In the series of ICMI Studies on issues and themes which are crucial in contemporary mathematics education, the next study is devoted to the role of the history of mathematics in the teaching and learning of mathematics.
As is the case with any ICMI Study, the Executive Committee of ICMI appoints an International Programme Committee (IPC) to conduct the study. This means that the IPC is responsible for producing a so-called Discussion Document to set the stage for the study. The Discussion Document, which will contain a brief outline of the field in question and identify the issues and themes to be dealt with in the study, is going to be published internationally as widely as possible, including in this Bulletin. Readers are invited to react to the Discussion Documents in writing by submitting ideas, proposals, abstracts or drafts of papers and so forth for consideration by the IPC. On the basis of the reactions received and of the deliberations within the IPC itself, the IPC will organise an invited Study Conference of 50-100 participants (presumably about 80) to be held in France, most probably in the beginning of 1998. Attendance will be a mixture of international experts in the field and newcomers to it who have interesting ideas or considerations to offer.
After the Study Conference, and based mainly but not exclusively on invited and contributed papers to this conference, the final result of the Study will be pro- duced: A volume in the ICMI Study Series published under the general editorship of the Series editors, the President and the Secretary of ICMI. This volume will have the two Co-Chairs of the IPC as editors-in-chief. It is intended that the Study Volume will be ready for presentation at ICME-9 in 2000.