Scientific Committee Meeting Minutes for 2001

53rd British Mathematical Colloquium: Minutes of the Scientific Committee Meeting Glasgow 10th April 2001.

Present:
Bob Odoni (Glasgow),
Colin Rourke and Balasz Szendroi (Warwick),
Rob Curtis and Robert Wilson (Birmingham),
David Armitage (Belfast),
Tony Carbery and Michael Weiss (EMS),
Helen Robinson, John Greenlees and Tony Scholl (LMS)
Graham Jameson (representative elected by the AGM).

Bob Odoni was thanked and chair handed over to Colin Rourke.
  1. Minutes of the last meeting were duly signed.
  2. Matters arising
    The idea of inviting HoDoMS to coincide with the BMC was discussed.
  3. Preliminary report on the Glasgow BMC.
    There were 190 registered participants, down from last year; difficulty of travel esp. trains was suggested as a possible cause. Finance: hard to tell at this stage, seems to break even, savings had been made on speakers' expenses. Four plenary speakers, two special sessions (PDEs, modular forms).
  4. Report on the Warwick BMC/BAMC
    The chairman presented a paper setting out preliminary plans including a timetable (five days: three each for BMC and BAMC with one overlap day); plenary speakers (Gowers, Sarnak, Birman, Daubechies, Diaconis, Karp, Mumford, Trefethen, Chapman, Papanicolaou, Zakharov); discussion sessions (for the overlap day); special sessions (Number Theory, Banach Algebras, Representation theory, Barids and low-dimensional topology).

    Comment: Gowers likely to withdraw which makes the Banach Algebras special session unviable.
  5. Location for 2005/6
    One candidate is Liverpool for the next B(A)MC; for the other, Newcastle will be tactfully approached by Robert Curtis.
  6. Special sessions for 2003
    Organizers will think about this.
  7. Plenaries for 2003
    Suggestions made: Alperin, Zelmanov, Gowers, Huchings, Pisier mentioned. Issue of women speakers touched on by Helen Robinson.
  8. Speakers for Warwick 2002 etc.
    Gowers likely to pull out, Pisier suggested as a replacement.
    Semi-plenary speakers, suggestions:
    • Ulrike Tillmann (Oxford)
    • O. Cornea (Lille)
    • M. Crabbe (Aberdeen)
    • Detta Dickinson
    • Dietrich Nutbaum (Leicester)
    • Raymond Lickorish (Cambridge)
    • Vic Snaith
    • Grojnowski (Cambridge)
    • Leslie Goldberger (Warwick)
    Splinter groups: flexibility, chairpersons to be nominated in advance.

    Publicity issue: LMS newsletter, poster, mailing to departments.

    Scale of fees as set out under item 4 (20/40/55 for 1/2/3+ days and 15/25/30 for students) were agreed.
  9. AOB
    Long-term planning issue: John Greenlees was delegated to oversee this issue. A subcommittee consisting of the LMS and EMS reps was formed, and Prof. Dales would be approached by John Greenlees to take part. They should report back to the Chairman.
Meeting closed at 10.45pm.

Balasz Szendroi (sec)
Colin Rourke (chair)