FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK Anthony To-Ming Lau University of Alberta, Edmonton IN THIS ISSUE DANS CE NUMÉRO Mathematical Society. I would to welcome Joseph Khoury like to take this opportunity (University of Ottawa) to his Editorial ....................................2 to thank all the members of new position as Executive the Board of Directors, and Director from January 1, 2009. Math in Moscow Competition members and Chairs of our Joseph has been Associate Concours Math à Moscou .........3 many committees for their Executive Director from July Book Reviews: A Theoretical service to the Society. In 1, 2008, working together Introduction to particular, I would like to thank with Graham. Graham will 2008 CMS Message Numerical Analysis ...................4 all our outgoing chairs: Bill remain from the New Year till This is my first message as Sands, University of Calgary the end of June to assist in Book Review: A Mathematical President of the Canadian (International Mathematical the transition. Joseph will be Mosaic ......................................5 Mathematical Society. The Olympiad Committee), Ed working part-time for the CMS Society is now entering its Barbeau, University of Toronto for the rest of this year and Brief Book Reviews ..................6 63rd year of operation as a (Canadian Mathematical then taking a six-month leave Education Notes .......................7 major organization devoted to Olympiad Committee), of absence from the University the promotion of mathematics Edgar Goodaire, Memorial of Ottawa starting in January CMS Awards Announcement in the areas of research, University of Newfoundland 2009. Lauréats des Prix de la SMC...10 education and applications of (Nominating Committee) and CMS Winter 2008 Meeting mathematics. Joy Abramson, University of Central to this year’s activity Réunion d’hiver 2008 .............13 Toronto (Student Committee) was the highly successful I would like to begin by for their many years of Second Canada-France News thanking Tom Salisbury for important contributions to the Mathematics Congress in from the fields institute .........19 his tremendous devotion and Society. Montreal June 1 – 6, 2008. contributions to the Canadian The congress with close to 800 Call for nominations - CJM/CMB Mathematical Society serving The entire Canadian delegates who participated in Associate Editors / APPEL DE as President during the last Mathematical Society has 28 sessions and seven mini- mises en candidature - JCM/BCM two years. It was indeed a been very fortunate to have symposia and three workshops. Rédacteurs associés ...............25 great pleasure to work with benefited from the remarkable The Congress partners were: him during the last year as Obituary: Donald Moiseyevitch work accomplished by the the Canadian Mathematical President-Elect. He helped me Solitar .....................................26 staff in the CMS Executive Society, Canadian Applied and to understand the complexity of Office in Ottawa. Thank you Industrial Mathematics Society Youth Science Foundation ......27 the organization from “board to all of you! Our Executive (CAIMS), Centre de recherches meetings” to “fundraising” Director, Graham Wright, has mathématiques (CRM), Fields Call for Nominations - 2008 with which I had little served the Society as Executive Institute, Institut des sciences CMS Excellence in Teaching experience. His tremendous Director since 1979. He will mathématiques (ISM), Award / Appel de mises en energy, enthusiasm, patience soon retire from this position Mathematics of Information candidature - Prix d’exellence en and ideas are true inspirations on December 31, 2008. Technology and Complex enseignement 2008 ................27 to me. Thank you, Tom, for On behalf of the Canadian Systems (MITACS), Pacific all your work and for delaying Call Proposal: 2008 Endowment Mathematical Society, I would Institute for the Mathematical your sabbatical for six months like to thank Graham for his Sciences (PIMS), Société de Grants Competition / Appel in order to help with the dedication and leadership Mathématiques Appliquées & de propositions - Concours de transition. for the last 30 years. His Industrielles (SMAI), Société bourses du fond de dotation distinguished long service Mathématique de France 2008........................................29 I cannot overstate how to the Society cannot be (SMF), and Université du Calendar of events well served we are by the overstated. I would also like Québec à Montréal (UQAM). volunteering effort of so many Calendrier des événements ....30 people in the Canadian français page 23 continued page 22 VOLUME 40 NO. 5 SEPTEMBER/SEPTEMBRE 2008 by Srinivasa Swaminathan EDITORIAL Dalhousie University, Halifax “There are mathematicians, and then sufficient repetition our minds and/or our bodies can become there’s the rest of the world, and not skilled at performing practically any new task. much interaction between the two.” William P. Thurston, (More Mathematical Ever since mathematics news made headlines in June 1993 People, Ed. Donald J. Albers, et al.) when Andrew Wiles’ achievement in proving Fermat’s last theorem got front-page coverage in the New York Times, and The word ‘math’ was used often during the more recent announcements of Clay Institute million dollar the American Presidential Primaries in prizes, there has been increased awareness of mathematics and connection with counting of votes and mathematical research among the public. Whether such progress pointing out which candidate obtained translates into interaction between mathematicians and the rest more votes. ‘To do math’ is a phrase that is often heard where of the world to which Bill Thurston calls attention (in the quote just doing computation with numbers is meant. Those who have above) is a big question. studied math as part of their school curriculum are likely to carry a better understanding of what ‘to do math’ means; they would [1] Keith Devlin, The Math Instinct, Why you’re a mathematical probably think of algebra, solving equations and geometry, genius (along with lobster, birds, cats and dogs), Thunders Mouth if their performance in these subjects had been reasonably Press, N.Y. 2005. good. When John Kelley was introduced to a gentleman as a mathematician at an evening party, the latter commented that John must be good at multiplying large numbers. John [2] Peter Latham, ‘Beethoven,’ in Lives of Great Composers, ed. explained that mathematicians do not spend their time doing A. L. Bachrach, 1935. arithmetical calculations, but they keep thinking about patterns common to mathematical situations; abstract patterns underlie NOTES DE LA SMC CMS NOTES many problems of everyday life. Keith Devlin, who has written Les Notes de la SMC sont publiés par la Société The CMS Notes is published by the Canadian books popularizing mathematics, has devoted a whole book mathématique du Canada (SMC huit fois l’an Mathematical Society (CMS) eight times a (février, mars, avril, mai, septembre, octobre, year (February, March, April, May, September, [1] to show how simple math ideas are inherent in the minds of novembre et décembre). October, November and December). living creatures. RÉDACTEURS EN CHEF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Math is ubiquitous. Coupled with computing science math Robert Dawson, Srinivasa Swaminathan Robert Dawson, Srinivasa Swaminathan techniques are used in businesses, marketing, shopping and [email protected] [email protected] other areas of everyday life in a manner that would have amazed those who lived fifty or more years ago. Visiting a company like RÉDACTEURS-GÉRANT MANAGING EDITOR Google or Yahoo one would find teams of mathematicians Graham P. Wright Graham P. Wright [email protected] [email protected] discussing techniques in front of white boards covered with equations and algorithms. They work with specialists in other RÉDACTION CONTRIBUTING EDITORS areas such as statistics, economics, etc. Éducation : Edward Barbeau Education: Edward Barbeau [email protected] [email protected] With all such progress one would expect that there would be Critiques littéraires: Keith Johnson Book Reviews: Keith Johnson [email protected] [email protected] a good demand for studying mathematics. But the figures of Réunions : Gertrud Jeewanjee Meetings: Gertrud Jeewanjee graduate study enrolment do not seem to support this. The [email protected] [email protected] proverbial public apathy towards mathematics might be one of Recherche : Vacant Research: Vacant [email protected] [email protected] the reasons why this is so. Many people have trouble keeping Assistante à la rédaction : Editorial Assistant: track of the cumulative cost of grocery items as items pile up in Susan Latreille Susan Latreille their grocery cart. Indeed, they are in the company of famous Note aux auteurs : indiquer la section choisie The Editors welcome articles, letters and an- personalities; for example, the great composer Beethoven found pour votre article et le faire parvenir au Notes nouncements, which can be sent to the CMS de la SMC à l’adresse postale ou de courriel Notes at the address below. that arithmetic was beyond him. His biographer Peter Latham ci-dessous. No responsibility for the views expressed by writes [2], “He might manage a simple addition with the help Les Notes de la SMC, les rédacteurs et la SMC authors is assumed by the CMS Notes, the of his fingers, but calculations involved in financial transactions ne peuvent