Committee Meeting Minutes for 1949

A meeting of the Committee of the British Mathematical Colloquium was held on 10th September 1949. Those present were Heilbronn, Hodge, Ledermann, Newman (Chairman), Ruse, Walker, Whitehead. Professor Copson attended in place of Professor Wright.

  1. It was agreed to hold a meeting in April 1950, the difficulties of a September date being too great, owing to the absence of potential arrangers in America.

  2. It was agreed that there should be three days of mathematical meetings, with the possibility of a fourth free day. The first ten days of April were considered to be the most suitable.

  3. Professor J H C Whitehead was asked to assume the responsibility for arranging the meeting in Oxford, with the assistance of Mr E C Thompson. He agreed to do so.

  4. General Arrangements
    It was agreed that
    (a) Accommodation for the whole party should be in a College, if possible;
    (b) arrangements for families will not be undertaken;
    (c) there should be a single inclusive fee covering all charges, which should not exceed £1 per day.

  5. Lectures and discussions It was agreed that
    (a) there should be a lecture (one hour) on each of the three days, on a subject not necessarily the same as that of the sessions;
    (b) the principle of no simultaneous officially arranged sessions should be retained in the 1950 meeting, but that the arrangement and public announcement of unofficial sessions should be encouraged;
    (c) the time for discussions should be twice that allowed at the Manchester meeting, i.e. one day per subject, with half-an-hour for each opener;
    (d) it follows from (b) and (c) that there will be only three main subjects of discussion.
    6. The following subjects, not necessarily in this order, were tentatively agreed on, with discretion to the arrangers to vary them if need be.

    Discussions
    Analysis: Theory of numbers
    Algebra: Valuation theory and related topics.
    Geometry: Differential geometry and fibre spaces.

    Lectures
    Three of the following:
    Symbolic logic, Algebraic methods in analysis, Valuation theory, Topological groups.

  6. It was agreed that a short announcement about the meeting should be sent to "Nature", but that no report be made to members.

  7. Mr Thompson was co-opted on to the Committee.

  8. The following officers were elected:
    Chairman: M H A Newman
    Secretary and treasurer: E C Thompsom
    Chairman of Organising Subcommittee: J H C Whitehead

Minutes signed by M H A Newman on 13 April 1950.