TOPOLOGICAL COMMENTARY

Volume 3, #2, August 15, 1998

edited by Melvin Henriksen

I continue to invite commentary on any article in any issue of TopCom or on any topic of general interest to topologists, including news about topologists or topological activity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Editorial Remarks by Melvin Henriksen
2. History of Spring Topology Conferences by Elliott Pearl
3. Mathematics Genealogy Project
4. Federal Support for Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences
5. Convenient Topology by Gerhard Preuss
6. Contributed Announcement From: jherninko@iie.org
7. Mystery Topologist
8. A Book Review by K.P. Hart
9. A Report on State of U.S. Mathematics
10. A Memorial for Edwin Spanier (1921-1996)
11. Old Songs by Tom Lehrer
12. Book Review by Richard Greene
13. An Interview of Prof. David Foulis

1. Editorial Remarks

In this editorial the editor calls for effort to avoid conflicts in scheduling future conferences in topology

Let's Stop Shooting Ourselves in the Foot

2. History of Spring Topology Conferences

Not only are recent issues of Topology Proceedings posted in Topology Atlas, but a history of the Spring Topology conferences has been prepared by Elliott Pearl.

History of Spring Topology Conferences

3.Mathematics Genealogy Project

Mathematics Genealogy Project

4.Federal Support for Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences

Mathematical Sciences

5.Convenient Topology - a New Branch of Topology

6.Contributed Announcement From: jherninko@iie.org

7.Mystery Topologist

Jerry Vaughan of the University of North Carolina at Geensboro, the current co-editor of Topology and Applications recognized Mystery Topologist II as Stan Franklin of Memphis State University. Franklin was the first editor of this journal under its former incarnation as the Journal of General Topology. Except for a colleague at Memphis State, Vaughan was the first to write to Topological Commentary about Professor Franklin's identity, whose photo is given once more below.

Mystery Topologist

8. A Book Review: Set Theory for the Working Mathematician

Set Theory for the Working Mathematician
by Krzysztof Ciesielski,
London Mathematical Society Student Texts  39, Cambridge University Press, London, November 1997. 240pp, Hardcover £37.50, ISBN: 0 521 59441 3.

9.A Report on State of U.S. Mathematics

Dominant position threatened, report says. Scott Williams has been kind enough to forward the report that follows about the drop in the status of the United States in the mathematical sciences.

A Report on State of U.S. Mathematics

10.Edwin Henry Spanier (1921--1996)

The following memorial for Edwin Spanier (1921-1996), written by his colleauge Morris Hirsch appeared in Volume 5 (June-July 1998) issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society.

Note: This article is available both in Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format (PDF) and in PostScript. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF file or a PostScript interpreter to view the PostScript file. For information about these free software, please visit: Notices of the American Mathematical Society.

PDF Format
PostScript Format

11. Old Songs

These old songs by Tom Lehrer seem worth examining again.

• There's A Delta For Every Epsilon (Calypso). Words and Music by Tom Lehrer - American Mathematical Monthly, 81 (1974) 612:

• The Derivative Song. Words by Tom Lehrer - Tune: "There'll be Some Changes Made" American Mathematical Monthly, 81 (1974) 490: Words and Music by Tom Lehrer American Mathematical Monthly, 81 (1974) 612:

• The Professor's Song. Words by Tom Lehrer - Tune: "If You Give Me Your Attention" from Princess Ida (Gilbert and Sullivan) American Mathematical Monthly, 81 (1974) 745:

12. A Book Review:Three dimensional Geometry and Topology

This book review of Three dimensional Geometry and Topology by William Thurston was reviewed by Richard Greene and appeared in the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society 35 (April 1988), 179-188. The url for the AMS Publications is: http://www.ams.org./publications/

Three-dimensional geometry and topology
William Thurston
Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1997, v+311 pp., $39.50, ISBN 0-691-08304-5

Note: This book review is available both in text format and in Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format (PDF). Some browsers may not display the text format correctly. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF file. To download free Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Book Review

13.An Interview of Prof. David Foulis

An Interview of Prof. David Foulis