Institute of Mathematics and its Applications#Mathematics Today

In 1959, the need for a professional and learned body for mathematics and its applications was recognised independently by both Sir James Lighthill and a committee of the heads of the mathematics departments of several colleges of technology together with some interested mathematicians from universities, industry and government research establishments. After much discussion, the name and constitution of the institute were confirmed in 1963, and the IMA was approved as a company limited by guarantee on 23 April 1964.{{cite journal |last=Combridge |first=J. T. |date=1965 |title=The Origins of the Institute |url=https://ima.org.uk/about-us/history/origins-of-the-institute/ |journal=Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications |volume=1 |number=1 |pages=5–8}} In 1990, the institute was incorporated as a royal charter company,{{cite web |title=History |url=https://ima.org.uk/about-us/history/ |publisher=Institute of Mathematics & its Applications |access-date=9 August 2021}} and it was registered as a charity in 1993.{{cite web |title=Institute of Mathematics and its Applications Charity number: 1017777 |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1017777/governance |website=Register of Charities |publisher=Charity Commission for England and Wales |access-date=9 August 2021}}

The institute is governed via a Council, made up of between 25 and 31 individuals including a president, three past presidents, elected and co-opted members, and honorary officers.{{cite book |title=The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications Royal Charter |date=2015 |pages=6, 18, 19 |url=https://cdn.ima.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Royal_Charter_updated_July_2015.pdf |access-date=9 August 2021}}

The president normally serves a two-year term. This is a list of the presidents of the IMA:{{cite web |title=IMA Presidents |url=https://ima.org.uk/about-us/history/ima-presidents/ |publisher=Institute of Mathematics & its Applications |access-date=18 March 2022}}

• 1964–1966: Sir James Lighthill FRS
• 1966–1967: Professor Sir Bryan Thwaites
• 1968–1969: Dr Peter Wakely FRS
• 1970–1971: Professor George Barnard
• 1972–1973: Professor Charles Coulson FRS
• 1974–1975: Sir Hermann Bondi FRS
• 1976–1977: HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
• 1978–1979: Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw
• 1980–1981: Sir Samuel Edwards FRS
• 1982–1983: Dr Peter Trier
• 1984–1985: Sir Harry Pitt FRS
• 1986–1987: Professor Bob Churchhouse FRS
• 1988–1989: Professor Douglas Jones FRS
• 1990–1991: Sir Roy Harding
• 1992-1993: J H McDonnell
• 1993–1995: Professor Lord Julian Hunt FRS
• 1996–1997: Professor David Crighton FRS
• 1998–1999: Professor Henry Beker
• 2000–2001: Professor Stephen Reid
• 2002–2003: Professor John McWhirter FREng, FRS
• 2004–2005: Professor Tim Pedley FRS
• 2006–2007: Professor Peter Grindrod CBE
• 2008–2009: Professor David Abrahams
• 2010–2011: Professor Michael Walker OBE, FRS
• 2012–2013: Professor Robert MacKay FRS
• 2014–2015: Professor Dame Celia Hoyles
• 2016–2017: Professor Chris Linton
• 2018–2019: Professor Alistair Fitt
• 2020–2021: Professor Nira Chamberlain OBE
• 2022–2023: Professor Paul Glendinning
• 2024–Present: Professor Hannah Fry HonFREng

In addition to the president, the six honorary officer roles are listed below with their incumbents:

The IMA has 5,000 members, ten percent of whom live outside the United Kingdom. Forty percent of members are employed in education (schools through to universities) and sixty percent work in commercial and governmental organisations.[http://www.ima.org.uk/about_us.cfm IMA About us]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. The institute awards five grades of membership within three groups.{{cite web |url=http://www.ima.org.uk/membership/how_to_join_or_change_grade/membership_grades.cfm |title=Membership grades |access-date=2011-01-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727125639/http://www.ima.org.uk/membership/how_to_join_or_change_grade/membership_grades.cfm |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Fellow (FIMA)

Fellows are peer-reviewed by external reference and selected internally through election by the membership committee. Qualifications include a minimum of seven years experience and hold a senior managerial or technical position involving the use of, or training in, mathematics. A Fellow has made outstanding contributions to the development or application of mathematics.

Member (MIMA)

Members have an appropriate degree, a minimum period of three years training and experience after graduation and a position of responsibility involving the application of mathematical knowledge or training in mathematics.

Associate Member (AMIMA)

Associate Member hold a degree in mathematics, a joint degree in mathematics with another subject or a degree with a sufficient mathematical component such as would be expected in physics or engineering.

Students

Student Members are undertaking a course of study which will lead to a qualification that meets Associate Member requirements.

Affiliate

No requirements are necessary for entry into this grade.

In 1990 the institute was incorporated by royal charter and was subsequently granted the right to award Chartered Mathematician (CMath) status.[http://www.ima.org.uk/membership/becoming_chartered/chartered_mathematician.cfm IMA Chartered Mathematician]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. The institute may also nominate individuals for the award of Chartered Scientist (CSci) under license from the Science Council. The institute can also award individual Chartered Mathematics Teacher (CMathTeach).

Mathematics Today is a general-interest mathematics publication aimed primarily at Institute members, published six times a year and containing articles, reviews, reports and other news on developments in mathematics and its applications.[http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/publications/mathematics_today.cfm IMA Mathematics Today]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Eight research journals are published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the IMA.[http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/publications/journals.cfm IMA Journals]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

• IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics
• IMA Journal of Numerical Analysis
• Mathematical Medicine and Biology
• IMA Journal of Mathematical Control and Information
• IMA Journal of Management Mathematics
• Teaching Mathematics and its Applications
• Information and Inference: A Journal of the IMA
• Transactions of Mathematics and its Applications

The IMA began publishing a podcast, Travels in a Mathematical World, on 4 October 2008.[http://www.travelsinamathematicalworld.co.uk/ Travels in a Mathematical World, a maths podcast by Peter Rowlett, Institute of Mathematics and its Applications]. Travelsinamathematicalworld.co.uk. The IMA also publishes conference proceedings, monographs and special interest group newsletters.[http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/publications.cfm Publications] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517134241/http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/publications.cfm |date=17 May 2011 }}. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

The institute runs 8–10 conferences[http://www.ima.org.uk/conferences/conferences_calendar.cfm IMA Conferences calendar]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, (13 September 2013). most years. These are specialist meetings where new research is presented and discussed.[http://www.ima.org.uk/conferences.cfm IMA Conferences]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

The IMA runs a wide range of mathematical activities through the Higher Education Services Area and the Schools and Further Education Group committees.[http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/education.cfm Education] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517133934/http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/education.cfm |date=17 May 2011}}. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

The IMA operates a Programme Approval Scheme, which provides an 'approval in principle' for degree courses that meet the educational requirements for Chartered Mathematician. For programmes to be approved, the IMA requires the programme to be an honours degree of at least three years length, which meets the required mathematical content threshold of two-thirds. The programmes also need to meet the QAA benchmark for Mathematics and the Framework for High Education Qualification.[http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/education/university_degree_programme_approval.cfm IMA University degree programme accreditation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513124927/http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/education/university_degree_programme_approval.cfm |date=13 May 2011}}. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

The IMA provides education grants of up to £600 to allow individuals from the UK working in schools or further/higher education to help with the attendance at or the organisation of a mathematics educational activity such as attendance at a conference, expenses to cover a speaker coming into a school, organising a session for a conference.[http://ima.scenta.co.uk/about_us/support_and_grants/education_grant_scheme.cfm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727115934/http://ima.scenta.co.uk/about_us/support_and_grants/education_grant_scheme.cfm|date=27 July 2011}}

The IMA also employs a university liaison officer to promote mathematics and the IMA to university students undertaking mathematics and help act as a means of support.[http://ima.scenta.co.uk/students.cfm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727115954/http://ima.scenta.co.uk/students.cfm|date=27 July 2011}} As part of this support the IMA runs the University Liaison Grants Scheme to provide university mathematical societies with grants of up to £400 to organise more activities and work more closely with the IMA.

The councils of the IMA and the London Mathematical Society jointly award the Christopher Zeeman Medal, dedicated to recognising excellence in the communication of mathematics[http://www.ima.org.uk/about_us/awards_and_medals/christopher_zeeman_medal.cfm IMA Christopher Zeeman Medal]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. and the David Crighton Award dedicated to the recognition of service to mathematics and the wider mathematics community.[http://www.ima.org.uk/about_us/awards_and_medals/david_crighton_medal.cfm IMA David Crighton Medal]. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

The IMA in cooperation with the British Applied Mathematics Colloquium (BAMC) award the biennial IMA Lighthill-Thwaites Prize for early career applied mathematicians.

The IMA awards the Leslie Fox Prize for Numerical Analysis, the Catherine Richards Prize for the best articles in Mathematics Today, the John Blake University Teaching Medal and the IMA Gold Medal{{cite web|url=https://ima.org.uk/awards-medals/ima-gold-medal/|title=IMA Gold Medal|access-date=16 May 2018}} for outstanding contribution to mathematics and its applications over the years.

The IMA awards student-level prizes at most universities which offer mathematics around the UK. Each student prize is a year's membership of the IMA.{{cite web |title=IMA Prize Giving at King's |url=https://aperiodical.com/2008/11/ima-prize-giving-at-kings/ |website=The Aperiodical |publisher=Travels in a Mathematical World |date=2008 |access-date=8 August 2021}}

The IMA has Branches in the regions London, East Midlands, Lancashire and the North West, West Midlands, West of England, Ireland and Scotland,[http://ima.scenta.co.uk/activities/branches.cfm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727120023/http://ima.scenta.co.uk/activities/branches.cfm|date=27 July 2011}} which run local activities (like talks by well known mathematicians). Its headquarters are in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

The Early Career Mathematicians Group of the IMA hold a series of conferences for mathematicians in the first 15 years of their career among other activities.

As well as all the conferences, meetings and group activities that are held across the country the IMA operates groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, and has a Twitter feed.

Along with the London Mathematical Society, the Royal Statistical Society, the Edinburgh Mathematical Society and the Operational Research Society, forms the Council for the Mathematical Sciences.[http://www.cms.ac.uk/ Council for Mathematical Sciences, CMS]. Cms.ac.uk (4 January 2013). The IMA is a member of the Joint Mathematical Council (JMC) and informs the deliberations of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME).[http://ima.scenta.co.uk/activities/education.cfm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727120047/http://ima.scenta.co.uk/activities/education.cfm|date=27 July 2011}}

The IMA has representatives on Bath University Court, Bradford University Court, Cranfield University Court, Engineering Technology Board and Engineering Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, EPSRC Public Understanding of Science Committee, Heads of Departments of Mathematical Sciences, International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Joint Mathematical Council, LMS Computer Science Committee, LMS International Affairs Committee, LMS Women in Maths Committee, Maths, Stats & OR Network (part of the HEA), Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Science Council, Science Council Registration Authority, The Association of Management Sciences (TAMS) and University of Wales, Swansea Court[http://www.ima.org.uk/viewitem.cfm?cit_id=383182 IMA Representatives on External Organisations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604183239/http://www.ima.org.uk/viewitem.cfm?cit_id=383182 |date=4 June 2011 }}. Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

• List of Mathematical Societies
• Council for the Mathematical Sciences
• Leslie Fox Prize for Numerical Analysis

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.ima.org.uk/about_us.cfm The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110517133600/http://www.ima.org.uk/about_us/institute_history.cfm The origins of the Institute]
• [http://www.travelsinamathematicalworld.co.uk Travels in a Mathematical World Podcast]

{{Mathematics in the United Kingdom}}

{{The European Mathematical Society}}

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Category:1964 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Education in Southend-on-Sea

Category:Higher education organisations based in the United Kingdom

Category:Learned societies of the United Kingdom

Category:Mathematics education in the United Kingdom

Category:Mathematical societies

Category:Organisations based in Essex

Category:Organizations established in 1964

Mathematics and its Applications, Institute of