N-1-3-20.23, "Euromath an all that - the General Setting", by Flemming Topsoe*, Editorial Note 1: Readers are invited to contribute to this column which is dedicated to matters of interest to mathematicians which are in some way dependent on computer networks and networking services. References to sources of more complete information or to purely technical discussions will be appreciated. Your editor is involved in the Euromath activities (read below), and will make sure that you are kept informed about these efforts. However, to avoid any unhealthy bias, I urge contributions on other matters. Editorial Note 2: In a subsequent issue we will deal with Information Systems exploiting the marvelous new network navigating tools (cf. ISOC News 1.2). Anyone knowing about Information Services of particular interest to mathematicians or of potential Information Resources for mathematics, please send your comments/advice in good time to me. Euromath and all that - the General Setting Many have heard about "Euromath", but are unsure what that really covers. This is understandable as it can be given a number of meanings. Euromath arose as a set of ideas among European mathematicians, and is directed at forming and implementing a research infrastructure for mathematicians, based on Information Technology. Formally, these ideas are now cultivated by a charity, the European Mathematical Trust (EMT), a pan-European organisation registered in the United Kingdom. Typically, the members of EMT are regional or national mathematical societies in Europe. From the European Commission (the Science Programme) EMT has obtained a grant in support of the Euromath Project, during which a substantial part of the overall Euromath ideas will be realized. A key component of the project is the development of Euromath Software. This piece of software is built on a structure driven editor, GRIF, which, so to speak, has been taught mathematics. An import/export facility for TeX (LaTeX in fact) will be provided as well as external calls facilities enabling you to send mail, to access external databases or computer algebra systems etc. The Euromath basic software and the interaction it will provide with networked services constitute the Euromath System. As part of the Euromath Project, a Directory of Mathematicians (DM) in Europe will be created and a publication, the Euromath Bulletin (EmB) will be launched. Another important aspect of Euromath activity is the creation of a human network based on a number of National Coordinating Committees (NCC's). The chairmen of the NCC's form the Euromath Advisory Board (the AB). Through this board, the European mathematical community influences the Euromath Project and feeds into it special user requirements. Observers from Central and Eastern European countries have been invited to meetings of the AB. The Euromath System and the human network established together with the interplay with the academic computer networks and services constitute the Euromath Network, EmNet. EMT liases or collaborates with a number of organisations in pursuit of its goals. We mention the European Mathematical Society, the American Mathematical Society, The International Standards Organisation and the Euromath Center, Copenhagen. Of these, Euromath Center (EmC) has been created as a result of the Euromath activity. The centre follows and participates in the development of Euromath and is responsible for Euromath User Support. The Present Status of Euromath Euromath Software, Euromath Version 0, has been released for mathematical institutes in Europe, following a presentation and demonstration at the first European Congress of Mathematicians in Paris, July 1992. The system presently consists of the Euromath structure editor. This includes the facility to edit mathematical formulae WISYWIG on screen, includes a drawing program derived from idraw, export to LaTeX and import of (restricted) LaTeX. An important feature of the system is its full compatibility with SGML, the future standard for publishing. The first issue of EmB, the Euromath Bulletin, is just about to appear. For Further Information It is hoped that a Euromath Information Service (based on Gopher) will soon be set up. Until then, interested individuals or organisations may write to me or to the following for fuller details: EMT office: Ian R. Stone: irs1@ukc.ac.uk Euromath Project: Helmut Lenzing helmut@uni-paderborn.de Euromath Bulletin: Mika Seppala: ms@geom.helsinki.fi Euromath Advisory Board: Jose Luis Vicente: euro@cica.es EmC: emc@euromath.dk *Professor, University of Copenhagen, Mathematical Institute, Denmark