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R.D. Anderson 

 June 7, 1985 



Mathematics and International Cooperation 



My name is R.D. Anderson. I am a Boyd Professor Emeritus at 

 LSU, a former President of the Mathematical Association of America, 

 a former Vice-President of the American Mathematical Society, 

 and former Chairman of its Science Policy Committee, a former 

 Chairman of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences and 

 am current Past-Chairman of the Council of Scientific Society 

 Presidents. I have served on the NAS-NRC Advisory Committee on 

 exchanges with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and have spent 

 two academic years and a number of other months in foreign countries. 

 I am currently chairman of the Committee on Special Funds for the 

 1986 International Congress of Mathematicians to be held in Berkeley 

 in August 1986. 



Of all scientific disciplines, mathematics is probably the one 

 that least knows international boundaries. Research is by 

 individuals or very small groups but is stimulated by larger groups 

 of active people, by quick access to information, and by frequent 

 and easy association with major leaders. Until very recently, 

 mathematical research had almost no dependence on equipment or 

 laboratories. Now computers, and supercomputers, are changing 

 this and certainly will continue to do so in the future. Neverthe- 

 less, much of current mathematical research is independent of the 

 use of computers although increasingly influenced by needs of the 

 age of technology. 



Publication and talks before international audiences are 

 customarily in English. With only occasional exceptions, there are 

 few issues of security involved in current mathematical communications. 



