EMS Copson Atiyah

The following is an extract from the minutes of the eighth ordinary meeting of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society held in St Andrews on Friday 2 June 1979:

Honorary Members Copson and Atiyah

The President, Professor R A Rankin, proposed for election as Honorary Members of the Society Professor E T Copson and Professor M F Atiyah. Professor Copson's association with the Society goes back over more than fifty years. He became a member in 1922, served as Secretary during the period 1924-30 and was twice President, in 1930-31 and 1954-55. Professor Copson is distinguished for his work on Analysis, particularly on partial differential equations, and has written a number of excellent textbooks. Professor Atiyah has also had a long association with the Society. His excellent lectures at the St Andrews Colloquium in 1955 are still remembered, and he will be one of the main speakers at the next Colloquium in 1980. One of the most distinguished living British mathematicians, Professor Atiyah has made important contributions to algebraic topology and such subjects as manifold theory and K-theory. He is one of the few contemporary mathematicians to have a really wide knowledge of the whole field of mathematics, as is shown by his recent work which is of interest to theoretical physicists.

Both nominations were approved by acclamation. The President then shook hands with Professor Copson, who was present at the meeting, and admitted him as an Honorary Member with the words "In the name of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, I admit you as a Honorary Member thereof". Professor Copson then signed a newly acquired Honorary Members' Book and thanked the Society for the honour it had paid him. As a postscript, the President remarked that the Society's two new Honorary Members have at least one other interest in common as well as mathematics - they are both keen gardeners.

Robert Rankin and Edward Copson