Topology Atlas Document # iaac-21

TOPOLOGICAL COMMENTARY

Volume 0, # 1, January 4, 1996

Edited by Melvin Henriksen

commentary@mail.mathatlas.yorku.ca

Topcom is intended to be a newsletter devoted to publicizing items of a more personal nature to readers of TOPOLOGY ATLAS. Topcom will be concerned with announcements about individuals or groups, and expressions of opinions on controversial matters. Exactly what will appear will depend on contributors and the interests of readers, but it will include:

  1. Topological People - announcements (similar to those made in the Mathematical People section of the Notices of the A.M.S.) about topologists of interest to readers of TOPOLOGY ATLAS including promotions, job changes, awards, and deaths.
    1. Obituaries,
    2. Interviews with major figures, and longer articles about topologists.
  2. Publishing Topology -- experiences involving attempts to publish papers in "general'' journals where editors refuse to send them to a referee. (News of this sort should not include criticisms of reports by referee you think treated you unfairly or editors that believed them or failed to be prompt.)
  3. Personal Opinion -- which may take the form of a letter to the editor or a column on some topic e.g., "Where is (some part of) topology or set theory going'' or "What every young topologist or set theorist should know'' or "The effect of the current job market on topology".
  4. Historical reminiscences -- other than a regular article on the history of mathematics.
  5. None of the above. Perhaps some interesting topics do not fit into the rubric of (1) through (4) above. Send in your ideas.

Ground Rules

Here will be as few restrictions as possible in what will appear in Topcom, but some are necessary. Any copy submitted must be signed by some individual or group, and an institutional address should be included if possible. We will, however withhold names of letter writers to the editor upon request. We cannot risk publishing potentially libelous material and urge that personal attacks be avoided. No formal restrictions on the length of a letter or article are imposed but brief articles are more likely to be read with care than longer ones.

Send material for consideration, comments or suggestions at any time to

commentary@mail.mathatlas.yorku.ca
as soon as you are ready. The first real issue will appear in Topology Atlas about Feb. 15, 1996.

Melvin Henriksen
Dept. of Math., Harvey Mudd College, Claremont CA 91711, U.S.A.

Copyright © 1995-1996 by Topology Atlas. All rights reserved.