ISSN 0002-9920 (print) ISSN 1088-9477 (online) of the American Mathematical Society September 2018 Volume 65, Number 8 Hispanic Heritage Month September 15–October 15, 2018 The Geometry of Matroids page 902 Movie Animation: A Continuum Approach for Frictional Contact page 909 September Sectional Sampler: Braids, Surfaces, and Homological Invariants page 914 2018 AMS Election page 917 AMS/MAA Grad School Fair . Meeting and Recruiting Students for Your Graduate School Programs! The 2019 Grad School Fair: • Held at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, during the Joint Mathematics Meetings in January • Research-oriented special undergraduate programs • Connect with over 300 talented student attendees. • More than 60 graduate programs in the mathematical sciences represented! The event is free for registered students to attend. Schools will pay a small table fee to represent their programs. Learn more at: For further information: www.ams.org/gradfair phone: 800-321-4AMS, ext. 4060 email: [email protected] Please check the Joint Mathematics Meetings registration site for updated dates and times. Notices of the American Mathematical Society September 2018 FEATURED 902684 909 26914 The Geometry of Matroids Movie Animation: A AMS Fall Sectional Sampler Federico Ardila Continuum Approach for Braids, Surfaces, and Homological Frictional Contact Invariants J. Elisenda Grigsby Joseph Teran Ricardo Cortez presents our issue for Hispanic Heritage Month (page 901), which begins September 15. Federico Ardila shows how matroid theory has led to the solution of long-standing questions. Joseph Teran explains how movie animations model skin, clothing, and snow-covered ground. In a sampler of her address at the Eastern Sectional at Delaware this month, Elisenda Grigsby describes some invariants for knots and links, with possible application to the slice ribbon conjecture. A report on the difficult effects of hurricane María in Puerto Rico is followed by A Mathematical Moment and accompanying article on protecting against hurricane damage. John W. Dawson Jr. provides a book review, “The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science.” This issue comes with best wishes to all for the coming academic year and your adventures in mathematics. —Frank Morgan, Editor-in-Chief FROM THE AMS SECRETARY ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 917 2018 AMS Election Section: 899 A Note from the AMS Executive Director 918 List of Candidates 936 Tapas of Algebraic Statistics Carlos Améndola, Marta Casanellas, 918 Election Information Luis David García Puente 920 Biographies of Candidates 939 2018 Lathisms: Latinxs and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences 932 Call for Suggestions for 2019 Elections Alexander Diaz-Lopez, Pamela E.Harris, Alicia Prieto Langarica, Gabriel Sosa 933 Nominations by Petition for 2019 Elections 952 Fall 2016 Departmental Profi le Report Amanda L. Golbeck, omas H. Barr, YOUR Colleen A. Rose 964 e State of Academia in Puerto Rico After VOTE Hurricane María COUNTS! Luis A. Medina 966 A Mathematical Moment: Keeping the Roof On Notices of the American Mathematical Society ALSO IN THIS ISSUE, CONTD. 967 Protecting Against Hurricane Damage With Mathematics Stefan Siegmund 969 2016–2017 Doctoral Degrees Conferred 1001 Letter to the Editor AMS / MAA Press 1002 Book Review:e Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science Finding Ellipses John W. Dawson Jr. What Blaschke Products, Poncelet’s 1007 Mathematics Education as a Mathematician’s Theorem, and the Numerical Range Research Area: An Invitation for Collaboration Cynthia O. Anhalt and Ricardo Cortez Know about Each Other Ulrich Daepp, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, 1011 International Collaboration through the Volunteer PA, Pamela Gorkin, Bucknell University, Lecturer Program Lewisburg, PA, Andrew Shaffer, Bucknell Padhu Seshaiyer University, Lewisburg, PA, and Karl Voss, 1019 Luis Caffarelli Awarded Shaw Prize Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 1025 Pamela Harris: e Mathematical Rise and Social Mathematicians delight in finding surprising Contribution of a Dreamer connections between seemingly disparate areas Ricardo Cortez and Federico Ardila of mathematics. Whole domains of modern mathematics have arisen from exploration of such connections—consider analytic number NO NOT USE GRADUATE STUDENT SECTION theory or algebraic topology. Finding Ellipses is a delight-filled romp across a three-way unexpect- AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT 944 Anthony Várilly-Alvarado Interview ed connection between complex analysis, linear Alexander Diaz-Lopez algebra, and projective geometry. Carus Mathematical Monographs, Volume 34; 2018; AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT 947 WHAT IS...a Matroidal Family of Graphs? approximately 264 pages; Hardcover; ISBN: 978-1-4704- 4383-2; List US$63; AMS Individual members US$47.25; J. M. S. Simões-Pereira MAAAV membersAILABLE US$47.25; IN Order EBOOK code CAR/34 FORMAT 949 Blog: Reflections of a First-Year Postdoc Luis Sordo Vieira This title is now available for pre-order at bookstore.ams.org/car-34 IN EVERY ISSUE AVAILABLE IN EBOOK FORMAT 1016 Mathematics Opportunities 1021 Mathematics People 1028 Inside the AMS 1029 New Publications Offered by the AMS 1034 Classified Advertising 1037 Meetings and Conferences of the AMS 1056 e Back Page A Note from the Executive Director I am writing to bring your attention to the Global Survey of Scientists (statisticalresearch- center.aip.org/cgi-bin/global18.pl) which will be available until October 31, 2018. The goal of this multicultural and multidisciplinary survey is to study social dynamics in the fields of physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, computer science, mathematics, and the history and philosophy of science and technology by asking a large number of scientists and practitioners about their experiences, challenges, and interests, as well as collecting focused information about women in these fields. Current data on the participation of women in the mathematical and natural sciences is scattered, outdated, and inconsistent across regions and research fields. The survey is aimed at rectifying this situation by producing sound, current, and consistent data from an expected pool of 45,000 respondents (regardless of gender) in more than 130 countries. The survey is part of the project, “A Global Approach to the Gender Gap in Mathemati- cal, Computing, and Natural Sciences: How to Measure It, How to Reduce It?” funded by the International Council for Science, with significant participation of the International Mathematical Union. The insights obtained from this survey will help inform interventions for member organizations to increase participation in STEM fields, especially for women. For further information, please follow the link above and then choose one of the links to take the survey in the language of your choice; this will first bring you to a page with further details and contact information for questions. Thank you. Catherine A. Roberts AMS Executive Director July 2018 Notices of the American Mathematical Society EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CONTACTING THE NOTICES Frank Morgan SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ASSOCIATE EDITORS Subscription prices for Volume 65 (2018) are US$662 list; Benjamin Braun, US$529.60 institutional member; US$397.20 individual mem- Alexander Diaz-Lopez, Thomas Garrity, Joel Hass, ber; US$595.80 corporate member. (The subscription price for Stephen Kennedy, Florian Luca, Steven J. Miller, members is included in the annual dues.) A late charge of 10% of Harriet Pollatsek, Carla Savage (ex officio), the subscription price will be imposed upon orders received from Cesar E. Silva, Christina Sormani, Daniel J. Velleman non-members after January 1 of the subscription year. Add for CONSULTANTS postage: Surface delivery outside the United States and India— John Baez, Hélène Barcelo, Ricardo Cortez, Jerry Folland, US$27; in India—US$40; expedited delivery to destinations in Tara Holm, Kenneth A. 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