OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: MAY 9, 1871. 325 



students of mathematical science in America, Dr. Chauvenet's health 

 became seriously impaired shortly after his appointment to his new 

 office, and it was never afterward re- established. After several periods 

 of partial recovery, he resigned the chancellorship in 1869, and he died 

 on the 13th December, 1870. 



Dr. Chauvenet was the author of <k Binomial Theorem and Loga- 

 rithms " (1843, 92 pp. 8vo), of " A Treatise on Plane and Spherical 

 Trigonometry" (1850, 256 pp. 8vo), "A Manual of Spherical and 

 Practical Astronomy" (1863, 2 vols., 708 and 632 pp. 8vo), and "A 

 Treatise on Elementary Geometry " (1870, 368 pp. 8vo). His special 

 investigations, published in various journals and volumes of proceed- 

 ings, are mostly embodied in the treatises above named. 



Dr. Chauvenet is most widely known through his Trigonometry, a 

 truly admirable text-book of the first class in respect of method and of 

 arrangement, and so full that while it is entirely adapted to the instruc- 

 tion of beginners, it is invaluable as a book of reference to the professed 

 mathematician. It is constructed on the excellent plan of embracing 

 in one volume the whole general theory of the trigonometric functions 

 in its higher developments, as well as in its elementary principles ; and 

 this plan is carried out with so much learning and industry, that, in 

 spite of some deficiencies with respect to topics which have recently 

 acquired importance, the book is still, after the twenty-one years that 

 have elapsed since its publication, the most complete existing work on 

 the subject of which it treats. Tt must long remain a classical treatise. 

 The Astronomy exhibits the same qualities of full and exact learning 

 and of elegance in form. It embraces the thorough discussion, accord- 

 ing to the best methods, and well illustrated by actual examples, of all 

 the problems which arise in the ordinary work of a practical observa- 

 tory ; and it is in use among working astronomers all over the world. 

 The Geometry is an essay in a field of mathematical science to which 

 Dr. Chauvenet's genius was. less strikingly adapted than to that of an- 

 alysis. It is, however, an important contribution to the discussion 

 concerning the treatment of pure geometry, which is just now exciting 

 a renewed interest among mathematicians. But whereas the Trigo- 

 nometry and Astronomy may be said to have left nothing to be desired 

 in their respective subjects, this, from the nature of the case, could not 

 be true of any treatise on so many-sided and profound a subject as that 

 of geometry. The introduction of some of the modern ideas (while 

 others are, perhaps arbitrarily, excluded), and the appendixes, contain- 



