: 2006 past decade. We now have and to identify the next genera- The Math Camps Program is an Endowment Grants three world-class research insti- tion of leaders. essential feature of our outreach Competition ...................... 22 tutes: the Centre de recherche programs. It is a great pleasure Appel de propositions mathématiques (CRM) in Mon- Our prizes continue to attract to acknowledge the continuing - Concours de bourses du treal; the Fields Institute (FI) in outstanding nominations. The and on-going support of the fond de dotation 2006 .... 23 Toronto; and the Pacific Institute quality of these nominations Imperial Oil Foundation. Obituary/Nécrologie ......... 24 for Mathematics (PIMS) in Van- from all over the country speaks couver. There is also the Banff to the real and growing strength Canada School NEW CMS APPOINTMENT/ International Research Station of mathematics in Canada. We Mathematics Forum NOUVEAU POSTE À LA (BIRS) which is supported have every reason to celebrate The 2005 Canadian Math- SMC ............................... 25 also by institutes in the US and and to take pride. The CMS is ematics Education Forum was Calendar of events/ Mexico, and a virtual network a key player in promoting and held in Toronto from May 6 - 8. Calendrier des événements ..26 in the Atlantic Association for enhancing Canadian mathemat- The three co-chairs of the 2005 Research in the Mathematical ics. Our regular activities con- Forum were Florence Glan- Sciences (AARMS). français page 17 continued page 4 VOLUME 38 NO. 4 — MAI/MAY 2006 EDITORIAL by S. Swaminathan Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS BIRTHDAYS IN MAY The full story of how this idea became a reality is explained in It is well known that at least two persons Carl Riehm’s excellent article on the early history of the Fields can usually be found among a group of 60 people to share the same birthday. Medal in the Notices of the AMS, August 2002, 778-782. Cana- A perusal of the MacTutor History of dian mathematicians are truly proud of J. C. Fields. Mathematics listing of birthdays of mathematicians reveals that on most It is fairly well known that the Fields Medal is awarded for out- days of the year there are as many as five standing work by mathematicians who are not older than 40 years reputed mathematicians having the same of age. Normally, such work includes the proofs of very important birthday. On some days there are ten mathematicians born on the theorems. However, other factors may play a part. Steven Krantz, same day and also there are days with only one mathematician in Mathematical Apocrypha writes, “One wag characterized the listed. Quite a range, but typical for the Poisson distribution! situation as follows: William P. Thurston showed us that you can get the Fields Medal without proving a theorem, and Edward Thus on May 6th André Weil shares his birthday with Willem Witten showed us that you can get it without stating a theorem.” de Sitter, who is known for the Einstein-de Sitter model of the universe. Richard Feynmann was born on May 11th, as also T. von Karman, G.C. Evans, Edna Kramer, Sergei Chernikov and E. B. Dynkin. John Charles Fields and Rudolf Otto Lipschitz were both born on May 14th. NOTES de la SMC CMS NOTES Les Notes de la SMC sont publiés par la The CMS Notes are published by the A. de Moivre, Yuri Sokolov and Otto Neugebauer share the May Société mathématique du Canada (SMC) Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) huit fois par année (février, mars, avril, eight times a year (February, March, April, 26th birthday. And John Kemeny is the only person listed for mai, septembre, octobre, novembre et May, September, October, November and May 31st . décembre). December). Rédacteurs en chef Editors-in-Chief If we wish to pick one mathematician among those born in Robert J. MacG. Dawson Robert J. MacG. Dawson; May for a celebration many would agree that it must be John Srinivasa Swaminathan Srinivasa Swaminathan Charles Fields. Although most mathematicians know about [email protected] [email protected] the Fields Medal and the Fields Institute at Toronto, only very Rédacteurs gérant Managing Editor few are conversant with the early history of the Medal and the Graham P. Wright Graham P. Wright contributions of J. C. Fields. After undergraduate studies at the [email protected] [email protected] University of Toronto, graduate studies and Ph. D. from Johns Rédaction Contributing Editors Hopkins University, and research studies in various centers in Éducation : Edward Barbeau Education: Edward Barbeau Europe, Fields joined the University of Toronto in 1902 and rose [email protected] [email protected] from the ranks to a Research Professorship in 1923. His main Critiques littéraires: Peter Fillmore Book Reviews: Peter Fillmore [email protected] [email protected] research topic was on algebraic functions; he published a book on Réunions : Gertrud Jeewanjee Meetings: Gertrud Jeewanjee this subject in 1906. [email protected] [email protected] Recherche : Vacant Research: Vacant J. C. Fields is best remembered for his zealous endeavors to [email protected] [email protected] Assistante à la rédaction : Editorial Assistant: promote research in mathematics and to obtain funding for Nathalie Blanchard Nathalie Blanchard it. He conceived the idea of an international award for excel- lence in mathematical research. He persuaded the International Note aux auteurs: indiquer la section The Editors welcome articles, letters and Mathematical Union to hold the international congress in Toronto choisie pour votre article et le faire announcements, which can be sent to the in 1924. The financial support that he was able to obtain for parvenir au Notes de la SMC à l’adresse CMS Notes at the address below. postale ou de courriel ci-dessous. this congress was so successful that there was a surplus, which No responsibility for views expressed by provided the main incentive for his idea of an international medal. Les Notes de la SMC, les rédacteurs et la authors is assumed by the CMS Notes, He canvassed for the medal and found support from various insti- SMC ne peuvent être tenus responsables the editors or the CMS. The style files used tutions. Ill health prevented him presenting his proposal in person des opinions exprimées pas les auteurs. in the production of this volume are a at the Zurich Congress in 1932; he suffered from heart problems. Les fichiers d’option de style utilisés pour modified version of the style files produced la production de ce volume sont une A few days before his death he drew up a will, with J. L. Synge by Waterloo Maple Software, © 1994, version modifiée des fichiers conçus par 1995.