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; the lucky winners
get 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 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.
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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 at the Registration Desk are:
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Registration for the Joint Meetings and MAA
Minicourses (where space is available)
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Registration assistance, hotel problem assistance,
or replacement of lost badges, programs, or timetables
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Banquet ticket sales (if available)
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Audio-visual assistance
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Your copy of JointMeetingNews, the
daily newsletter containing up-to-the-minute program changes
and other important information
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Transparencies and pens for sale
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Session packets for those chairing a session
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Abstracts for all talks
Past meetings have featured a variety of banquets
or social events. Ticket prices can be found in the program.
It is recommended that you purchase tickets through advance registration
since many events sell out.
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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". Once at the meeting
you can turn to either the prose section or 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 List 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. See the page in your program
book just before the "List of Presenters" for instructions
on how to navigate between the abstracts and program book.
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 convention center.
Check out the local information pages
at the very back. They contain:
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Services available in or near the registration
area
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Information on restaurants, other services,
and places of interest in the city
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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
here or in
the October issues of FOCUS and Notices.
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Giving a Talk
Are you interested in giving a 10-minute talk
at an AMS contributed paper session? The AMS requires that
you submit an abstract of your talk on the appropriate form well
in advance of the meeting. If accepted, your paper will be scheduled
with others on the same or a similar topic. Also review the list
of 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.
Abstract submission deadlines are rigorously
enforced! All speakers will receive a notice by mail giving
the date and time the talk is scheduled approximately eight weeks
before the meeting.
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.
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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.
The AMS Book Sale offers the newest AMS books. AMS
staff members are available to answer questions about journals,
membership, and AMS electronic products.
The AMS Membership booth offers free coffee plus
free
brochures, calendars and information about a wide range of
AMS programs. Stop by and pick up some materials to bring
home.
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.You
can also renew your MAA # membership, get your MAA membership
pin, or receive information on joining # the MAA. MAA staff will
be giving away temporary tattoos, decals and # other math-related
goodies.
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Networking
There are many opportunities
to network at the meeting: at the Exhibits, First-Timers
Reception, Joint Prize Session Reception, the many university/exhibitor
receptions and activities listed in the Social Events section
of the program prose, and Special Interest Groups of the MAA (SIGMAAs)
on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education; Business,
Industry, and Government; Statistics Education; History of Mathematics;
Philosophy of Mathematics; Environmental Mathematics; and Mathematics
Instruction Using the Web. Days and times of all events are listed
in the program prose and timetable.
All students and others interested in student
activities are encouraged to 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!
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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 or e-mailed
to meet@ams.org.
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