It’s You, Taylor, You’re the Problem, It’s You
In the past year, the CMS has made significant progress in supporting and promoting mathematics in Canada, as well as Canadian mathematics on the international stage. Through the dedication of our volunteers, members, and staff, as well as the support of our partners and sponsors, the CMS has achieved numerous milestones. These include hosting semi-annual meetings, organizing three open competitions and two invitational competitions, supporting two international competitions, hosting a highly successful summer camp in Ottawa and providing support to numerous other camps across the country, among other accomplishments.
In spring 2024, the CMS invited 91 of Canada’s top math students to participate in the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). Following this, Girls’ Math Team Canada was formed to compete in the 2024 European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO), and Math Team Canada was assembled for the 2024 International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO). The CMS is incredibly proud of the Canadian students who represented our country at these events, earning a combined total of 7 silver medals, 2 bronze medals, and 1 honourable mention. The CMS sincerely appreciates the support of Jane Street, which made it possible for Math Team Canada to participate in these prestigious international math competitions.
At the end of May 2024, the CMS traveled to Saskatoon (SK) for the 2024 CMS Summer Meeting. There, attendees were offered 19 scientific sessions, three mini-courses, three plenary lectures, three prize lectures, and a Quantum Computing Summer School. The CMS is grateful to the Scientific Directors, Elana Kalashnikov (University of Waterloo), Steven Rayan (University of Saskatchewan) and Jacek Szmigielski (University of Saskatchewan), for the success of this meeting.
In the summer, the CMS hosted its second annual Summer Math Camp in Ottawa, which generated a lot of excitement and quickly filled to capacity, even maintaining a full waitlist. Participants explored fun topics such as number theory, mathematical modeling, geometry, and fractals, among others. The camp’s success has inspired plans for an expanded event in summer 2025, with more participants and additional weeks of programming. The CMS also plans to extend the camp to other Canadian cities beyond Ottawa in the near future.
The CMS was also proud to be able to sponsor various other camps in Canada, in cities such as Calgary, Surrey, Burnaby, Abbotsford, Fredericton, Moncton, St. John’s, Halifax, Antigonish, Ottawa, London, Toronto, Sarnia, Sherbrooke, Québec, and Whitehorse.
In the fall, the CMS hosted its three annual open competitions: the Canada Lynx Mathematical Competition (CLMC), the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC), and the Canada Jay Mathematical Competition (CJMC). Together, these three competitions attracted a record-breaking total of nearly 15,000 students worldwide, including a 34% increase in registrations for the CLMC.
More recently, building on the success of its inaugural event last year, the CMS was thrilled to host the CMS MathEd (Online) Meeting in late November. This meeting featured plenary lectures by Brent Davis (University of Calgary) and Robert Dawson (Saint Mary’s University), along with a variety of engaging talks and presentations on diverse topics in mathematics education.
As I am writing these lines, the 2024 CMS Winter Meeting in Vancouver (BC) has just wrapped up. Though we encountered a few hiccups — including schedule conflicts, strikes, shipping delays, and the unexpected chaos brought on by the Taylor Swift concerts in Vancouver that same weekend, which forced us to change the dates and location of the meeting and even consider canceling it altogether — the meeting was a success. The CMS welcomed 600 attendees (the highest attendance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic!) at the beautiful Richmond campus of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel. The Scientific Directors, Julia Gordon (UBC), Melissa Huggan (VIU) and Weiran Sun (SFU), organized a wonderful program containing 36 scientific sessions, four education sessions, three mini-courses, three plenary lectures and three prize lectures. The CMS was also very pleased to welcome some junior attendees, made possible by the childcare service provided during the meeting. In the end, despite the challenges brought on by the Taylor Swift concerts, the CMS is thrilled that the meeting not only happened but flourished thanks to the collaboration and determination of everyone involved. The CMS is very grateful for the support and participation of all attendees, organizers, speakers, volunteers, and staff.
This conference also featured a townhall with NSERC, offering members of the Canadian mathematical community valuable insights into NSERC’s current funding guidelines. Furthermore, the revival of the Math Chair Meeting brought together numerous chairs from mathematics departments across Canada. This gathering provided an opportunity for meaningful discussions, networking, and collaboration. Building on its success, the CMS plans to host this meeting again at the 2025 CMS Winter Meeting in Toronto.
This year, the CMS also initiated the development of a new publication, Canadian Mathematical Communications (CMC), an open access journal. This publication format will enable the CMS to make cutting-edge mathematical research accessible to a wider audience, and more quickly. The CMS plans to officially launch a first call for submissions in early 2025.
None of this would have been possible without the outstanding dedication and support of the incredible staff at the CMS Executive Office. Julia, Maria, Minh, Sarah, Steve, Trevor, and Yvette, your tireless efforts and commitment to excellence have been instrumental in making all of this happen. I am deeply grateful for your hard work, attention to detail, and enthusiasm. Working alongside such hard-working and passionate people is a privilege, and I feel lucky to have you as my colleagues. Thank you for all that you do to ensure the success of the CMS.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been truly overwhelmed by the incredible support I have received from the members of the Board of Directors and the math community. Your encouragement, kind words, and appreciation for my work have deeply motivated me and strengthened my dedication to this role. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my dedicated colleagues, board members and volunteers included, who have shown unwavering support, insightful advice, and ongoing encouragements. The CMS is also very fortunate to count on the work and commitment of the volunteers who form the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and all of the Committees and Editorial Boards of the CMS. Your efforts do not go unnoticed and are sincerely appreciated.
Finally, the CMS is fortunate to count on the support of various math institutes, including AARMS, BIRS, CRM, Fields and PIMS; of all of its sponsors and partners, including Jane Street, Intact Insurance, The Actuarial Foundation of Canada, BC Hydro, Crowdmark, Empire Life, Honda Canada, MapleSoft, The McLean Foundation, S. M. Blair Family Foundation, Samuel Beatty Fund, QuanTA, SandboxAQ, Panago Pizza (Old Ottawa South), Giant Tiger (Merivale), the city of Saskatoon, and Pacific Authentic (Richmond, BC); of all its government partners, including Nova Scotia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Yukon; of its university partners, including ASDAN, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, University of New Brunswick, University of Ottawa, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Regina, the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Saskatchewan, University of Toronto, University of Toronto Schools, the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, the Department of Science at York University, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University – Richmond campus. Last but certainly not least, the CMS relies on the generosity of benefactors and community members who donate to the Society. The CMS deeply appreciates your support and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with you.
In conclusion, I am incredibly proud of what the CMS accomplished in 2024, and I look forward with enthusiasm and optimism to seeing the CMS build on this momentum and embrace the opportunities that 2025 will bring.
