You’ve been Editor-in-Chief of SIAM Journal on Applied Algebra and Geometry (SIAGA) since its launch in 2016. How has SIAGA grown in the four years since?
SIAGA has established itself as the premier journal on algebraic, geometric, and topological methods in applied mathematics. We are very careful in our reviewing and selection process to ensure that our articles are of the highest quality and address a wide range of readers. Currently SIAGA aims for about 750 published pages per year, but there is room for further growth. However, for us quality is more important than quantity.
Why would you recommend SIAGA to someone who does not currently have it in their professional focus? How does the journal stand out from its competition?
Our time from submission to a decision and then to eventual publication is much faster than that of other journals. Our editorial board is a fantastic group of people. The scope of SIAGA is unique in that it connects significant theoretical advances with strong connection to applications. Areas from mathematics that are covered include algebraic geometry, algebraic and topological combinatorics, algebraic topology, commutative and noncommutative algebra, convex and discrete geometry, differential geometry, multilinear and tensor algebra, number theory, representation theory, symbolic and numerical computation.
Application areas include biology, coding theory, complexity theory, computer graphics, computer vision, control theory, cryptography, data science, game theory and economics, geometric design, machine learning, optimization, quantum computing, robotics, social choice, and statistics. Scholars whose work connects such mathematical fields and application areas will not find a better outlet for their articles.
What are the rewards of being EIC; what are the toughest challenges?
SIAGA has played a tremendous role in building a new research community. For instance, 756 people attended last summer's SIAM Conference on Applied Algebraic Geometry in Bern, Switzerland. And many of them now regard SIAGA as their favorite journal. My biggest reward is to see young mathematicians' careers thrive after they have published in our journal. But, there are also challenges. It is not easy to maintain a steady flow of high-quality submissions. Authors often prefer more established journals with existing bibliometric parameters. Editorial Board members are cautious about soliciting submissions. Referees are sometimes slow and unresponsive. But, by and large the rewards definitely outweigh the challenges. Through SIAGA we have built an amazing community!
What first drew you to SIAM? A conference? What are the benefits you’ve gained from your association?
SIAM is a very inclusive and open-minded society, willing to take chances and to accept new ideas. One such idea is that algebraic geometry can be part of Applied Mathematics. Twenty years ago this was largely unthinkable. The association with SIAM has given a lot of credibility to young scholars in my areas of expertise, and has indirectly helped them in the job market. SIAM as a publisher is an excellent operation that has been supportive and helpful to me, and to all of us. The SIAM staff is amazing.
Tell us about your initial interest in applied mathematics. At what point in your life did this become your focus; what first set you on this path?
I have always been between areas and have always been interested in outward-looking mathematics. When I started my first tenure-track job, in 1989 at Cornell University, I had a fractional appointment in operations research. But, as an algebraist and combinatorialist, I was not naturally part of the applied mathematics. The person who roped me in was John Guckenheimer, a former SIAM President. He invited me to applied math graduate program at Cornell, and my first Ph.D. student from that program; Jesus De Loera is now a prominent applied mathematician himself. Another former SIAM president who was extremely supportive is Doug Arnold. During his time as IMA director, we had a special year in applied algebraic geometry at IMA Minneapolis, and this ultimately led to the SIAM activity group.
What are the primary challenges ahead as scholarly publishing evolves?
My students and postdocs often ask me why we have journals at all. Why don't we just post our work on the arXiv and communicate through online media like blog or Facebook? These are valid questions that we must address. We must articulate clearly why we have journals. There are no easy answers. My own view is that journals and books represent communities of people. High-quality publications, such as those produced by SIAM, are essential in maintaining the tradition and strength of mathematical sciences, in putting a focus on truth and reproducibility, and in advancing new ideas. And, there is no free lunch. Scholarly publishing costs money, but if it is in the hands of scholars rather than predators then it is money well spent.
SIAGA articles are available at epubs.siam.org/siaga. Authors can submit their work at siaga.siam.org.