DUIJEDIN

University of Otago

Professor S.J. BERNAU of the Mathematics Department has been appointed to the University of Texas. Professor Bernau has shown very great interest in the development of mathematics generally in New Zealand and recently resigned from the Chairmanship of the National Committee for Mathematics.

NEWS ITEMS At® ANNOUNCEMENTS

Visit of Distinguished Visitor from Overseas

Dr R.W. HAMMING of the Bell Telephone Laboratories has been invited to speak at the Second New Zealand Computer Conference to be held in Dunedin, 20-22 August, 1970. He has expressed much interest in coming to New Zealand and is also interested in the possibilities of giving other talks while in the country.

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National Committee for Mathematics

(i) Annual Report 19^9

The inaugural meeting was convened by Dr H.R. Thompson in December 1967. Draft Constitution and rules were approved and it was recommended that the Royal Society seek adherence to the Inter­national Mathematical Union.

A meeting of the Committee was held in Auckland during the annual New Zealand Mathematical Colloquium in May 1968. At this meeting nominations to complete the membership were made and the Committee undertook to maintain a list of mathematical research supervisors in New Zealand.

During the year the Committee considered the question, referred to it by Standing Committee, of gaps in the teaching of Mathematics in New Zealand universities. It reported that the main problems are those of recruitment, exacerbated by the University salary structure. The effects are seen inter alia in the paucity of good mathematical research in New Zealand, and the shortages of statisticians, computer scientists and well qualified school teachers.

The Committee learned in March 19^9 that the Royal Society's application for adherence to IMU had been granted.

In December the Committee was asked by the Organising Committee of the International Conference on Functional Analysis and Related Topics 19^9 to nominate a young New Zealand mathematician to attend the Conference with expenses in and to Tokyo paid by the Organising Committee and IMU. The nomination went to Professor S.J. Bernau (who took no part in the deliberations leading to this decision).At the time of writing (25 March 1969) the fares have been paid and travel arrangements are complete.

S.J. Bernau, Chairman.

(ii) Extracts from Minutes of Meeting held 15 May, 1969

Membership: Professor S.J. Bernau (Chairman), Professors J.C. Butcher, B.I. Hayman, G.M. Petersen, D.B. Sawyer, and C.M. Segedin;Drs E.I. Robertson and H.R. Thompson; Messrs D.C. Harvie and D.M. Goldsmith. Professor Bernau resigned from the Committee and was thanked for his services. Professor B.I. Hayman has been elected Chairman in his place. There is one vacant position at present.

International Conference in Tokyo: Professor Bernau reported on his attendance. Preprints of all Conference lectures are being circulated.

Projected Activity: Mr Harvie to circulate a list of research topics and supervisors; Professor Butcher and Dr Thompson to investi­gate NRAC growth projections; and the incoming Chairman to obtain information for the World Directory of Mathematicians.

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Conferences

The FIFTH NEW ZEALAND MATHEMATICS COLLOQUIUM is to be held in May 1970 at Massey University, Palmerston North.

The SECOND NEW ZEALAND COMPUTER CONFERENCE is to be held in Dunedin, 20-22 August, 1970.

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Courses

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY: A new first year course is to be introduced in the university in 1970. This course will consist of a complete unit of calculus and should take students to a point in this topic normally reached in two years. It is hoped by this means to cater for the large number of students for whom the usual stage I course is not sufficiently demanding but for whom direct entry to stage II would be too difficult.

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MASSEY UNIVERSITY: The Leaching of University courses in Palmerston North commenced in 19^0 in the then Palmerston North University College of the Victoria University of Wellington. Second-year courses were offered in 19^3 about the time of the amalgamation with Massey Agri­cultural College and third-year courses in 1967. In 1970 the Depart­ment of Mathematics will come of age with fourth-year and research courses. The initial dozen or so students in i960 has grown to about ^00 first-year students (pure and applied and some extra-mural) in 1969. It is expected that about 10 students will attend the first fourth-year courses next year.

For the ordinary bachelors degree in arts and science the depart­ment offers pure mathematics and three applied half-subjects; computer science, probability and statistics, or mechanics and mathematical physics. For advanced mathematics degrees, students must take pure mathematics and at least two of the applied half-subjects. Another stream of mathematics is taught for the technology degree and courses in computer science and statistics for the agricultural degree. Three types of advanced degree are offered.

(1) B.Sc. (Hons)

This is a four-year examination course, commencing with two years of an ordinary B.Sc. course comprising pure mathematics and two applied mathematics half-subjects. The third-year course is similar to the final year of the ordinary B.Sc. The fourth-year course com­prises a selection of five papers from the following list. There are no compulsory papers but students should check with the department as to which will be taught in 1970. Entry to the fourth-year after an ordinary B.Sc. would also be considered for a student with a B pass in Pure Mathematics III and another stage III mathematics subject.

(a) Algebra (h) Multivariate Analysis(b) Functional Analysis (i) Design and Analysis of Experiments(c) Topological Analysis (.1) Advanced Mechanics(d) Mathematical Methods (k) Project(e) Computer Science (1) Special Topic

(f) Numerical Analysis (m) Special Topic

(g) Automata Theory

Currently, staff is available for all papers except (a) and (b) butvacancies in these areas should be filled by 1970. If there is ademand for it, the topic "Mathematical Logic" will be available under(1). Paper (k) is a practical investigation or dissertation.

Unfortunately, no corresponding courses exist for arts students, but those with a B.A. containing some science units might be able to obtain ad eundem admission to the fourth-year or to the Diploma in Science.

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(2) M.A., M.Sc.

These are two-year courses following the ordinary bachelors degree. The first year comprises five papers selected from the above list (excluding paper (k)) and the second year a thesis worth three papers. In certain circumstances M.Sc. students may spread their course over three years. Students who have already gained a B.Sc. (Hons) may take the thesis alone.

Thesis topics would be in the areas of analysis, computer science, numerical analysis and statistics.

(3) Dip. Sc.

This is a one-year course at fourth-year level either for stud­ents who already have B.Sc.(Hons) or M.Sc. in some subject, or for students with an ordinary B.Sc. who cannot complete a B.Sc.(Hons) within the time limit of five years from first entry to the univer­sity. The Diploma in Science is offered in two subjects.

Mathematics: Five papers selected from the above list.

Statistics and Computing: Five papers selected from the follow­ing list

(a) Design and Analysis of Experiments(b) Multivariate Analysis(c) Finite Markov Chains(d) Numerical Analysis(e) Computer Science(f) Automata Theory(g) Mathematical Techniques of Operations Research(h) Project(i) Special Topic

Students should note that the Diploma in Science is not a self- contained course requiring no specific prerequisites. Pure Mathema­tics III is essential. The applied courses require previous knowledge of these areas but Stage III may not be necessary in all cases. Stud­ents should consult the department as to whether they have the approp­riate background for any specific paper. As an alternative a student may be permitted to take one third-year applied paper under "Special Topic". This also applies to the other two advanced degrees.

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Seminars

Of special interest to students of Group Theory and to the Mathematics staff was a series of four seminars on simple groups of even order at the University of Auckland this year. The four speak­ers prepared their lectures under the guidance of Professor W.J.

Wong. The speakers, all temporary junior lecturers in the department,

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and their topics, were

P.W. HughesL.L. GilmoreC.M. ChadwickP.M. Winstone

Existence of Large Subgroups Groups with Strongly Embedded Subgroups The Transfer Homomorphism Some Theorems on the Transfer

Overseas News

The next International Congress of Mathematicians will be held at Nice (France) from 1 September to 10 September, 1970. The oral individual communications of the kind given at previous congresses will be eliminated from the regular programme of this Congress; this will make it possible to increase greatly the number of invited addresses.

The registration fees of 200 francs per mathematician and 100 francs per guest, together with deposits on accommodation, are due by 1 January 1970. After this date hotel reservations are no longer guaranteed, and after 1 April 1970 the registration is increased to 220 francs. Further announcements will be sent only to persons who have paid their fee.

Addresses: Secretariat of the International Congress of Mathe­maticians, College de France, 11 place Marcelin-Berthelot, 75 - Paris - 5e, France; Europe-Congres, 3 Boulevard Victor-Hugo, 06 - Nice, France (for registration).

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General

FOURTH NEW ZEALAND MATHEMATICS COLLOQUIUM: The Colloquium was held at the University of Otago, Dunedin, from 14 May to 16 May, 19^9• Prof­essor W.J. Wong gave an invited address on "Recent work on finite simple groups". There were 87 members of the Colloquium, and 35 con­tributed papers distributed as follows:

Logic and Foundations 2Algebra hAnalysis 10Probability and Statistics 5Applied Mathematics 11Numerical Analysis and Computing j

Discussions were held on the topics "First year university mathematics courses", "Is our mathematics pass degree what it should be?", and "Graduate Programmes". According to the financial statement the

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accumulated funds amounted to 98»27 after the third Colloquium.

The AUCKLAND MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION has expressed its warmest wishes for the success of the Chronicle, and have offered to assirt in the distribution and advertising.

The LIBRARY of the APPLIED MATHEMATICS DIVISION, D.S.I.R. at present receives 217 journals in the following subjects:

In addition it holds about U,000 books. Visitors to Wellington are invited to inspect, examine, and/or browse through the library. It is a self-contained unit located on the 7th floor of the new library block (Rankine Browne Building) at Victoria University.

The items printed in this issue are not meant to be a guide to further issues but are merely those which have been so far received. Suggestions and comnents will be welcomed. One worthwhile suggestion already received is that advance notice should be given in this journal of any distinguished mathematician coming to New Zealand on a visit.If you have any news items relating to mathematicians, or mathematics in general, which would be of interest to readers of this journal would you please send them to H.S. Roberts, Applied Mathematics Division, D.S.I.R., Box 196, Wellington.

Statistics and ProbabilityMathematical PhysicsOperations ResearchComputingPure MathematicsGeneral

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Personal Notes. News Items and Announcements

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