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AMS Sectional Meeting Registration/Housing/Etc. Information



Program |  Deadlines |  Inquiries: meet@ams.org

Fall Western Section Meeting
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
October 25-26, 2014 (Saturday - Sunday)
Meeting #1104

Associate secretaries:

Michel L Lapidus, AMS lapidus@math.ucr.edu, lapidus@mathserv.ucr.edu

***ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED***

sfsu library
Photograph Courtesy of David Wakely Photography

Accommodations

Participants should make their own arrangements directly with the hotel of their choice. Special discounted rates were negotiated with the hotels listed below. Rates quoted do not include hotel tax. Participants must state that they are with the American Mathematical Society (AMS) Meeting at San Francisco State University to receive the discounted rate. The AMS is not responsible for rate changes or for the quality of the accommodations. Hotels have varying cancellation and early checkout penalties; be sure to ask for details.

SOLD OUT **Days Inn San Francisco at the Beach, 2600 Sloat Blvd. (at Great Highway), San Francisco, CA 94116, 415-665-9000; www.daysinn.com. Rates are US\$165 for a single and US\$175 for a double. Please note that hotel tax is 16.32%. Amenities include a complimentary daily breakfast, free Internet, and parking. This location is also close to public transportation. This location is 2.3 miles from campus. Check in-time is 2:00 p.m. and check-out time is 11:00 a.m. The deadline for reservations is September 24, 2014.

Hampton Inn, 2700 Junipero Serra Blvd., Daly City, CA 94015; 650-755-7500; www.hamptoninn.com. Rates are US\$189 for a single or double room. Please note that the hotel tax is 16.32%. Reservations can be made online here: hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/S/SFODCHX-AMS-20141024/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, free Internet and parking, and fitness center. Hotel is located 1 mile from the Daly City BART station and approximately 3 miles from campus. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12:00 p.m. The deadline for reservations is September 24, 2014.

Great Highway Inn, 1234 Great Highway, San Francisco, CA 94112, 415-731-6644; www.greathwy.com/. Rates are US\$144 for a room with one queen bed, US\$158 for a room with one king bed, or US\$178 for a room with two queen beds. Please note the hotel tax is 16.32%. Amenities include free parking and complimentary coffee and pastries in the morning. The hotel is located approximately 4 miles from campus. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out time is 11:00 a.m. The deadline for reservations is October 2, 2014.

Mission Inn, 5630 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94112, 415-584-5020. Rates are US\$75 for a single and US\$85 for a double. Please note the hotel tax is 16.32%. Amenities include free coffee, free high-speed Internet, and parking. This hotel is located 2.3 miles from campus. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 11:00 a.m. The deadline for reservations is October 1, 2014.

Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport - South San Francisco, 250 Gateway Boulevard, South San Francisco, California, 94080; 650-589-3400; http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/embassy-suites-san-francisco-airport-south-san-francisco-SFOSOES/index.html. Rates are US\$180 for a single room and US\$190 for a double. Please note the hotel tax is 16.32%. Amenities include complimentary breakfast and evening drinks/snacks, and complimentary access to the fitness center. This hotel is located 11 miles from campus. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12:00 p.m. The deadline for reservations is October 3, 2014.

Serrano Hotel, 405 Taylor Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-885-2500; www.serranohotel.com. Rate is US\$199. Please note the hotel tax is 16.32%. NEW! To receive the discounted rate, please use the following link to make your reservation: https://gc.synxis.com/rez.aspx?Hotel=61056&Chain=16317&arrive=10/24/2014&depart=10/25/2014&adult=1&child=0&group=102414AMS. Amenities include complimentary coffee in the lobby, Internet, and fitness center. This location is steps from Union Square and is located 9.7 miles from campus. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12:00 p.m. The deadline for reservations is September 24, 2014.

Villa Florence, 224 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-617-1062; http://www.villaflorence.com/. Rates are US\$209. Please note the hotel tax is 16.32%. Amenities include complimentary high-speed Internet access. This downtown San Francisco hotel is located 9.7 miles from campus. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12:00 p.m. The deadline for reservations is September 26, 2014.

Food Services

On Campus: the Cesar Chavez Student Union offers a few dining options open on Saturday including Cafe 101, Taqueria Girasol, Gold Coast Grill, the SFSU Pub, Tuk-Tuk Thai SF, Asia Express and Ike’s Place open 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Off Campus: There is a wide variety of restaurants and fast food close to campus.

Cafe Rosso, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132; 415-405-0923. Open Saturday 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Hall of Flame Burgers, 73 Cambon Dr., San Francisco, CA 94132; 415-584-4444. Open Saturday 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Dinosaurs Vietnamese Sandwiches, 2522 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132; 415-334-1421; eatdinosaurs.com. Open 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. daily.

BullsHead Restaurant, 840 Ulloa St, San Francisco, CA 94127; 415-665-4350; http://www.bullsheadsf.com/. Serving steaks and burgers. Open Saturday 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Spiazzo Ristorante, 33 W. Portal Ave., San Francisco, CA 94127; 415-6649511. Offering Italian and seafood. Open Saturday 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Bursa, 60 West Portal Ave., San Francisco, CA 94127; 415-564-4006; bursasf.com. Serving Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Mediterranean fare. Open Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Taraval Okazu Ya Restaurant, 1735 Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA 94116; 415-759-6850. Offering Japanese and sushi. Open Saturday 12:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. and Sunday 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Stonestown Galleria Mall (Dining)

West Portal Area

Sunset District 

Richmond District

Vegan/Vegetarian (In addition to the locations listed above, this list includes other various neighborhoods in/around SFSU)

 

Registration and Meeting Information

Advance Registration

Advance registration for this meeting is now closed. If you have already registered, please pick up your badge and program at the on-site registration desk.

100% refunds will be issued for any advance registrations cancelled by Saturday, October 25, 2014. After that date, no refunds will be issued.

Onsite Information and Registration

Onsite registration and the book exhibit will be located outside of Room 404 of Thornton Hall. Special Sessions will be located in Thornton Hall, Hensill Hall, and the Business Building. The Invited Addresses will be located in the Science building. You can find the campus map here: http://www.sfsu.edu/~sfsumap/.

The onsite registration desk will be open on Saturday October 25, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 26, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Fees are US\$56 for AMS members, US\$78 for nonmembers, and US\$5 for students, unemployed mathematicians, and emeritus members. Fees are payable onsite via cash, check, or credit card.

Special Needs

It is the goal of the AMS to ensure that its conferences are accessible to all, regardless of disability. AMS shall strive, unless it is not practicable, to choose venues that are fully accessible to the physically handicapped.

If special needs accommodations are necessary in order for you to participate in an AMS Sectional Meeting, please communicate your needs in advance to the AMS Meetings Department by:

  • Registering early for the meeting
  • Checking the appropriate box on the registration form
  • Sending an email request to the AMS Meetings Department at mmsb@ams.org or meet@ams.org.

AMS Einstein Public Lecture in Mathematics

The 2014 Einstein Public Lecture will be held on October 25, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. in the Towers Conference Center on the San Francisco State University campus. The lecturer will be James H. Simons, Chairman, Simons Foundation. The talk is titled Mathematics, Common Sense, and Good Luck.

The lecture will be followed by a reception hosted by the American Mathematical Society and the Department of Mathematics of San Francisco State University, which will take place from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in the Seven Hills Conference Center on the SFSU campus. Since a very large audience is expected, an RSVP for planning purposes is encouraged but not required. Please RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LxXik9IeROQcGU-LOiWml5Mu9Ztca8heBxPoj3-K2tg/viewform?usp=send_form.

Other Activities

Book Sales: Stop by the onsite AMS bookstore and review the newest titles from the AMS, 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.

Local Information and Maps

This meeting will take place on the campus of San Francisco State University. A campus map can be found at www.sfsu.edu/~sfsumap/. Information about the the Department of Mathematics may be found at math.sfsu.edu/. Please visit the university’s website at sfsu.edu/ for additional information on the campus.

Parking

Parking Lot 19 is located towards back campus and can be accessed by entering on State Drive off of Lake Merced Blvd. For information on parking rates and details please go to: www.sfsu.edu/~parking/text/parking.html. For those who are planning to purchase a daily permit for Lot 19 parking garage on campus, be sure to scratch off the correct date.

To get to Thornton Hall (TH) from Parking Lot 19 you will need to take the elevator to the fifth floor of the garage. Exit to the left from the elevator. From there you will take a left to cross the bridge that connects the garage with campus. After crossing the bridge, make a left and follow the road uphill and keeping right at the fork. You will walk for a few hundred yards, passing the athletic field/track which will be to your left, until you reach Thornton Hall, a gray building at the very end of the road. Turn right. Walk a few more yards and turn left into the garage-looking entrance for Thornton Hall. Enter the first door on your left. You will be on the second floor. Stairs to the fourth floor are on your right, or elevators are located near the middle of the corridor in which you are standing.

Travel

The San Francisco State University campus is located at 1600 Holloway Street, San Francisco, California. The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located approximately 9 miles south of the university.

Driving to the University

From the north:

Take Highway 101 South, cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Stay in the far right lane after crossing to take Highway 1 South/19th avenue exit. Follow 19th Avenue to campus, which is at Holloway Avenue.

To get to the parking garage, turn right onto Holloway Ave. and continue to Font Blvd. Turn right onto Font Blvd. and continue to Lake Merced Blvd. Turn right onto Lake Merced Blvd. then take an immediate right onto State Drive which leads to the entrance of the parking garage.

From the south:

Take I-280 North, exit at 19th Avenue. Take Junipero Serra Boulevard to Holloway Avenue, turn left on Holloway Avenue to campus at 19th Avenue. (If you missed Junipero and stayed on 19th Ave., you would have to U-turn at the Stonestown Mall.)

To get to the parking garage, continue on Holloway Ave.to Font Blvd. Turn right onto Font Blvd. and continue to Lake Merced Blvd. Turn right onto Lake Merced Blvd. then take an immediate right onto State Drive which leads to the entrance of the parking garage.

From the east:

Take I-80 West across the Bay Bridge to Highway 101 South. Take 101 South to I-280 toward Daly City. Take the San Jose Avenue/Mission St. exit (immediately after the Ocean Avenue exit), bearing right onto Sagamore Street to Brotherhood Way.

To get to the parking garage stay on Brotherhood Way and turn right onto Lake Merced Blvd. Turn right onto State Drive which is the third light after turning onto Lake Merced Blvd. and immediately after Font Blvd. The entrance to the parking garage is at the end of State Drive.

From the San Francisco International Airport:

Take the I-280 North to exit at 19th Avenue. Take Junipero Serra Boulevard to Holloway Avenue; turn left on Holloway Avenue to campus at 19th Avenue.

To get to the parking garage, continue on Holloway Ave to Font Blvd. Turn right onto Font Blvd. and continue to Lake Merced Blvd. Turn right onto Lake Merced Blvd. then take an immediate right onto State Drive which is the entrance to the parking garage.

From the Oakland Airport:

Take I-880 North towards Downtown Oakland. Take the I-80 West exit towards Bay Bridge/San Francisco. Continue on US-101 South. Take 101 South to I-280 toward Daly City. Take the San Jose Avenue/Mission St. exit (immediately after the Ocean Avenue exit), bearing right onto Sagamore Street to Brotherhood Way to Junipero Serra Boulevard North. Take Junipero Serra Boulevard to Holloway Avenue; turn left on Holloway Avenue to campus at 19th Avenue.

Car Rental: Hertz is the official car rental company for the meeting. To make a reservation accessing our special meeting rates online at www.hertz.com, click on the box “I have a discount”, and type in our convention number (CV): 04N30003. You can also call Hertz directly at 800-654-2240 (U.S. and Canada) or 405-749-4434 (other countries).

By BART (within the Bay Area or from SF International Airport and Oakland Airport):

Take any San Francisco-bound BART train to the Daly City BART station. From the BART station, there will be multiple taxi cabs available. The estimated fare to campus is approximately US\$8 or you can obtain a transfer for the 28 Muni (good for one ride to and from BART) from the machine (press green button) in the lobby before exiting the station. Exit at the “SFSU 19th Ave. & Holloway Ave.” stop. Head north on 19th Ave. past the Science Building. Turn left at Hensill Hall and Thornton Hall will be in front of you.

Local Transportation

Taxi Service

Taxi cabs are available within San Francisco. You may reserve in advance with Yellow Cab 415-333-3333 or Luxor Cab 415-282-4141. If you are staying in Daly City, please use Serra Yellow Cab 650-991-2345 or 650-991-3881.

Weather

The best way to describe San Francisco is a “micro climate”, the dry period of May to October is mild to warm, with average high temperatures of 64–71 °F (18–22 °C) and lows of 51–56 °F (11–13 °C).

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 sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/biso/visas/ and travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html. If you need a preliminary conference invitation in order to secure a visa, please send your request to mkl@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 websites above for the most up-to-date information.


Inquiries: meet@ams.org