Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-07-22

A MATHEMATTC6L Discovery. PRO
feesor Sylvester, matthew tician, whose
reputation ia well established in Europe,
has made q great discovery in that SCI
ence. This is no other than the proof
of Sir Isaac Newton's rule for the dis
covery Of tina imaginary roots of equa-
ton. The Reader says
This rule is surrounded with a rare
and curious interest. 1t was originally
given by Sir / Newton in his lectures
when Lncasian Professor at the Univer-
sity at Cambridge, and IN 1907 it was
published in the "Arithmstica UniUer.
Sails" without proof Maclaurin, War
ing, Euler, and many other distinguish
ed mathematieians, have attempted to
demonstrate it, but hitherto all such eE
forts have proved abortive. A proof for
few elementary cases was given by
Professor Sylvester in paper published
in this years volume of the "PkiLo-
sophicaI Transactions He has recent-
" discovered q complete one, founded
on the ordinary principles of elementa.
~ algebra; and more than this, theo-
rem, which stands in precisely the same
relation to Newton's rule as Fourier 8
theorem does to Descartes's rule, the
rule being deducible from the theore N
as q particular case. But this is not
ell; this general theorem is itself only a
particular case of a still more compre-
hensive one.
The rule in question, both in the lat
and I'd editions of "AritAmeticG Uni-
rersalls," stands out as the only propo-
sition in the book unaccompanied BY a
proof, and thus raises q very strong pre-
sumption that Newton was not in pos
session of solution that satisfied his
mind. Certain it is, that this rule has
been a Gordian knot among algebraists
for the last century and hall. PROBES
sor Sylvester was to deliver lecture In
London on the subject, and expound his
discovery.-N 2. Com.
FIRE IN MEMPHIs-The Memphis
Commercial of the 18th says:
A FIRE, which at one time threatened to
terminates very seriously, broke out a
little past twelve o'clock yesterday, il
the cellar of the we'll known wholesale
house of L. Howes i Co, on Front Roa
between Madison and Court streets. Al
soon as the fact became known, Mr.
Howes, with wise presence OF mind
covered the hatchways and gratingc Sc
curely with baggiDg, in order to shut of
the ventilation as much as possible, ant
awaited the arrival of the 6remen, WHIT
were as usual prompt to answer tn
alarm, and in q short time so flooded thl
cellar as to extinguish the FIRE, which
originated from the accidental ignition
of some high wines, of which an invent
DRY was being taken 1t the time. Be
fore the arrival of the engines, the pros
pect was anything but promising, ]
being absolutely impossible, on sceoun
of the dense smoke, TO enter the celia
to ascertain the extent or arrest tbs
progress of the flames, and as precau
ton the books, papers, and other valua
BILE papers we're removed to a place Q
safety, and q large amount Of COTE
transferred from the front. Mr.. Howes
who by the way was chief engineer o
the FIRE Department at Evansville for I
number Of years, and an ''expert" in tn
business, exhibited GOODNESS under tn
circumstances that was very commenda
bic. and it is owing in great messur
to this GOODNESS on the part of himsel
. ard other members of the house, tina
the stock escaped the usual breakag
and damage of such occasions. Tn
amount Of loss is not exactly known
but will not probably exceed ak to eigh
hundred dollars, covered BY the HON
Insurance Company of New York. Tn
property destroyed was principally whit
Ky and high wines, although it is probs
BILE that some sugar and coffee and othe
goods were more or less injured By water
The building escaped material damsg'