Magma -- 17th Anniversary

         Celebration of a Fermat Prime Birthday for Magma
                 Monday, Jan 9, 2.30 -- 5.00
                 Eastern Ave Seminar Rm 312

Magma has just turned 17 (that is 17 years since the first release). We also
have Wieb Bosma, Gavin Brown and Al Kasprzyk visiting. On Monday, Catherine
Playoust (1989 - 1996), John Brownie (1989 - 1992) and Bruce Cox (1991 - 1997)
will also be visiting the group.

To celebrate all of these things we plan to hold some informal talks followed
by a festive afternoon tea on Monday afternoon.

Since we will have six (Bosma, Brownie, Cannon, Cox, Playoust, Steel) of the
seven key developers for the period 1989 - 1996 here on Monday, we plan to
present some short historical talks on the project covering the years
1989--1996.  This period covers the project from its commencement until the
release of V2.0 at the Second Magma Conference in Milwaukee in June 1996.

The program will be as follows:

  2.30 - 2.55    John Cannon   Prehistory and early history of the Magma project

  3.00 - 3.20    Wieb Bosma    The origins of number theory in Magma

  3.20 - 3.40    Catherine Playoust     Modelling mathematics, modelling Magma

  3.40 - 4.00    Allan Steel   Some thoughts on the early development of Magma

  4.00 - 5.00    Afternoon tea


       ***   NB Note talks will start at 2.30 pm promptly  ***