The SIAM Activity Groups play the central role in organizing these meetings, and I would like to thank the officers and program committees who make them successful. By the time you read this, SIAM's first computational science and engineering conference will have taken place. Because the subject is so central to our society, I will not be surprised if this conference becomes a regular event. The conference on applied linear algebra will be held in Raleigh, October 22-24. That subject has a long tradition within SIAM, because linear algebra is embedded in so many computations.
Matrix factorizations are part of the language, and top-quality software is used everywhere.
We are happy to be sharing this conference with the International Linear Algebra Society, and I look forward to it. I am really struck by the tremendous range of mathematics that SIAM includes, and I am certain that this is an extremely healthy way to develop. It must be part of the reason for our growth around the world. I will write about these and other good things in the November and December columns. I hope also to say something more about my feelings and hopes for our society.