Welcome
These meetings are sponsored by the American
Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Mathematical Association
of America (MAA) and encompass the meetings of these
organizations as well as several others. We don't want
you to be overwhelmed by your first meeting experience,
so we list some tips here on how to get the most out
of your time at the meeting and at future meetings.
A special welcome is extended to students. After all,
you are the future and hopefully you will contribute
to the success of the Joint Meetings throughout your
career.
It is best to register in advance and
take advantage of the lowest registration rates (30%
higher on site) and the best pick of hotel rooms at
specially negotiated low prices. Those who register
early enough also qualify for the room lottery entitling
them to a free stay at selected hotels. Most participants
elect to receive their badge and program by mail in
advance so they can plan their time. All pertinent information
on advance registration appears on this site and in
the October issues of the Notices and FOCUS.
The registration/housing form is available here.
The Mathematics Meetings Service
Bureau (MMSB) is the service arm of the meetings.
Your registration and room reservation are handled there.
Don't hesitate to call (401-455-4143) when you have
any questions or special needs. Remember to be thorough,
accurate, and legible when filling out your form, and
avoid delays by double-checking your credit card number
or be certain your check is enclosed. Make sure your
room guarantee is included.
TOP
At the Meeting
Look for the Directory of Registrants
located in or near the registration area to see who's
attending the meetings. There also will be a message
board in the same vicinity so you may leave personal
messages for other participants.
If you received your badge, program, and
social events tickets in the mail, you may not need
to come by the Registration Desk at all except to say
hello. Among the services offered here are:
-
Registration for the Joint Meetings
and MAA Minicourses (where space is available)
-
Registration assistance, hotel problem
assistance, or replacement of lost badges, programs,
or timetables
-
Audio-visual assistance
-
Your copy of JointMeetingNews,
the daily newsletter containing up-to-the-minute program
changes and other important information
-
Transparencies and pens for sale
-
Session packets for those chairing
a session
-
Abstracts for all talks and lecture
notes for some
Past meetings have featured a variety of
banquets or social events. Details on menus and ticket
prices can be found in the program. It is recommended
that you purchase tickets through advance registration
since many events sell out.
There are many opportunities to network
at the meeting. These opportunities are listed on the
networking page.
Be sure to come to the Reception for First-Time Participants.
Details are listed on the social
page.
All students and others interested in student
activities are encouraged to see the students
page and/or visit the Student
Hospitality and Information Center at the
meeting for relaxation and camaraderie. And you never
know when some famous mathematician will drop by for a
chat!
TOP
Taming the Program
Once you have your program in hand (either
by mail through advance registration or by registering
on site) put your name on the cover!
We have to charge $5 to cover the cost of replacing a
lost program; however, if yours is turned in to the Lost
and Found at the cashier station, you may be able to retrieve
it if you've written your name on it. Replacement copies
of the timetable are available at no charge.
Now check out the scientific program.
Go through the prose section and mark some sessions and
talks of general interest that you might attend. Now repeat
this process with the "Program of the Sessions"
for more details. If you want to know when, or whether,
a particular person will be giving an invited lecture
or presenting a talk, look at the "Presenters of
Papers" section just before the "Program of
the Sessions" section. If you also want to see the
abstracts for talks, pick up a complimentary copy of the
abstracts booklet at the Transparencies section of the
Registration Desk.
Transfer your notes to the separate timetable;
then you can use the timetable as your global guide that
tells you where to be when. The timetable also contains
convenient floorplans for the session rooms in the hotel
or Civic Plaza.
Check out the local information
pages at the very back. They contain:
-
Services available in or near the
registration area
-
Information on restaurants, other
services, and places of interest in the city
-
An alphabetical listing of exhibitors
and a floor plan showing their locations
Employment Center
The Employment Center provides a convenient
meeting place for candidates (most often holding a Ph.D.)
seeking employment in mathematics and those who are seeking
to fill positions. Many of the jobs being interviewed
for are academic positions which begin the following August,
although there are a few representatives from industry
and government. Employers use the service in two distinct
ways; either by using the computer-scheduling system to
set brief appointments over a two-day period, or by reserving
a table for themselves and making their own schedule.
Appointments for these self-scheduled "Interview
Center" tables are made either in advance, or on
site using the Employment Message Center. Those who may
want to participate in Employment Center interviews are
advised to register as early as possible, either in advance
or on Wednesday on site. A detailed description of this
service can be found on
the Employment Center Page or in the October
issues of FOCUS and Notices.
TOP
Giving a Talk
If you would like to give a 10-minute
talk during an AMS contributed paper
session you may do so. However, the AMS requires
that you submit an abstract of your talk on the appropriate
form well in advance of the meeting. See the Deadlines
page for deadline information. If accepted,
your paper will be scheduled with others on the same or
a similar topic. Don't forget to review the list of upcoming
Special Sessions for the meeting. If you feel your paper
would be appropriate for one of them, please submit it
by the early deadline. See the January Notices
for general information.
The MAA accepts contributed
papers on specific topics which are announced
in FOCUS and the Notices several months
before the meeting. MAA also offers a general contributed
paper session. Follow the instructions and submit your
paper on the appropriate form. The deadline for submitting
a paper is usually early September. See also the Deadlines
page. The session organizers may schedule
these presentations for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes,
but they are often 10 or 15 minutes long because of the
large numbers of papers accepted. After review by the
Associate Secretary, and the session organizer when appropriate,
your paper will be scheduled. Approximately eight weeks
before the meeting you will receive a notice by mail giving
the date and time when you will present your talk.
The standard audio-visual equipment
available to you at meetings is one overhead projector
and screen. Blackboards are not available.
Should you have some other A-V request, please contact
the Audio-Visual Coordinator (for AMS sessions) or the
MAA Associate Secretary (for MAA sessions) in writing
several weeks before the meeting begins. All such requests
are subject to budgetary constraints and may not be granted.
TOP
Exhibits
Don't miss the Exhibit Area. There are many
booths featuring commercial exhibits of books and journals,
computer hardware and software, and various other products
of interest, often available at special discounts for
meeting participants. Exhibitors signed to date are listed
here.
The AMS Book Sale offers the newest AMS
books and gift items for purchase. AMS staff members are
available to answer questions about journals, membership,
and AMS electronic products.
The MAA Book Sale features new books for
purchase, including mathematical biography, history, hard-core
mathematics, visualization in mathematics, materials for
the classroom, problems (solved and unsolved), projects
for students, and gift items. MAA staff members are available
to answer questions about membership and other services.
TOP
General Information
Comments on any aspect of the meetings are
always welcome and may be entered in the log located at
the Transparencies section of the Registration Desk, or
forwarded to the Director of Meetings, AMS, P. O. Box
6887, Providence, RI 02940.
|