American Mathematical Society

American Mathematical Society
Quarks&Leptons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	American Mathematical Society
Type	Learned society
Founded	1888
Headquarters	Providence, Rhode Island
Region served	United States; international
Fields	Mathematics

American Mathematical Society The American Mathematical Society is a professional association dedicated to the interests of mathematicians, mathematical research, and mathematical scholarship. Founded in the late 19th century, it serves as a hub connecting researchers, educators, and institutions through publications, meetings, and awards. Its membership spans universities, research institutes, national laboratories, and international organizations.

History

The society traces roots to gatherings influenced by figures such as Elias Loomis, Simon Newcomb, J. J. Sylvester, Felix Klein, and Oswald Veblen who participated in mathematical exchanges with institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Chicago, and Princeton University. Early organizational efforts paralleled activities at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and interactions with European centers including University of Göttingen, École Normale Supérieure, University of Cambridge, and University of Paris. Key milestones involved publishing ventures inspired by journals such as Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik and initiatives comparable to Transactions of the Royal Society and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Notable contributors and presidents from the society’s history include William F. Osgood, Thomas J. See, George David Birkhoff, Norbert Wiener, Marshall Stone, Richard Courant, and John von Neumann. The society developed alongside programs at National Academy of Sciences, American Philosophical Society, Mathematical Association of America, and collaborations with Institute for Advanced Study, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and international academies like the Royal Society and Russian Academy of Sciences.

Mission and activities

The society’s mission echoes activities of organizations such as National Science Foundation, American Council on Education, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, European Mathematical Society, and International Mathematical Union by advancing mathematical research, advocating for funding, and promoting public understanding. Programs coordinate with agencies including National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, and with institutions like Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan. Outreach and education initiatives reflect partnerships with entities such as Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Mathematics, American Institute of Physics, Association for Women in Mathematics, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and American Statistical Association. Policy and advocacy interactions reference bodies like Office of Science and Technology Policy and historical efforts tied to reports comparable to those from NAS Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy.

Publications and journals

The society publishes a suite of journals and book series akin to outputs from Oxford University Press, Springer-Verlag, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, and SIAM Publications. Flagship titles mirror formats of leading periodicals such as Annals of Mathematics, Acta Mathematica, Inventiones Mathematicae, Journal of the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Reviews, and Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society. Its book series and monographs are comparable to offerings by Princeton University Press, Duke University Press, Academic Press, and Birkhäuser. Editorial boards have included editors with affiliations to Harvard University, Princeton University, Institute for Advanced Study, University of California, Berkeley, ETH Zurich, University of Oxford, École Polytechnique, Moscow State University, and Kyoto University. The society’s bibliographic efforts interface with databases such as MathSciNet, Zentralblatt MATH, and collaborations resembling those with CrossRef and arXiv.

Meetings and conferences

Regular meetings and sectional conferences echo formats seen at International Congress of Mathematicians, Joint Mathematics Meetings, Symposium in Pure Mathematics, and regional gatherings like those hosted by Mathematical Association of America and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Venues have included Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Moscone Center, ExCeL London, Palais des Congrès de Paris, Convention Center in San Diego, and academic sites such as Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and University of California, Los Angeles. The society coordinates special sessions, prize lectures, and invited addresses drawing speakers associated with Fields Medal, Abel Prize, Nobel Prize laureates in related disciplines, and recipients of honors like the Wolf Prize and Turing Award.

Prizes, awards, and fellowships

Award programs parallel those of National Medal of Science, Fields Medal, Abel Prize, Chern Medal, and honors from International Mathematical Union. Named prizes and fellowships reflect legacies of mathematicians and patrons such as John von Neumann, Norbert Wiener, Oswald Veblen, George B. Dantzig, Marshall Harvey Stone, Emmy Noether, David Hilbert, Évariste Galois, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Paul Erdős, André Weil, Hermann Weyl, Atle Selberg, Israel Gelfand, and Kurt Gödel. Programs include dissertation fellowships, postdoctoral fellowships, early-career awards, and lectureships that interact with foundations like the Simons Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, Fulbright Program, and corporate sponsors.

Governance and membership

Governance structures resemble those of Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, American Philosophical Society, and Association for Computing Machinery with elected councils, committees, and officers. Leadership roles have included presidents and council members affiliated with Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Duke University, Cornell University, Rutgers University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of California, Berkeley. Membership categories encompass fellows, student members, institutional subscribers, and emeritus members, and coordination occurs with regional sections named after locales such as New England, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Southern California. The society maintains relationships with publishers like American Mathematical Society Publications and professional societies including Association for Women in Mathematics and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Category:Mathematical societies