Part of the formal business of the meeting of the Congress of Actuaries consisted in the modification of the rules of the Permanent Committee to provide for the formation of sections concerned with the study of special subjects. The first of such sections, to be known as ASTIN and concerned with the application of modern mathematical and statistical methods to non-life insurance, was also formed during the Congress. Dr Paul Johansen of Copenhagen, a corresponding member of the Institute, was elected Chairman of ASTIN and R. E. Beard of London was elected Secretary.

Section IVa, Analytical Expressions of the Risks involved in General Insurance, was of great interest to those actuaries interested in ASTIN, and the following notes have been prepared on the sixteen papers submitted in an endeavour to indicate the type of problem being considered by the new section of the Permanent Committee.