Making Math-Net international: an IMU project Martin Grötschel Member of the Committee on...

Making Math-Net international: an IMU project

Martin GrötschelMember of the

Committee on Electronic Information and Communication

of the International Mathematical Union (IMU),

ZIB and TU Berlin

SINN01, OldenburgDecember 7, 2001

Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum für Informationstechnik Berlin Martin Grötschel

Before I start:Mathematics and Key Technologies

Key technologies become more complex

Innovation cycles get shorter

Flexible mathematical models open new possibilities to

• master complexity

• react quickly

• explore new smart options


Before I start:Mathematics and Key Technologies

• mathematics and key technologies - an interactive innovation process

• a necessary condition for this process: - We need high quality information and communication on various levels

Information and communication has to be understood in a more general sense:

not restricted to traditional forms of scientific communication (e.g., articles in scientific journals, monographs, ...)


Contents and forms of mathematical information and communication are much broader:

preprints, software, visualization, testdata, discussion lists, contact adresses of experts,

centers of excellence, ...

• We need information management of higher quality:

It must be possible to find the required information in an intuitive way and to get access to the full text of the document

• We have to develop a framework for the fair use of scientific information and communication in mathematics (and elsewhere as well)


(Adequate Digital)Information and Communication in

Mathematics - a challenge for the mathematical

community

What can the mathematical community do?

The mathemical community has to play an active role in the process of „digital transformation“ of information and communication in mathematics.



provide and present mathematical results in a „reasonable way“:

· more structured and better presentation of mathematics (TeX, MathML)

· participate in the standardization of digital information: - XML, RDF, DC, ... - recommendations and development of tools for authors (e.g. metadata activities in Math-Net )



participate in the organization of the information and communciation process:

· development of services provided by the mathematical community (Math-Net Services)

· cooperation with other scientific communities, e.g., physics

· fair cooperation with all providers of mathematical information: libraries, publishing houses, providers of bibliographic databases, software companies, ...


Scientific Information and Communication in more detail: the

layer modelDigital Public Domain Layer

Layer of Value-Added Services

Archive Layer

Technology Layer


Information Providers of the Mathematical Community

· mathematical societies

· departments

· research institutes

· individual mathematicians (as authors, editors,...)

· persons interested in mathematics


Activities of the International Mathematical Union

(IMU)



(IMU) 8/1998 ICM 98: The IMU decides to increase its engagement in the field of electronic information and communication: CEIC (Committee on Electronic Information and Communication) is established


CEIC‘s Terms of Reference of 1998 (I)

The CEIC shall be a standing committee of the Executive Committee (EC) of the IMU, to be reviewed every four years by the EC at its meeting preceding that of the GA. Members will be appointed for four year terms by procedures similar to those for Commissions of the IMU. The Executive Committee will appoint one of its members to serve on the CEIC.

The CEIC may meet as necessary in each four year period, review the development of Electronic Information and Communication as it impacts the international mathematical community and submit a report to the EC.


CEIC‘s Terms of Reference (II)

The CEIC may organize or sponsor international meetings or forums to bring together representatives of all interested parties, including societies, publishers, libraries, and researchers,publish and otherwise disseminate proceedings, reviews of recent developments, and technical surveys for the use of the mathematical community.

[d] The CEIC may recommend international standards on issues related to electronic communication. Such recommendations should be reviewed by the EC and, if approved, may be published and promoted in the name of the IMU.


CEIC‘s Terms of Reference (III) During its first 4 year term, the CEIC is specifically asked to address the coordination of world-wide efforts to establish web-based servers for mathematical papers, preprints, journals, and books. This includes issues of uniformizing metadata, document identifiers and supported formats, promoting mirroring and the development of search engines for mathematical material and coordination of existing servers. It should publish its findings with the goal of making the use of these servers universally understood and usable by the whole mathematicalcommunity. It is also asked to consider tranferring the World Directory of Mathematicians to an electronic freely accessible form.



(IMU) 8/1998 ICM 98: The IMU decides to increase its engagement in the field of electronic information and communication: CEIC (Committee on Electronic Information and Communication) is established

11/1998 Kick-off of CEIC in Berlin: German Math-Net project as a possible model for an IMU activity

12/1999 Workshop in Berkeley: The Future of Mathematical Communication: CEIC defines the guidlines of its work



(IMU) 11/1998 Kick-off of CEIC in Berlin: German Math-Net project as a possible model for an IMU activity

12/1999 Workshop in Berkeley: The Future of Mathematical Communication: CEIC defines the guidlines of its work

5/2000 Declaration of the Math-Net Charter http://www.math-net.org/charter approved by theapproved by the Executive Comittee of the IMU Executive Comittee of the IMU on May 16, 2000 on May 16, 2000


Excerpts from the Math-Net Charter (I)

• Math-Net is intented to organize and enhance the free flow of information within mathematics worldwide.

• The objective of Math-Net is to provide efficient access to high quality mathematical information "at the fingertips" of the user.

• The use of Math-Net is free.

• Math-Net aims at making information and services freely available - whenever possible.


Excerpts from the Math-Net Charter (II)

• Math-Net is organized under the aegis of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).

• Math-Net is steered by the IMU Committee on Electronic Information and Communication (CEIC) via

- a user-driven and not for profit activity, - open for all willing to provide mathematical information electronically.


Excerpts from the Math-Net Charter (III)

Math-Net is a global electronic information and communication system for mathematics: • structured, • distributed, • interoperable, • user-friendly, • high-quality.


Excerpts from the Math-Net Charter (IV)

• Math-Net is based on structured mathematical information offered electronically by participating institutions,

the Math-Net Members.

• Math-Net combines the available resources into services, provided by groups of volunteers, the Math-Net Service Providers.


Math-Net Charter: Organization

CEIC

TAB

Math-Net Members

Information Coordinators

Math-Net Member Associations

Math-Net Service Providers



(IMU) 12/1999 Workshop in Berkeley: The Future of Mathematical Communication: CEIC defines the guidlines of its work

8/2000 CEIC Meeting in Vienna

Definition of core activities:- Math-Net Pages: definit-ion, tools,

documentation - Preprints: metadata, further extension (internationalisation) of MPRESS - Professional homepages: metadata, World Directory of Mathematicians


Math-Net Page - Concept and Tools (I)

the concept: idea: A standardised portal for the core information of Math-Net Members and the Math-Net Services

three parts• controlled vocabulary• structure• layout


A „standard Math-Net Page“


A Math-Net Page with alternative labels


Math-Net Page - Concept and Tools(II)

Special requirements:• visible „labels“ of the Math-Net Page should be flexible (names for the groups and categories of the Math-Net Page can differ between regions)

• Math-Net Pages should be acceptable worlwide: What do we have to invest for a multilingual extension?

• tools allowing to - generate a Math-Net Page and - change an existing Math-Net Page in an intuitive way


Math-Net Navigator - the entry page


Navigator

Navigator - an index of the Math-Net Pages, browsing is possible,

Navigator - lists of all current Math-Net Members including the local information coordinators, and the Math-Net regions,

Navigator - is a MySQL database which is updated automatically

Navigator – is provided by ZIB


MPRESS - the entry page


MPRESS

MPRESS - search engine for mathematical preprints

MPRESS - provides information about preprints only, does not store the fulltexts

MPRESS - gathers and updates the local information automatically

MPRESS - provided by IWI Osnabrück


MPRESS - covers more than 50.000 preprints from more than 100 servers


PERSONA MATHEMATICA - the entry page


PERSONA MATHEMATICA

PERSONA MATHEMATICA - a directory about persons in mathematics

PERSONA MATHEMATICA - two levels for the retrieval, simple search, advanced search

PERSONA MATHEMATICA – is provided by the University of Cologne


PERSONA MATHEMATICA covers more than 1000 metadata sets of persons + the memberlist of the DMV (~3000)+ faculty/staff lists of mathematical departments


Tools in Math-Net

We need Tools to help the users to generate Math-Net Pages and metadata (metadata are the basis for an automatic processing of information by machines)

• The first generation of Tools produced Math-Net Pages and metadata in HTML format.

• Meanwhile, new RDF- and XML- based Math-Net Page Makers and MetaMakers have been developed.


An example:

The MetaMak

er for Preprints



(IMU) 8/2000 CEIC Meeting in Vienna

Definition of core activities:- Math-Net Pages: definit-ion, tools,

documentation - Preprints: metadata, further extension (internationalisation) of MPRESS - Professional homepages: metadata, World Directory of Mathematicians

5/2001 Workshop of CEIC and the Executive Commitee of IMU (Princeton) - Call to All Mathematicians - What do you want from your publisher?


Outlook: The show will go on!


Thanx for your

patience!

Making Math-Net international: an IMU project Martin Grötschel Member of the Committee on...

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