** Participants who arrive before the AMS meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. on Friday may be interested in the Satellite Workshops described below.**

Accommodations

Participants should make their own arrangements directly with a hotel of their choice as early as possible. Special rates have been negotiated with the hotels listed below. Rates quoted do not include sales tax of 11.5%. The AMS is not responsible for rate changes or for the quality of the accommodations. When making a reservation, participants should state that they are with the American Mathematical Society (AMS) Meeting at FAU group. Cancellation and early checkout policies vary; be sure to check when you make your reservation.

Hampton Inn Boca Raton, 1455 Yamato Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33431; 561-988-0200 (phone) or 561-988-0203 (fax); prices per room are US$79/Deluxe King, US$89/Double Bed, and US$99/King Suite; includes coffeemaker, free Internet access, complimentary full-service exercise room, and outside pool. Complimentary hot breakfast served 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Friday) or pick up a healthy "breakfast-in-a-bag" to go. Complimentary coffee, tea, and fruit are always available in the lobby. The hotel is located about 5.2 miles northeast of the meeting site, and is within walking distance of many restaurants and shops. Deadline for reservations is October 15, 2009. Be sure to check cancellation and early checkout policies.

Hilton Garden Inn Boca Raton, 8201 Congress Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33487; 561-988-6110 (phone), 561-988-9256 (fax); US$99/single or double; includes refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, free wireless Internet, and complimentary full hot breakfast; complimentary 24-hour business center access; Great American Grill serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner; fitness center; and outdoor pool. Limited van service to/from campus and area restaurants (advance reservation requested); located about 6.25 miles from the meeting site. Deadline for reservations is October 2, 2009. Participants may book online through www.bocaraton.stayhgi.com using the group code "MATH". Be sure to check cancellation and early checkout policies. N.B. Cancel a minimum of 72 hours prior to arrival to avoid paying a penalty of first-night room and tax.

Embassy Suites Hotel, Boca Raton, 661 NW 53rd St., Boca Raton, FL 33487; 561-994-8200 (phone), 561-994-9518 (fax); US$85/single king bed or two double-bedded suite with mini-refrigerator, microwave, and coffee/coffee maker, and high-speed wireless (fee). Also includes complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast with hot items; free fitness center, outside heated pool/whirlpool, daily complimentary manager's reception, and free access to business center. Limited van service to/from campus and area restaurants; located about 4.25 miles northeast of the meeting site. Deadline for reservations is October 2, 2009. Reserve your room through http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/BCTNWES-AMS-20091025/index.jhtml. Be sure to check cancellation and early checkout policies.

Guest Suites of Boca Raton, 701 NW 53rd St., Boca Raton, FL 33487; 561-997-9500 (phone), 561-994-3565 (fax); US$69/single or double, US$79/triple, or $89/quad, includes complimentary hot breakfast (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.), wireless Internet (fee), free coffee in lobby, restaurant in hotel providing limited room service, and outside pool/spa. Limited van service to/from campus and area restaurants; located about 4.25 miles northeast of the meeting site. Deadline for reservations is October 15, 2009. Be sure to check cancellation and early checkout policies.

Marriott Courtyard Boca Raton, 2000 NW Executive Center Court, Boca Raton, FL 33431; 561-241-7070 (phone), 561-241-7080 (fax); US$69/single or double, includes free wireless Internet, in-room coffeemaker, fitness center, outdoor pool, breakfast buffet (fee), convenience store on premises. Located about 1.75 miles west of the meeting site. Deadline for reservations is October 5, 2009. Be sure to check cancellation and early checkout policies.

Hilton Suites Boca Raton, 7920 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33434; 561-483-3600 (phone), 561-852-9976 (fax); US$85/single or double suite (private bedroom with separate living area and pullout sofa bed), includes coffeemaker, microwave, mini-refrigerator, high-speed Internet (fee); also complimentary are a cooked-to-order breakfast as well as a two-hour evening cocktail reception (held daily), and limited van service to/from campus and area restaurants. Hotel has a heated pool, Jacuzzi, and fitness center, and is located about 4.3 miles west of the meeting site. Deadline for reservations is October 8, 2009. Be sure to check cancellation and early checkout policies.

Food Service

Information will be available at the meeting.

Local Information

The university’s website is www.fau.edu; the department of mathematics is at www.math.fau.edu.

Local attractions in Boca Raton:

The quietest and prettiest beach is South Beach, 400 N. Ocean Blvd., half a mile long, and backed by the scenic South Beach Park. South Beach Park features over 25 acres and 1,600 feet of beach. Lifeguards are on duty, and the park also offers picnic areas, showers, restrooms, and more.

Families enjoy the action on the Delray municipal beach which features restrooms and lifeguards, and is popular for surfing, windsurfing, volleyball, and boating. Several restaurants are adjacent.

The Boca Raton Museum of Art's new 44,000 square-foot facility at 501 Plaza Real in Mizner Park features new exhibition, education, and collection galleries, and enhances fourfold the museum's programming capabilities. The Museum was founded in 1950 as the Art Guild of Boca Raton.

Caldwell Theatre, 7873 N. Federal Hwy., offers a myriad of theatrical works throughout the course of their season. Off-Broadway plays, as well as well-known dramas, comedies, and classics are performed by this group.

Dagger Wing Nature Center, 11200 Park Access Rd., is a 39-acre park featuring a vast variety of birds. Woodpeckers, songbirds, egrets, herons, warblers, and more can be viewed here.

Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., is a 20-acre complex that is home to one of the few surviving coastal hammocks, also known as a forest island. An elevated boardwalk takes visitors through the hammock. This site is also where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. Turtle walks are available May through July.

Other Activities

Book Sales: Stop by the on-site AMS Bookstore and review the newest titles from the AMS, enter the free book drawing, enjoy up to 25% off all AMS publications, or take home an AMS t-shirt! Complimentary coffee will be served courtesy of AMS Membership Services.

AMS Editorial Activity: An acquisitions editor from the AMS book program will be present to speak with prospective authors. If you have a book project that you would like to discuss with the AMS, please stop by the book exhibit.

Parking

Free parking for meeting participants is available in Lot #5 on the north side of campus parallel to Palm Beach Avenue, and across Lee Street from the College of Science and Engineering building.

Registration and Meeting Information

The meeting is on the campus of Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida. Invited Addresses will take place in General Classroom Building North and sessions are scheduled in the General Classroom Building North, General Classroom Building South, Fleming Hall, and the Physical Sciences Building.

Satellite Workshops

Some participants may be interested in these additional activities scheduled just before the AMS Sectional Meeting; please note there will be Special Sessions on these same topics during the meeting:

International Workshop on Concentration, Functional Inequalities, and Isoperimetry, organized by Christian Houdré, Georgia Institute of Technology; Emanuel Milman, Institute for Advanced Study; and Mario Milman, Florida Atlantic University. Watch the website at http://math.fau.edu/~internationalworkshop/index.html for more details.

Constructive Mathematics, organized by Robert Lubarsky, Fred Richman, and Martin Solomon, Florida Atlantic University. See the website at http://math.fau.edu/Richman/Worshop/. All AMS meeting participants are invited to hear the lecture by Vladimir Lifschitz, University of Texas, on Answer set programming and constructive mathematics, on Friday, October 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m., in Room GN102, General Classroom North, on campus.

Travel, Campus Map, and Directions

A campus map is found at http://uavp.fau.edu/Flashmap/FAUMap.html.

The Boca Raton area is served by three main airports located in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami. The first two are much closer to campus than Miami.

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL), http://www.broward.org/airport, is about 27 miles south of campus. GO Airport Shuttle (800-244-8252 or 954-561-888) provides service to Boca Raton for US$22 (shared ride, walk-up service) or US$75 private car.

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), http://www.pbia.org/guide/ground.aspx, is about 27 miles north of campus. Taxi fare to campus is approximately US$82 plus gratuity; town car flat rate is US$77 plus 20% gratuity. Call Palm Beach Transportation at 561-684-9900 for more information. SuperShuttle provides service to Boca Raton for US$30 for the first passenger and US$11 for each additional passenger; call 561-233-0600 for reservations.

Miami International Airport (MIA), http://www.miami-airport.com/html/ground_transportation.html, is about 48 miles south of campus. Taxi fare is about $125 plus tax.

Driving directions to campus: Using your favorite Internet mapping service (e.g., http://maps.yahoo.com, http://www.mapquest.com), enter your starting location, then use 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33431 as your ending point for directions and mileage estimates.

Car Rental: Avis is the official car rental company for the sectional meeting in Boca Raton. All rates include unlimited free mileage. Weekend daily rates are available from noon Thursday to Monday at 11:59 p.m. Rates do not include any state or local surcharges, tax, optional coverages, or gas refueling charges. Renters must meet Avis' age, driver, and credit requirements. For the best available rate and to make a reservation please call Avis at 800-331-1600 or go online at http://www.avis.com. Please use the AMS meeting Avis Discount Number J098887.

Weather

Late October temperatures in Boca Raton range from the mid 60s F. to the mid 80s F. Showers are possible so bringing an umbrella is advisable.

Information for International Participants

Visa regulations are continually changing for travel to the United States. Visa applications may take from three to four months to process and require a personal interview, as well as specific personal information. International participants should view the important information about traveling to the U.S. found at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_to_US.html and http://travel.state.gov/visa/index.html. If you need a preliminary conference invitation in order to secure a visa, please send your request to dls@ams.org.

If you discover you do need a visa, the National Academies website (see above) provides these tips for successful visa applications:

* Visa applicants are expected to provide evidence that they are intending to return to their country of residence. Therefore, applicants should provide proof of "binding" or sufficient ties to their home country or permanent residence abroad. This may include documentation of the following:

• family ties in home country or country of legal permanent residence
• property ownership
• bank accounts
• employment contract or statement from employer stating that the position will continue when the employee returns;

* Visa applications are more likely to be successful if done in a visitor's home country than in a third country;

* Applicants should present their entire trip itinerary, including travel to any countries other than the United States, at the time of their visa application;

* Include a letter of invitation from the meeting organizer or the U.S. host, specifying the subject, location and dates of the activity, and how travel and local expenses will be covered;

* If travel plans will depend on early approval of the visa application, specify this at the time of the application;

* Provide proof of professional scientific and/or educational status (students should provide a university transcript).

This list is not to be considered complete. Please visit the web sites above for the most up-to-date information.

Comments:webmaster@ams.org © Copyright 2009, American Mathematical Society