BSHM Meeting News

Abstract

s from past meetings Christmas meeting and AGM Saturday 5 December 2020 The meeting took place online. Recordings of all talks are available at https://www. bshm.ac.uk/christmas-meeting-2020-talks. The meeting looked forward to the BSHM’s 50th birthday in 2021. All the speakers were past Presidents who reflected on aspects of the history of ‘history of mathematics’ over the past 50 years. The keynote speaker at the end of the day was Craig Fraser, President of our sister society, the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Mathematics. Robin Wilson (Open University): The BSHM: the first fifty years In this talk I shall outline the history of the BSHM from its founding in 1971 to the present day, and try to answer the following questions. Who founded it, and why? What were the early talks? Who were the main people involved in its development? Which notable events have been celebrated? How have the meetings changed over the years? To what extent have the aims of the Society been met? Steve Russ (University of Warwick): Onwards and outwards This talk will look back to the 1990s but also peer cautiously a little into a possible future. We shall focus not so much on my time as President but on two BSHM events that I (and of course others) were fortunate to initiate and that became significant series in the work and life of the Society. These were the conference on History In Mathematics Education (HIMED90) and the one-day meeting Research in Progress (from the early 1990s). In doing this we’ll draw together three themes: ‘ ... life must be understood backwards, ... but lived forwards’ (Kierkegaard); a timely reflection on the European dimension of each of those events; and the essential role of context for motivation. The last of these three will be developed briefly along three axes: the public, the personal, and the problem-oriented. Raymond Flood (Kellogg College, Oxford): John Fauvel: life, labours and legacy This talk is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend and colleague John Fauvel (1947– 2001) whose enthusiasm and support for the BSHM knew no bounds. As well as being the 50th anniversary of the Society, next year also marks 20 years since John Fauvel died. John was an energetic scholar, teacher and historian of mathematics and of particular importance to him was the use of the history of mathematics in education. As President of the BSHM and subsequently as Newsletter editor he fostered national and international collaboration and discussion. I am delighted to have the opportunity at this BSHMChristmas meeting to share with you some thoughts on John’s life, labours and legacy. 142 British Journal for the History of Mathematics