Spring Topology and Dynamics Conference

to be held at George Mason University Fairfax,Virginia 22030 March 12-14, 1998

Attention Conference Participants

Please plan on attending the welcome party for conference participants on Wednesday evening at 7:00, in Student Union II. At the party, a table will be set up for those who wish to register and for those who have preregistered and wish to pick up materials. Directions will be available at the conference motels or can be gotten from the university web page (www.gmu.edu). There will be signs on campus as well.

The weather is expected to be unseasonably cold, with daily high temperatures possibly in the 30's, so please plan accordingly.

Announcement

You are invited to attend the thirty-second annual spring topology and dynamics conference to be held at George Mason University, March 12 through March 14, 1998. The conference will be dedicated to the memory of Amer Beslagic, a topologist and George Mason University faculty member who died in the summer of 1997. The areas covered by the conference include set-theoretic, general, and geometric topology, continuum theory, dynamical systems, and related topics.

The invited speakers include:

Marcy Barge                       Krystyna Kuperberg   
Mladen Bestvina                   Rob Meyerhoff 
Philip Boyland                    Stanislaw Mrowka  
Mike Boyle                        Frank Quinn 
Tadeusz Dobrowolski               Kim Ruane 
Alan Dow                          Mary Ellen Rudin 
Jerzy Dydak                       Carl Seaquist 
F.T. Farrell                      Alex Shibakov 
Rob Ghrist                        Stanislaw Spiez 
Cameron Gordon                    Andrzej Szymanski 
K.P. Hart                         Steve Watson 
Neil Hindman                      Amie Wilkinson 
Richard Hodel                     James Yorke

Schedule of Talks and Abstracts

The schedule of talks is now available here . To view the abstracts of these talks, go to at.yorku.ca/c/a/a/s/01.htm.

Registration

The registration fee for the conference is $65 if sent on or before January 15, 1998 and $75 if sent after that. Graduate students receive a $25 discount on the registration fee. To register for the conference return the registration form by fax or mail.

Graduate students

We have received limited NSF funding to help defray expenses for some graduate students. Any graduate student who wishes to apply for travel support (up to a maximum of $225) should contact the local organizing committee no later than February 10. Please include information about your level of study, your specific area of study, your projected travel expenses, and anything else which might help us evaluate your application. Decisions on support will be made by February 17.

Travel information

George Mason University is in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is served by Dulles International Airport and Washington National Airport, each of which is about a thirty-minute drive from campus. Baltimore-Washington Airport is about one hour and fifteen minutes from campus. Directions for travel to George Mason University by automobile can be found at the university web site www.gmu.edu.

For those not driving, in addition to the means mentioned with the individual motels below, airport transportation to and from the motels is available by taxi and through Super Shuttle. The Super Shuttle vans can be used for both Dulles and National. The rates are roughly $15 dollars each way with discounts for more than one traveller. At Dulles, get to the Super Shuttle area by following signs for ground transportation and going to Curb 2H. At National they have a ground transportation desk by the baggage claim area. You do not need to reserve transportation to the motel before your arrival, but for return trips they ask for 24-48 hour notice. Super shuttle can be contacted at 1-800-BLUEVAN. Taxis are also available.

Lodging

Blocks of rooms have been set aside at three motels. The registration cut-off for these rooms in February 18, 1998. After that, rooms can be booked on the basis of availability. In order to receive the rates listed, mention when reserving your room that you are with the Spring Topology and Dynamics Conference. All rates are for single or double occupancy.

Comfort Inn, 11180 Main St., Fairfax, VA. Conference rate: $69 per night. Phone (703) 591-5900 or (800) 223-1223. This motel is about three miles from campus and it is offering free shuttle service to the campus. Those flying to National and staying at the Comfort Inn can take the metro to Vienna and be picked up there by a motel shuttle.

Holiday Inn Fair Oaks. Conference rate: $79 per night. Phone: (703) 352-2525. This motel is about four miles from campus. It is adjacent to a shopping mall. You will need to find your own transportation to get to campus from here. Holiday Inn has an airport shuttle which is $12 each way.

Wellesley Inn, 10327 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA. Conference rate: $69 per night. Phone: (703) 359-2888. This motel is about two miles from campus. It is on a bus route which goes to George Mason University's campus. (The charge is fifty cents each way.) Those flying to National can take the metro to Vienna and a bus from the metro station to the Wellesley Inn; this is cheap but more difficult than other means.

LATE NEWS: As of March 4 it may be difficult getting a room in one of the above motels. There are still rooms at the following motels, but anyone interested in reserving a room should act fast.

Holiday Inn Fairfax City, 3535 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax City. Phone (703)-591-5500.

Hampton Inn, 10860 Lee Highway, Fairfax. Phone (703)-385-2600.

Anchorage Motel, 9865 Lee Highway, Fairfax. Phone (703)-591-2000.

Further information

Questions can be addressed to the conference e-mail address: topdyn98@gmu.edu. You may also contact the members of the local organizing committee: John Kulesza (jkulesza@gmu.edu), Kathy Alligood (alligood@gmu.edu), and Ronnie Levy (rlevy@gmu.edu).