New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-17
A PLEA FOR MATHEMATICS.

STUDY AMONG AaERICANs-vALuE OF THE
SCIENCE OF QUANTITY IN ALL OTHER SCIENCES
DEPENDENCE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY ON
MATHEMAuCs-TuE PkCBLEMs THAT NAY SOON
DE SOLVED.
FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN Ass0-
CATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT Up SCIENCE; thank
Won heartily the honor you have done me in calling
me 10 prsde this section The first Of the subjects
named as belonging 10 Section A, is mathematics In
the few words shall wish to ask Tor thai branch
the real pi macy which has thus in form been gwen
70 it, plead for more study Of mathematics
by American men OF science. | do not speak Oh
it, place Ia education. Whatever interest we may
have schemes of education, not discussing t'
here That there has been and is notable lack III 1he
amount O. American contributions to mathematics las
been SO fully shown 10y predecessor IN tns once "
recent number OF a leading review that hcsd not rcPe'
the story.
II IL not perhaps 10 he wondered at that IN new
outrv IFS fora anu its physical anc Eeorraplc
features shond have rorc ~ FIRST than cxact
seicnoes Then, ;hero have been IN this ooHhuH
largr rewards labor. especially 10 skihed 'apof'
lAvincs and pIlzes lave en:iccG men % wo'S wAere
practical results directly IN view III the aie Rather
than III tn, puTc mathematics.
But whether these other causes have occasioned IT,
the fact American contributions 20 the science OF
quantity not beCn large Three ~ iour Vouh's
dozen and Icrc and there irui'u, lce a' hE
been selected them. there very htile lett that
the world vi! care mUc.. ember refer. of course
10 The additions 10 knO wcgc ard NOT 20 TIE orderly
ARA. cement of H. To make trstratc textbooks oi
manuals trcatlscs. a work OF no mean order ana
] wGuld not underestimate IT, In good mathematician
textbooks We need not fear comparison win
auy Other nation. But few additions have
been made knowledge of quantity that
| fear mat the idea has been quite general
smonc that the mathematics If hnioh'd
seicn.c that il lew fertile Acids inviting labor
and Few uutrocGcn regions 70 be explored. Hence
bright minds capable ~ good work have acted a.
thouch The arAnct the algebra and ire mathematics
which .hcv studied covered al that is known OF The
science Instead Of going N some pain out To the
bornds oi know edge tley lai perhaps the aby 10
do the aug N he beaten highways, and with care
plan.0 seed there. homus for fr How mich such ~
directed thought been spent on the theory OF NUN
Der INC: equations. on ihe theory Of The tides d."
which u nightly expended some untrcdd In though
hume. . ii OF the science. might have really added 10
huuau knowledge, And yet hardly any science can
show o. the whole steady procress year by }eaF
for the ast Az years OF larger and lea,er growth
than TIE s,icuc quantity Here too, as il every other
science the larger Id Tia, has Decr uiicd the
arcer - boundary line from which iao,Iers nay T0rS
into Tie rcC.ar nev nd.
An individual may wisely neglect one SCI ncc Il order
10 WORK IN another But a nation may not. For me
he thv ~ Tth of al O.. science should Zoe fo-tecd IL
II. dre piouortcn But mathematics has sGch relations
witt other branches. that negec # Z mu7t work n tine
wdor Iarv neevc. 10 the cause of science, than neg
ecr oi arv ctacr branch. shall Few reason Tor
this te.e
Fr-t. app 20 vow experience Am wrong in sup
pcs,u each Of yea Las eve TINE or arohorhoen
sled hy lalS @. ~ Hcent lcd,e ri Tie nathe
MATES u @ line That seemed pr"MIs.1rf Would not
each . vou o,i c III W inc young s@Heri in Almost
ar branch O.. science 20 acquire rsi OF 3 AHoWtd-c
o. geometry analysis ana mechanics, ihas ino mal IDEAS
IN .len shah ever DO FAMILIAR tc LIN and thor processes
AT need ca-l- rre.. q Certainly Vca has re ~
c-tt ~ wan. OF s1cA kn0wcd-c been icsed 10 NE
10y o: scc-cc ,hat nave litio doubt OF
your answer.
Acaa arrlc from natural aw OF succession III tie
sion ~ discovery ia The exact sciences. We first sac
dfIer,n.e- IN thr-- apparently alike l,rncss IN
things any !--uy DIVERSE We tnd new mode OF ac-
ton i4e relation supposed ~ be mat Cd cause
and ,f.,t or doover some other new fac Or q.a'
W. frame hvpotncsas measure the quantities involved.
and discuss ihc relations Of Close Cnaniiti, me PROOF
OF a. proof o. the hvl IN Sir lans IT. utAtN d'Phi'
uom lAc "a cement and u>cordanre o. Lle Gi.'H es.
hon :, rt e. nc li-A,r work than 70 dlt ',s quaint
G. md -.r, 49,, +. s Ru- n least ouauti-..,v "
knd III ncc,a 10 .ncure tor m"ct TIE IA rs;.-a
ercd cations o.. me 4uarts1i.s
Again s..o-out th' sciences ~ -s ''c'io lhe law,
are more and more ass s n.;."eii'i'!. iin. ~
Thys nee. hardly l-eion ne j.. 20 - i'u' "i'
rational iae,i,-.., .a %, IN al ~ AZ Ia
pheI o.cua In yafe.lcs % lu;tt an mo ."i IN -'''
istrv IA e nelat ri laws must govern tie conn4i",9u
81 ,6c,..,.. union. Though Eay Lot ao| explain
rseIu. - action orc Arl-cn q Ee'nanics yet me
4
ootIl-'fe W--4"N t-'eh ~ j.! . .- 80 ..- ~,
province 4 .ecns.r}. ~. u IL. ,.e re- VI .n
T. tn chan, Al al" Other in'-'''-'' '1-. az -''
-, INV 10 o - nc-cctine 'Ae uat,cmat j. arain
see ~ CONS t-r.It OF me -..- w-cl
pear 20 he % i-elf nature cai".I 90 ji.,.~
n.at'cal sou'. u 70 explain D.. H. ae. .,t aNs
Of -.-',.. la..c- o- the ioIt' 'if --' ' "i 'lr
ultima Iar-i e. ' in''f q; mc-ilS h41.',4 tl n
may veg! We. t' 't' 'A' t = .t' 81 '.ic .'i.,' 'he
Bar IN; so-e % t'-e forces AMI no.plS NIL .c g.
nj ned c,, .. R Ill la. seems 80 Zoe almost rc.teIil
:, e.. .-,- ta.-u-e- tle cnc'-.cl % ~, as
nc, . , -' dis. over; and explanation. Eac- Lr ~ lt
ret. oI certain 'E. o. st-uct-lc 10 t-c ,1'' reg
rtaf gives t.- spectrum, ana oil - ~. tlH ~ ici' q
So. r. I'm, m uco; fr. is pier lo .e-. t,-.
la t.o. laae anG tnr Irin'iIt "-'. -''-i -.l."
Ia. an f,.,. t.e io n = ,.-,. az I-l.l
Ei''."'' > go -.'' 49,. -,,-,-i.. If -. .e 49,, ~.
III lai1 r-...h nai.edl.
LAW, OI QC4NrlTY ~ OTHER >CiN'fs.
It's .i.h -o-oc he-itation tat leave iIe mere ami
o- o,.ll # Il, section AMI peak of t.e Laws OF guam
rv i. Ike oflcr sciences. Bat there j. :cod up
rarfut 10 even the outside observer fo the belle. that
Tie matte mates viii in the futurcin s0nc of
cour.r Tie very distant U,drc-havc much to DO IN
nea where il Is now very properly -h ont. Indirectly,
thra,, u,,vs.c- it has already fo5lod in some Of
them.
Political economy ia in IRIS ultimate nature branch Of
arr.,,l ra,i lr'.-. ana even "a its present condition
w ar emitted 20 drrus; TIE guidance u 1t OF VINO
Las nor clear CONGO t.ons Of tho relations of quantity
In TACT most the questions IN social sci nee seem 70
have tyrOfOld character. the on" mora tIr Diner
n4ahcna lcal III t'D'-F ~" NAM li'lli- az 'iS'E
iufo lips.ancc whose solution ucl ends upon natl'
tcs ~. geometry 90 aninal ana regc lble forms Us a.
y, -inos' uitotchcc ~ NE Ii" l'ld' CHI, ~ '
nature the each form j. tHc result q definite
oTccs ana H. s' ,,ro,a iIai ''N'
Pr = ,1~,',er lIry,. ~. .,b, field If anpicd
n.tner.atic. IN the science That shall explain the
relations between The faciN OF the outsie void
at -,.u.. on tnc mind. Tho Greeks solved prac-
iciiy on Of 1t. problems wien ,Iey n-ar MN. Ile
apncar straight Another De- mot by the astronomer "Ao