Topic #13  -------------   OP-SF NET 8.6  -------------  November 15, 2001
                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Daniela Calvetti 
Subject: Report from a Conference Honoring Claude Brezinski

[We thank the authors (Daniella Calvetti and Lothar Reichel) for their
permission to include this report which appeared in NA-digest. ]

                       Numerical Algorithms 2001

The International Conference on Numerical Algorithms dedicated to Claude
Brezinski on the occasion of his 60th birthday took place in Marrakesh,
Morocco, October 1-5, 2001. The conference was attended by approximately 170
participants from 4 continents, and was characterized by a warm and friendly
atmosphere. The week-long meeting featured a wealth of high quality talks on
many diverse topics, from Pade' and rational approximation, orthogonal
polynomials, extrapolation methods, quadrature, the solution of large linear
or nonlinear systems of equations, inverse problems and optimization,
reflecting the multifaceted nature of Claude Brezinski's research interests
and scientific contributions. During his successful and productive career,
Claude Brezinski (co)authored eleven books, over 160 research papers,
started three scientific journals and served as a model and an inspirer for
a large number of students and colleagues. Many of Claude's students, it was
pointed out at the opening of the conference by the rector of the University
of Marrakesh, are from Morocco, and Claude's work with these students and
continued mentoring has been greatly beneficial to the growth of numerical
analysis in Morocco.

In addition to attending the lectures, the participants also had several
opportunities to experience the magic charm of Morocco thanks to a full
social program, which included mint tea in a palm orchard, dinner at an
outdoor restaurant with a traditional Moroccan show, an excursion to
Essaouira on the Atlantic coast, and a conference banquet complete two belly
dancers and reminiscences by Peter Graves-Morris on the topic "My
Conferences with Claude."

Claude's high level of energy and vitality permeated the whole conference
and was quite contagious. At the conference banquet he gave a presentation,
complete with slides, on "What Really Happens at Conferences - and Never
Gets Reported in the NA-Digest." Needless to say, details of Claude's talk
cannot be revealed here.

The organizing committee, which included

B. Beckermann, A. Bentbib, B. Germain-Bonne, J.-P. Chehab, M. El
Alaoui-Talibi, A. Lembarki, M. Prevost, A. Matos, A. Messaoudi, M. Redivo
Zaglia, R. Sadaka, H. Sadok, and J. Van Iseghem

did an excellent job and the conference ran extremely smoothly in spite of
the many disruptions caused by the September 11 events. The members of
committee were very helpful also with practical algorithms, like offering
advice on what to eat and drink, how to negotiate a taxi fare and where and
how to buy local crafts.

Congratulations, Claude! You've got your transit papers.

Daniela Calvetti and Lothar Reichel