[FOM] Atlanta Meeting -- misinformation

[Stephen G Simpson]

Regarding the recent special session on Reverse Mathematics in
Atlanta, Harvey Friedman wrote:

 > There was considerable informal discussion at the meeting about the
 > unavailability of a text on RM. Simpson's 1999 SOSOA book
 > (Subsystems of second order arithmetic) had served as such a text
 > until it went out of print shortly after it appeared. However,
 > there is no definite timetable for its republication.
 >
 > The upshot is that there appears to be urgent need for a textbook
 > specifically on Reverse Mathematics, for students and scholars
 > interested in, or thinking of working in, Reverse Mathematics.

This is misleading.

First, Harvey himself drove the "informal discussion", which consisted
largely of Harvey's criticism of my alleged personal and professional
shortcomings.

Second, there is in fact a plan and a timetable for a second edition
of my book Subsystems of Second Order Arithmetic, to be published by
the Association for Symbolic Logic.  I gave further details in my talk
at the session, with Harvey present.  Interested persons may
communicate directly with me, or see my transparencies at
http://www.math.psu.edu/simpson/talks/.

Also mentioned in my talk, but omitted from Harvey's account, is the
existence of a new volume of papers on Reverse Mathematics, edited by
me.  This will be available within the next few weeks as Volume 21 of
the ASL's book series, Lecture Notes in Logic.

Quite generally, Harvey is not to be regarded a spokesman for me, with
respect to my research or publications, or any other topic.

-- Steve

Name: Stephen G. Simpson
Title: Professor of Mathematics
Research Interests: Mathematical Logic, Foundations of Mathematics