History and Goals of SIAM

History

Inspired by the vision that applied mathematics should play an important role in advancing science and technology in industry, a small group of professionals from academe and industry met in Philadelphia in 1951 to start an organization whose members would meet periodically to exchange ideas about the uses of mathematics in industry. This meeting led to the organization of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

Learn more about our history by downloading "Looking Back, Looking Ahead: A SIAM History" [PDF, 660K] and a SIAM Timeline [PDF, 1,570K]

Goals

The goals of SIAM are to:

• Advance the application of mathematics and computational science to engineering, industry, science, and society;
• Promote research that will lead to effective new mathematical and computational methods and techniques for science, engineering, industry, and society;
• Provide media for the exchange of information and ideas among mathematicians, engineers, and scientists.

SIAM membership has grown from a few hundred in the early 1950s to more than 11,000 today. SIAM Members are applied and computational mathematicians, computer scientists, numerical analysts, engineers, statisticians, mathematics educators, and students. They work in industrial and service organizations, universities, colleges and government agencies and laboratories all over the world. In addition, SIAM has over 400 institutional members—colleges, universities, corporations, and research organizations.

To serve this diverse group of professionals:

• SIAM publishes 13 peer-reviewed research journals and approximately 25 books per year. All SIAM journals are available electronically.
• SIAM conducts an annual meeting and many specialized conferences, short courses, and workshops in areas of interest to its members.
• SIAM's extensive prize program recognizes outstanding applied mathematicians, both students and professionals.
• SIAM sponsors 15 special interest activity groups, which provide additional opportunities for professional interaction and informal networking.
• SIAM sponsors regional sections for local technical activities and student chapters that bring faculty and students together in activities consistent with SIAM's objectives.