Category: News Postings

The local organizer of the recent AMS Sectional Meeting in Lincoln, NE has generously volunteered to host slides from the three commutative-algebra-related Special Sessions at the meeting. Brian Harbourne has posted slides from many of the talks in the “Commutative Algebra“, “Local Commutative Algebra“, and “Algebraic Geometry and Graded Commutative Algebra” sessions. He’s also posted group photos (1, 2).
In addition, we’re hosting some of the material from the special Appreciation Event for Roger and Sylvia Wiegand, titled “The Wiegands’ Algebra Family”. It’s linked on the commalg.org page for the meeting.

The School of Mathematics at the University of Sheffield will be hiring 2 lecturers starting from September 1st, 2012. These are permanent positions equivalent to tenured Assistant Professorships in the US. More details can be found on the University website. The ad indicates that the search will focus on candidates in Algebra, Field Theory, Geometry, Mathematical Biology, Probability, Solar Physics or another area linking with existing strengths of the School. The closing date for applications is 24th November 2011. For more information, see the ad or contact Moty Katzman (M.Katzman AT sheffield DOT ac DOT uk).
(Thanks to Moty and Srikanth Iyengar for sending this in.)

From Dan Grayson:

The Macaulay2 free software project seeks one or more part-time programmers. Macaulay2 is a free software computer algebra system designed for research in mathematics and related fields. It contains its own high-level interpreted user language, and the program is written in a combination of C and C++, another language that we created to help write the interpreter that gets translated into C, and the user language. Macaulay2 depends on a number of other free software libraries.
This is a temporary position funded by an NSF contract that terminates in August, 2015, but other funding may be available after that. Applications received by Friday, November 11, 2011 will receive full consideration. […] Pay will be competitive, and will depend on experience. There are several projects available, and there will be others in the future. An applicant may be suitable for all, or for only one.

For more information, including the specific positions available and how to apply, see http://www.macaulay2.com/Jobs/.

From Igor Burban:

Yuriy Drozd, Gert-Martin Greuel and myself organize a summer school on Cohen-Macaulay modules over surface singularities and McKay Correspondence in Oberwolfach:
http://www.mfo.de/occasion/1147b
The application deadline is September 15. We have already a number of applications, but there are still some free places available and so far there were no applications from North America. Since the commutative algebra community in US is rather big, so I would like to encourage your students interested in this activity to apply. As usual, MFO covers all living expanses but additionally it offers some moderate travel support (about 200 Euro).

The Seminar runs November 20–26, 2011. For more information, see the programme on the MFO website.

The University of South Carolina in Columbia has announced an assistant-professor-level position in Algebra. For more details, see this PDF.
The due date for applications is January 10, 2012.

Srikanth Iyengar writes to let us know that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced an assistant-professor-level position in Algebra. For more details, see this PDF.
The due date for applications is November 30, 2011.

The Simons Foundation has announced the Simons Fellows Program in Mathematics. The Fellows Program provides funds to faculty for up to a semester long research leave from classroom teaching and administrative obligations. Such leaves can increase creativity and provide intellectual stimulation. The goal of the Simons Fellows Program in 2011 is support extending a 1-semester sabbatical leave to a full academic year.
This program is particularly relevant for people hoping to take part in the MSRI year-long program in Commutative Algebra. The deadline is September 30, 2011, and application instructions are available on the Foundation website.

The first 10 volumes of the Séminaire Bourbaki are now freely available online at NUMDAM. Until recently, only later volumes were available for free, and the earlier ones were subscriber-only. These 10 volumes cover the years 1948-1968, so they contain a lot of great material from the history of commutative algebra and algebraic geometry.
My personal favorites: Hirzebruch’s exposition of Mumford’s theorem and Grothendieck on formal schemes. What are your hidden gems from these seminars? Leave a comment!

We have learned that Daniel Quillen passed away recently. The message below was posted to a topology listserve by his widow.

Dear friends and colleagues,
My husband of almost 50 years, Daniel Gray Quillen died quietly and peacefully on Saturday morning around 7 AM, April 30, 2011 at the age of 70. He is finally at rest and no longer suffering. In the last week of his life he was wonderfully cared for by the people of Haven Hospice. My son David, daughter-in-law Amy, daughter Cindy and I were constantly at his side. Dan died from the final stages of Alzheimer’s and the associated complications. We were able to follow his wishes of comfort and not making his suffering last any longer than nature had planned.
Alzheimer’s is truly a terrible disease. It was very hard to watch what it did to Dan over the past 5+ years. It stole the things he loved and took him from me too early. It first took his ability to do mathematics, then ability to play music, read, rational thinking and finally recognition of those he loved (except me, thank goodness).
I have no plans for an organized service. Dan’s body has been donated to medical science, following his clear and long standing wishes. If the mathematics community would like to organize a memorial service or a memorial colloquium we would be very pleased.
Please do not send flowers. I don’t know what I would do with them. If people feel that they would like to do something, I would very much support any assistance to your local hospice or to or Alzheimer’s research.
The work that hospice does in amazing and finding an answer to this awful disease is unbelievably important.
Thank you for all your support and friendship recently and for almost 50 years.
Jean Quillen
jeanquillen1@yahoo.co.uk

The International Journal of Algebra and Computation has expanded in scope, and now includes computational commutative algebra and algebraic geometry.