THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA VOLUME 5 NUMBER 6 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1985 A Visit to Vietnam Peter Hilton n early April of this year, I received a 'mysterious' phone tion of geometry, topology and algebra in the Faculty of call from Dr. Judy Ladinsky, Professor of Preventive Med­ Science, and by Hugh (such, he said, was his name, but I Iicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It transpired suspect he used adifferent spelling!) on behalf of the Ministry that she was telephoning me, in her capacity as chairwoman (continued on page 2) of the U.S. Committee for Scientific Cooperation with Viet­ nam, to enquire if I would be able to visit the University of Hanoi after attending an international conference on alge­ braic topology in Singapore in mid-June. It was known to the Hanoi topologists, and particularly to Dr. Huynh Moi, the leader of the algebraic topology group there (who was at the time visiting the U.S. and was actually in Dr. Ladinsky's office when she made her phone call) that I would be in Singapore at the conference, and that I had made a considerable effort to get some Vietnamese topol­ ogists invited to that conference. (My efforts foundered, unfortunately, owing to the strained political relations between Singapore and Vietnam.) I agreed to visit Hanoi from June 21 to June 26, and learned that it would be necessary to go to Bangkok to get my visa and then fly to Hanoi from Bang­ kok. In fact, Bangkok is the unique airport in the non-com­ munist world from which one can fly directly to Hanoi, but there are only 2 flights a week in each direction! I arrived in Bangkok on Thursday, June 20, and, after some difficulties with my visa, caught a flight for Hanoi early the next morning on a Vietnamese airline. On arrival, I was met by Professor Pham, head of the sec- The January 1986 Joint Mathematics Meetings The January 1985Joint Mathematics Meetings will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 7-11. The meetings will include the 69th Annual Meeting of the Mathematical Asso­ Copyright 1984 by Benoit B. Mandelbrot ciation of America, January 9-11, the 92nd Annual Meeting An exhibit, "Frontiers of Chaos," which features some 90 ofthe American Mathematical Society, and the 1986 annual computer graphics is currently touring museums, galleries, meetings of the Association for Women in Mathematics, and and academic institutions in Western Europe and the United the National Association for Mathematicians. All meeting States. The fractal pictured above, titled "The 'Signature' sessions will be held in the Hyatt Regency and the Super­ Mandelbrot Set", is by Benoit B. Mandelbrot, Harvard Uni­ dome. versity. For information on dates and locations of the exhib­ For more information, see "Update on New Orleans Meet­ its, contact the Goethe Institute, 530 Bush Street, San Fran­ ing" on page 9 of this issue. cisco, CA 94108; (415)391-0370. 2 Vietnam (continued from page 1) members of my audience, two round-trip cycle rides of 20 kilometers. of Higher Education. I also became acquainted with my I also gave one lecture for actual and aspiring secondary chauffeur (who responded to the name O.K.)who, driving an teachers, and for university faculty, in which I compared the ancient Volga saloon, was to be my frequent companion over higher educational systems in the U.S.A. and the U.K., with the next few days, and with whom I set up a very friendly respect to both principle and practice. I was humbled to relationship largely on the basis of his appetite for Swiss learn that some had endured a48-hourtrain journey to attend cigarillos. (There is a lot of cigarette smoking in Vietnam, this lecture. The questions following my talk were keen and but I suspect that the quality of the cigarettes leaves some­ apposite-no sign of 'math avoidance' here! thing to be desired). Just before I left on Wednesday, Hugh arrived, together It would take too long to recount the many memorable with a young topologist with whom I had become very friendly, incidents of my visit, so let me record my most vivid impres­ Dr. Dung, to escort me to the airport. Hugh was bearing gifts sions. for my wife and myself from the Dean of Faculty (whom I had First, the Vietnamese are people of great dignity and self­ met on Monday and with whom I had had a long discussion respect, who have come to accept, with stoical calm, their on the role of mathematics in the university); Dr.Dung wanted extremely difficult circumstances. The standard of living is to accompany me right up to the last possible moment to very low, even by third world standards; and the country has discuss topology. Their two roles epitomized for me my over­ certainly not yet recovered (if it ever will) from the ravages all abiding impressions of the Vietnamese-warm-hearted, of a war of more than 30 years' duration. Second, despite generous and with an unquenchable desire for knowledge their privations and the resentment they might reasonably and human contact. be expected to feel toward those who destroyed their coun­ Peter Hilton is a Professor of Mathematics at the State try, the Vietnamese are very friendly-and this I found among University of New York at Binghamton. ordinary people as well as among my hosts. There is no doubt at all that the Vietnamese, but more especially the intellec­ tuals, would want far more contact with colleagues from the West. Indeed, they are starved of such contact, at first or second hand. I was told that I was only the second mathematician from the U.S. to visit Vietnam since 1975 (the other being Neal Koblitz ofthe University of Washington). A few dedicated medical scientists (Dr. Ladinsky, whose committee arranges such visits, among them) have visited Vietnam and done wonderful work there in combating disease and inculcating FOCUS (ISSN 0731-2040) is published by the Mathematical good health habits; but the overall picture is one of almost Association of America, 1529 Eighteenth Street, N.W., Wash­ total isolation. The isolation is reinforced by the fact that the ington, D.C. 20036,six times a year: January-February, March­ April, May-June, September, October, November-December. University of Hanoi cannot afford to purchase books for its library norto subscribe to journals. If there is a xerox machine Editor: Marcia Peterson Sward, MAA Associate Director. Associate Editors: Donald J. Albers, Menlo College; William at the university, I didn't see it; and a typewriter is a rare G. Chinn, City College of San Francisco; Stephen B. Maurer, luxury! Swarthmore College. In the circumstances, the level of mathematical activity, Chairman of the MAA Newsletter Editorial Committee: with respect to both research and teaching, is extraordinarily Ronald M. Davis, Northern Virginia Community College. high, testifying to a rare combination of outstanding talent Readers are invited to submit articles, announcements, or and total dedication. Within my own field I can state with Letters to the Editor for possible publication in FOCUS. All certainty that the work being done by Dr. Mui and his school materials should be sent to the Editor at the MAA Headquar­ ters in Washington, D.C. places them among the most skillful in the use of cohom­ ology theory, and especially, of cohomology operations The annual SUbscription price for FOCUS to individual mem­ bers of the Association is $1, included as a part of the annual involving general cohomology theories, in the study of hom­ dues. Annual dues for regular members (exclusive of annual otopy classification problems for various spaces (manifolds, subscription prices for MAA journals) are $22. Student, unem­ configuration spaces, ...). It was also my impression, from ployed, emeritus, and family members receive a50% discount; long and detailed discussions I had with mathematicians at new members receive a 30% discount for the first two years of membership. the National Center for Scientific Research, that in other fields, too, including applied mathematics, the standard was Copyright © by the Mathematical Association of America (Incorporated), 1985. Educational institutions are welcome to extremely high. reproduce articles from this publication in quantities suffi­ The same outstanding research mathematicians at the uni­ cient for their own use, but not for sale, provided that the versity played an important role in developing and imple­ following citation is retained: "Reprinted with permission from menting a very comprehensive and demanding curriculum FOCUS, the Newsletter of the Mathematical Association of America. Copyright © by the Mathematical Association of of courses, not only in Hanoi but also in the provinces. Nowhere America (Incorporated), 1985." have I seen more convincing evidence of the natural com­ Second-class postage paid at Washington, D.C.and additional plementarity of teaching and research. mailing offices. I gave many lectures in rather exhausting circumstances Postmaster: Send address changes to Membership/Subscrip­ (temperature 36°C,humidity 85%, no air-conditioning). I was tions Department, Mathematical Association of America, 1529 amazed with what avidity my lecturers were received! Even Eighteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. on the Sunday of my visit my program included 3% hours of Printed in the United States of America. lectures (followed by sightseeing!), and this meant, for many 3 is continuing need. The planning process will continue throughout this year, with refinements and details added by various MAA committees and Sections. In the meantime, action to carry on the work of the Asso­ ciation goes on in MAA committees, journals, and Sections. Lynn ArthurSteen, Sf Olaf College We dare not wait for the results of some final "plan" before Planning for Strength taking initiatives to strengthen collegiate mathematics.