The BULLETIN

ISSN: 0004-9727, EISSN: 1755-1633

The BULLETIN of the Australian Mathematical Society began publication in 1969. Normally two volumes of three numbers are published annually. The BULLETIN is now published and distributed by Cambridge University Press. Please access their site (click the cover image at right) for subscription information and costs for issues dated from August 2008.

Prior to 2008 the BULLETIN was published for the Australian Mathematical Society by the Australian Mathematical Publishing Association Inc.

Electronic Editions

Information for authors

The BULLETIN of the Australian Mathematical Society aims at quick publication of original research in all branches of mathematics. To ensure speedy publication, only articles which are sufficiently well presented as not to require revision and which are judged by the Editor (often in consultation with an Associate Editor) to be competive are refereed. This policy is in the interests of authors, as a quick rejection is better than a slow rejection. The BULLETIN receives more than five times the material that can be published, therefore there are many commendable papers not accepted. Editorial decisions on acceptance or otherwise are taken quickly, normally within a month of receipt of the paper. Papers are accepted only after peer review.

Manuscripts are accepted for review with the understanding that the same work is not concurrently submitted elsewhere. As even minor revisions are generally not permitted, authors should read carefully all the details listed below.

For a paper to be acceptable for publication, not only should it contain new and interesting results but also

• the exposition should be clear and attractive;
• the manuscript should be in publishable form, without revision.

The London Mathematical Society has produced some useful instructions for authors which will help authors with these requirements: we provide this link with permission, for the convenience of our prospective authors. The American Mathematical Society website also has useful information for authors.

Preparation of papers

Articles should be prepared in LaTeX using AmS-LaTeX packages and submitted as a PDF file via our journal management system, at http://www.austms.org.au/Publications/Submissions/BAustMS. This permits authors to track their papers through the editorial process. Recent versions of TeX (see the TeX Users Group) are able to produce PDF files directly. A LaTeX class file, a BibTeX style and a template for submissions are available for download:

• baustms.cls
• srtnumbered.bst
• bamstemplate.tex

Authors who need assistance may email the secretary of the BULLETIN at jams@ms.unimelb.edu.au.

The BULLETIN will request the LaTeX source code when the article has been accepted for publication or, in some cases, prior to peer review.

Authors are advised to keep copies of all files of the submitted article; the BULLETIN will not accept responsibility for any loss.

Editorial Policy

1. References

Arrange references alphabetically (by surname of the first author) and cite them numerically in the text. Ensure the references are quoted accurately, and use the standard abbreviations for journal names prepared by the American Mathematical Society (these are available each year in Mathematical Reviews or from the Mathematical Reviews Resources page at the American Mathematical Society's web site). Include in the list of references only those works cited, and avoid citing works which are in preparation or submitted. Where the work cited is not readily accessible (for example, a preprint) a copy of the article should be included with your submission.

2. Abstracts

• Each paper must include an abstract of not more than 200 words, which should contain a brief but informative summary of the contents of the paper, but no inessential details.
• The abstract should be self-contained, but may refer to the title.
• Specific references (by number) to a section, proposition, equation or bibliographical item should be avoided.

3. Subject Classification and Key Words

Authors should include a few key words and phrases and one or more classification numbers (marked as primary or secondary), following the American Mathematical Society 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Details of this scheme can be found in the Annual Index of recent issues of Mathematical Reviews, or from the Mathematics Subject Classification page at the American Mathematical Society's web site.

4. Abstracts of Ph.D. Theses

The BULLETIN of the Australian Mathematical Society publishes Abstracts of Australasian Ph.D. Theses. The abstract submitted to the BULLETIN may be the abstract included in the thesis itself. However, the BULLETIN will accept abstracts of up to three pages, which may include references. All the mathematical sciences are covered, including pure and applied mathematics, probability and mathematical statistics, mathematical physics, and mathematical computer science.

Ph.D. students must provide a LaTeX file of their abstract. This should be sent to the secretary of the BULLETIN at jams@ms.unimelb.edu.au. Apart from the abstract itself, the BULLETIN needs the following information:

• the name of the university awarding the degree;
• the name(s) of the supervisor(s);
• documentation, e.g., a written statement from the supervisor, that the degree has been approved;
• the month of submission;
• the month of approval of the degree (which is usually well before the degree is formally conferred);
• appropriate 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification number(s).

Sometimes there is a form inside the thesis with most of the above information on it; a scanned copy of this is very useful. Publication is fast, usually within 9 months of the approval of the degree. Abstracts must be received within six months of the approval of the degree.