Committee Meeting Minutes for 1976

Minutes of the meeting of the Committee of the British Mathematical Colloquium, held in Rendel Library, Penbryn, at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday, 8th April 1976.

Present:
Prof Atiyah, Dr Evans, Prof Goldie, Prof Halberstam, Dr Haydon, Mr Hurley, Dr Jameson, Dr Kuran, Dr Meldrum, Prof Morris, Prof Macdonald, Dr McMullan, Mr Rado, Dr Rees, Mr Reeve and Prof Wallace.

Dr J D P Meldrum was elected Chairman.
Dr L O'Carroll was nominated as temporary secretary (in the absence through illness of Mr D Desbrow), and co-opted.
The minutes of the previous committee meeting, held at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 10th April 1975, were read and approved.
Matters arising.
(i) Prof Morris reported that although the accounts for the 1976 Colloquium had not been completed as yet, there was hope of a small profit. It was decided that the size of the registration fee for the 1977 Colloquium should be left to the discretion of the chairman. The decrease in the number of British research students and the increase in the number of foreign research students attending the colloquium was noted.
(ii) It was reported that the evening forum on Mathematical Education had been well-attended and that it clearly was a success. The committee recommended that such a forum should be held at the next Colloquium.
The practice of displaying synopses of the morning lectures was thought to be a very useful one, and the committee recommended that it should be continued.
(iii) The E.M.S./L.M.S. proposal linking the Colloquium to the societies was approved.
1977 meeting in Edinburgh.
(i) The advantages and disadvantages of the present system of parallel morning lectures were discussed. Prof Morris mentioned that lecture titles not being given until almost the last minute meant that in some cases clashes could not be avoided. The committee felt that the system should continue, with special care being taken to avoid having clash lectures which many people would find of almost equal interest. It was recommended that there be three evening lectures as at present, the invited speakers being informed that the talks were aimed at a general audience.
(ii) The committee then proceeded to discuss the choice of speakers to be invited to give talks in 1977.
(iii) The desirability of having a star performer for the third evening talk was mentioned, to help prevent drifting away.
It was agreed that speakers in various specialisations be spread throughout the three days of the Colloquium to encourage the breakdown of compartmentalisation.
(iv) It was also agreed that the Open University films should again be shown at the 1977 meeting, possibly after dinner to avoid clashing with splinter group talks.
Report on arrangements for future meetings:
The chairman undertook to approach various universities concerning the 1980 Colloquium.
Any other business
(i) On the question of the disposal of Colloquium files, discretion was given to the Chairman and Secretary to decide what was of mathematical and historical interest. It was felt that all details of the first meeting be preserved, as well as the programmes of all the meetings. Dr Meldrum mentioned that all files from 5 years back were to be kept.
(ii) The chairman thanked Prof Morris, Dr McDonough and Dr Long for arranging a Colloquium which had been so successful from the mathematical, social, and meteorological points of view.

The meeting closed at 10.55 p.m.

Minutes signed by G J O Jameson (undated).