462 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



would fill from forty to forty-five volumes, and that the expense would 

 be about half a million francs. As funds had been provided to cover 

 this expense, the publication was begun, but it soon appeared that the 

 estimates were entirely too low and that the expense would be almost 

 twice as large as the original estimate, in view of the additional mate- 

 rial found at various places. 



The great permanent value of the works of Euler has encouraged the 

 " Schweizerische Naturforschende Gesellschaf t zu Lausanne " to make 

 an appeal to all mathematicians, and others interested, to join hands 

 by means of the society mentioned above in securing the completion of 

 this monumental publication. This society seems to be unique in the 

 history of mathematics, but it bespeaks forcibly the spirit of coopera- 

 tion which has led in recent years to much bigger mathematical under- 

 takings than were possible in former years. The reflex action of these 

 big undertakings on the mathematicians themselves is an element of 

 considerable interest. 



The mathematical activities to which we have directed attention in 

 the present article were selected, in the main, on account of their special 

 interest at the present time. The most important activities, however, 

 are those whose permanency has secured for them a place among the 

 fundamental elements which enter unnoticed into our intellectual life, 

 and whose effectiveness is increased by the fact that they are not im- 

 peded by effusion. As mathematics is such an old science, the educator 

 naturally looks to its activities with a view to predicting in some meas- 

 ure the future activities of the younger sciences. Hence it is especially 

 interesting to note those activities which imply vigor, and promise for 

 still greater achievements in the mathematical sciences. 



