IOP Groups
Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Group
Newsletter, 17 May 2006
Contents:
- Welcome
- Report on the meeting "Perspectives in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics"
- Forthcoming meetings supported by the group
- Other forthcoming meetings which may be of interest to group members
- Call for proposals
- Forthcoming AGM and call for nominations
- Current committee membership
- Welcome
This is the second newsletter of the IoP Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Group in 2006. We have already supported two meetings so far this year and the group will be supporting at least four more meetings this year. See below for more details. We will also be having our AGM later in the year (which will be announced in our third newsletter) and there will be several vacancies on the committee. It is not too early to get in touch with one of the current committee members to find out what being a committee member is like and see if you are interested in standing for election.
There have been a few changes in the way the group operates — some technical details about the length of committee service and the AGM arrangements — but next year will see a change in the group finances. We will no longer have an income determined by group membership but instead will have to "bid" for money from the IoP along with all the other groups. If there is an activity which you are considering organising and would like support for, or if there is an activity which you strongly feel the group should be organising itself, please get in touch with a member of the committee so that we can consider these when composing our bid for funds for 2007.
- Report on the meeting Perspectives in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London, 10-11 March 2006
This meeting was organised by the group and supported by Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General. Talks were given by Prof Murray Batchelor (ANU), Prof Sir Michael Berry (Bristol), Prof Kurt Binder (Mainz), Prof Leaf Turner (Cornell), Prof Stu Whittington (Toronto) and Prof R.K.P. Zia (Virginia Tech.). The talks were of a high standard and very stimulating, in some cases followed by extensive discussions. There were several problems with the audio-visual equipment which was unfortunate. Apart from this, the only disappointing aspect was that many people who pre-registered did not attend, and as a consequence the committee has decided that we need to ask for a registration deposit for future events. Given that the audience (and speakers) appeared to enjoy the meeting and the high scientific quality, we are hoping to hold this event in conjunction with Journal of Physics A on a more regular basis than once every ten years, possibly every three years. If you have any further enquiries or comments about this meeting please email the local organiser, Gerard Watts (gmtw@mth.kcl.ac.uk).
- Forthcoming conferences and meetings supported by the group
IFT2006, Durham, 26-27 May 2006
The 10th annual UK meeting on Integrable and Conformal Field Theory will be held in Durham, on the 26th and 27th of May. Speakers will include G. Delfino, P. Jacob, V. Pasquier, I. Runkel and M. Staudacher. Graduate students are particularly encouraged to attend, and should be able to receive a contribution towards their expenses. There will be a nominal £10 registration fee for everyone else. If you wish to attend, please fill out the online registration form at http://www.cpt.dur.ac.uk/ICFT06/
Exactly solvable systems in quantum field theory, York, 10-11 August 2006
A meeting to celebrate Ed Corrigan's 6oth birthday will be held in York on 10-11 August 2006. The following have agreed to speak: Michael Atiyah, Patrick Dorey, David Fairlie, Peter Goddard, Werner Nahm, David Olive, Pierre Ramond, Ryu Sasaki, Evgueni Sklyanin and Anne Taormina. There will be a dinner on the evening of 10th August. Accommodation is available in the University of York. All who are interested are welcome. If you would like to attend, please contact Tony Sudbery at: Tony Sudbery, Department of Mathematics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, email as2@york.ac.uk
The Andrew Chamblin memorial conference, Cambridge, 14 October 2006
Contact Dr Neil Lambert, lambert@mth.kcl.ac.uk for more details.
Themes at the Interface of Physics and Representation Theory, City University, one week in December 2006
Contact Professor Paul Martin, p.p.martin@city.ac.uk, for more details.
- Forthcoming meetings which may be of interest to group members
Noncommutative Geometry and Physics: Fundamental Structure of Space and Time, The Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge, 4-8 September 2006
Theme of Workshop: The workshop is expected to be a unique event that brings together mathematicians and physicists to consider the fundamental nature of space and time. Are space and time a continuum, discrete or something different from both of these at the tiniest scales? Is time intrinsically generated? What is the picture of spacetime arising from string theory and quantum gravity? Noncommutative geometry provides a radical proposal as to what "geometry" might be from a pure mathematician's point of view.
The workshop will bring this and other new conceptions of geometry in contact with physical and philosophical intuitions about the nature of gravity, quantum measurement, information, and the possibility of experimental test. Invited Speakers to include (to be confirmed): A Connes, D Deutsch, R Penrose and A Schwarz. The workshop will take place at the Newton Institute and accommodation for participants will be provided in single study bedrooms with shared bathroom at Wolfson Court. The workshop package, costing £480, includes accommodation, breakfast and dinner from dinner on Sunday 3 to breakfast on Saturday 9 September 2006, and lunch and refreshments during the days that lectures take place. Participants who wish to attend but do not require the workshop package will be charged a registration fee of £40. Self-supporting participants are very welcome to apply. Evening events will include a public panel discussion under the heading Space and Time: an Evening of Speculation, which workshop participants and their accompanying persons are welcome to attend.
Further Information and Application Forms are available from the WWW at http://www.newton.cam.ac.uk/programmes/NCG/ncgw02.html Completed application forms should be sent to Tracey Andrew at the address below, or via email to t.andrew@newton.cam.ac.uk. Closing Date for the receipt of applications is 16 June 2006.
Complex Systems Summer School, Ambleside, Cumbria, 20-29 August 2006
An interdisciplinary summer school on complex systems will take place in Ambleside in the English Lake District from August 20 to August 29 2006. Further details can be found at http://www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/summer_school
Physics by the Lake, Ambleside, Cumbria, 3-15 September 2006
10th EPSRC/IOP Theory of Condensed Matter Summer School. Attendance is limited so early registration is recommended. Further details and registration forms may be obtained at http://www.physicsbythelake.org
- Call for proposals
The Mathematical and Theoretical Physics group supports scientific meetings and occasionally other activities of interest to its members. People interested in organising a meeting are invited to contact the Honorary Secretary (Dr Uwe Grimm, u.grimm@physics.org) who will be happy to provide details of the sorts of support provided. You do not have to be a member of the IoP to ask for funding. The group supports around 6 meetings a year on average.
The Mathematical and Theoretical Physics group also supports travel for young members under the age of 30 to attend overseas meetings. It does not itself consider applications, but instead supports members who are successful in obtaining funds from the IoP "C R Barber Trust" http://about.iop.org/IOP/Ymems/funding.html and will match the funding offered by that trust.
- Forthcoming AGM and call for nominations
The AGM will be held in the second half of 2006 — date and place to be arranged — and there will be several vacancies on the committee. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact one of the current members to find out what it is like and see if it would suit you.
Nominations are invited for the position of Honorary Treasurer and for three ordinary committee members. Nominations should be proposed by at least two members of the group and be accompanied by the consent of the nominee, and should be sent to the Honorary Secretary at the address given below. Nominations and consent may be sent to me by email (provided written confirmation is given later).
- Current committee membership
- Dr Gerard Watts (Chair)
- Dr Uwe Grimm (Honorary Secretary)
- Dr Ruth Gregory (Honorary Treasurer)
- Dr Almut Beige
- Prof Jens Marklof
- Prof Ian Moss
- Dr Nicola Wilkin
Dr Uwe Grimm
Department of Mathematics
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
Email: u.grimm@physics.org
^ To the top ^